Slides from the inaugural CODF Foundations of Open Dialogue Workshop. Covers: the holistic turn in policy-making, the public engagement framework, deliberative engagement design, combining narrative and analysis in evidence-informed decision making.

1. Canadian Open Dialogue Forum-
Foundations of Open Dialogue
August 17, 2017
1
Don Lenihan
Geordie Adams
Bryce Colenbrander

2. Agenda
2
MorningAfternoon
Holistic
policy-making
The public
engagement
framework
Breakout:
Issues and
process-types
Deliberative
engagement
design
Evaluation:
Process
accountability
Breakout:
Informed
Participation -
Narrative and
Analysis

3. Making plans and choices together
Holistic policy-making and the public
engagement framework
3

4. The Holistic Turn
Example: Traditional Healthcare
Goal: Heal injury and cure illness
Response: Build a healthcare system able to achieve this goal:
- Research
- Trained Physicians
- Hospitals
- Pharmaceuticals
Approach is largely reactive
What happens when we become proactive?
4

5. 5

6. The Holistic Turn
Societal goals:
6
Well-being
Life-long
learning
Sustainable
development
Collective
security

7. The impact on policymaking
● There is rarely a single, best solution to an issue.
● Emphasis shifts from finding “best” solutions to “balancing” competing
values and interests.
● Public policy goals are often bigger than government and achieving
them requires resources and effort from outside government.
● Shared goals require a shared plan.
● We must get beyond the silos – policy vs implementation.
How do we achieve this? 7

9. Engaging the public…
9
Views Deliberation Action

10. Public
Process-type: Consultation
10
Views Deliberation Action
Government

11. Consultation: the rules of the game
11
Competitive
The object is to gain influence over
the decision maker (zero-sum)
Advocate for your views
But there is little accountability for this
and makes cheating possible
1. Compete with others by advocating for your view
2. Decision is made by an independent body who is:
○ Fair
○ Competent
The impact of this:

12. Why consultation breaks down
12
Views Deliberation Action
Increasing Complexity

13. 13

14. Public + Government
Process-type: Deliberation
14
Views Deliberation Action
Government

15. The Rules of Deliberation: Trust
15
Openness
Information relevant to the process is
mutually not being withheld
Responsibility
Participants are willing to abide by the
resulting decision
Mutual Respect
Genuine willingness to consider others’
point of view
Inclusiveness
Positions are meaningfully represented
throughout the process

16. Public / Government
Process-type: Collaboration
16
Views Deliberation Action

17. Evaluation: the fourth stage
17
Views Deliberation Action Evaluation

18. Engagement as a Learning Cycle
18
Views
Deliberation
Action
Evaluation

19. Collaboration
Deliberation
Consultation
Information
Sharing
Modes of engagement are
not inherently superior to
others.
Success depends on
determining the right fit
for the circumstances.
Approaches are cumulative,
and build upon each other.

20. The decision rules
➢ Two questions determine what process to use:
Can the decision makers construct a comprehensive
narrative that will be accepted by those affected?
20
Are the decision-makers
competent to consolidate views
on their own?
Can the solutions be delivered
by the decision-makers?

21. Breakout: Process-types
Identify real examples of an issue for each of
the 4 process-types
~10-15 minute discussion
~20 minutes report-back
21

24. Moving beyond consultation: What difference does it
make?
24
1
Objectives and
expectations are
better aligned
2
The process is
more disciplined,
rules-based and
methodical
3
Transparency,
accountability,
and fairness are
enhanced
4
Decision-
making is more
evidence-based
5
There is greater
legitimacy and
ownership
6
The process and
results have
resilience

25. Lunch
25

26. The case for deliberation
26
Balancing /
Innovating
Consultation
Deliberation
Holistic Turn
Competing
/ Deciding
Degree of
Complexity

27. Process design and the challenge of continuity
27
ActionViews
Trustworthy
● Open
● Inclusive
● Respectful
● Responsible
Continuity
Deliberation

28. Enabling informed participation
Deliberative engagement design
28

29. Deliberative Engagement Template
29
Finding Solutions ValidationDefining the Issues
Issues
Report
Solutions
Report
Final
Report
Stages:
Milestones:
Consolidatedin
Sets agenda for
Deliberation ActionViews
Consolidated in Synthesized
into

30. Can deliberation scale?
30
Collaboration
Deliberation
Consultation
Information
Sharing ✅
✅
✅
❓
↗ Expectations
Online forums
Social Media
↗ Opportunity
Online tools
Techniques

31. The aspects of deliberation
31
Lived
Experience
Understanding
Narrative-led
Information
Data
Understanding
Analysis-led
Paths toward understanding

32. The aspects of deliberation
32
Lived
Experience
Information
Data
Understanding
Analysis-ledNarrative-led
Evidence-informed decision making

33. Deliberative Engagement Template
33
Finding Solutions ValidationDefining the Issues
Issues
Report
Solutions
Report
Final
Report
Stages:
Milestones:
Consolidatedin
Sets agenda for
Deliberation ActionViews
Consolidated in Synthesized
into

34. Scaling deliberation: Dialogue roles
34
Large
Group
Medium
Group
Small
Group
i.e.:
Broad online
Engagement Strategy
Open call
Etc
i.e.:
Working Group
Project Team
Etc
i.e.:
Town Halls
Delphi Process
Stakeholder meetings
Etc

35. Everyengagement
hasitsownDNA
35
Context Strategy Structure
Components Enablement

36. 36

37. Tools and techniques: Deliberation
37
In-Person Online
Small
Group
● Meetings / conference calls
● Process management
● Ad-hoc collaboration tools
○ Email, etc.
○ Shared documents
Medium
Group
● Big meetings
● Facilitated discussion techniques
○ Deliberative dialogue
○ Appreciative inquiry
○ World Cafés
● Focused Ideation /
Online Brainstorming
● Delphi method staged e-workbooks
● Tools suited for task
Large
Group
● Sampled approaches
○ Polling
● Media monitoring
● Events
● Open Ideation / Online Brainstorming
● Email submissions
● Surveys / Workbooks
● Community mapping
● Etc.
Processtype:Deliberate

38. Deliberative Engagement Template
38
Finding Solutions ValidationDefining the Issues
Issues
Report
Solutions
Report
Final
Report
Stages:
Milestones:
Consolidatedin
Sets agenda for
Deliberation ActionViews
Consolidated in Synthesized
into

39. Round Table Example
39
Finding Solutions ValidationDefining the Issues
Ministerial
Response
What was
heard
Announce
Recommendations
Where does this work?
Where could approach be improved?

40. Legislation Review Example
40
Finding Solutions ValidationDefining the Issues
Committee
Report
Legislative
Recommendations
Where does this work?
Where could approach be improved?

41. Breakout - Narrative and Analysis
Does this distinction make sense?
How does it inform the policy creation process?
41
What is the difference between
Narrative and Analysis?

42. Evaluation
An adaptable framework
for learning
1. Performance Measurement
Are we achieving our specific objectives?
2. Process Accountability
Is the process working and leading us to
a higher degree of success?
42

43. Evaluation - Accountability and Learning
43
SUCCESS
CONDITIONS
Trust Openness Mutual Respect Inclusiveness Responsibility
PERFORMANCE
BENCHMARKS
High level of
willingness of
the parties to
continue the
dialogue
Increased
sharing of views,
information and
knowledge
relevant to the
dialogue
Real changes
and adjustments
in existing views,
goals, policies,
practices and so
on
Agreement that
the right people
are present in
the process
Willingness to
self-assign tasks
based on the
dialogue process

44. Evaluation: Trust
High level of willingness of
the parties to continue the
dialogue
Performance indicators:
● Willingness to continue meeting and to see the dialogue as a
cyclical process
● Belief that the process is working
● Agreement to expand partnership into new areas
44

45. Evaluation: Openness
Increased sharing of views,
information and
knowledge relevant to the
dialogue
Performance indicators:
● Number of relevant documents made available to the partners
● Willingness to provide regular briefings and updates to each other
● Willingness to share plans, directions, concerns and other things
that may shape behaviour
45

46. Evaluation: Mutual Respect
Real changes and
adjustments in existing
views, goals, policies,
practices and so on
Performance indicators:
● Number and scope of changes in positions resulting from the
dialogue process
46

47. Evaluation: Inclusiveness
Agreement that the right
people are present in the
process
Performance indicators:
● No people or organizations outside the process demanding that
they be a part of it.
● No people or organizations inside the process who feel they have
no real role in it.
47

48. Evaluation: Responsibility
Willingness to self-assign
tasks based on the
dialogue process
Performance indicators:
● Willingness to contribute time or resources to supporting the
process
● Willingness to recruit new members to the process
● Willingness to spend time with others in your network informing
them of the work underway and getting their input
● Willingness to communicate the findings of the process to others
in your network
● Willingness to defend the process against partisan attacks or
criticism
48

49. Canadian Open Dialogue Forum
www.codf.ca
49