Consensus mapping is a technique with the purpose of deriving a collective comprehension of problems by team members, in order for agreement regarding the activities required to reach a solution and their sequence to be unanimously understood. It is usual that ideas are brainstormed as the input to this exercise. Following this, 20-30 activities per idea are proposed and sequenced to form the basis of an action plan. Consensus among participants is arrived at through in-depth discussions.
Using ‘Consensus Mapping’
Step 1: Clearly understood, evaluated, and prioritised ideas or problems are presented by the facilitator to a group of employees.
Step 2: A brainstorming exercise is undertaken as a group, in which 20-30 activities per idea or problem are sought. For convenience, activities can be recorded using post-it notes.
Step 3: The initial large group is sub-divided into two or three teams of five to nine participants.
Step 4: Individuals work alone within the team context, to cluster and sequence, referred to as mapping, the activities identified earlier on the basis of key parts of the idea or problem.
Step 5: Individuals within teams work in pairs to discuss their mapping and merge their views.
Step 6: Different pairings within each team work collectively to develop a mapping of activities agreed upon by the whole team. After a predetermined period of time, their shared proposal is presented to the facilitator.
Step 7: While the participants take a break, the facilitator combines all the proposed activity cluster maps to form an integrated version, referred to as a strawman map, displaying the structural interrelationships between categories and activities.
Step 8: On the basis of the strawman map, each team again develops its own activity cluster map and after a predetermined period of time, presents it to the other teams.
Step 9: Representatives of each team collaborate on a consolidated activity cluster map that can be agreed upon by all teams.
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