Nominal Group Technique, NGT

A method for synthesizing opinions and other input from a group.

This method is useful whenever you need to quickly gather and synthesize input (facts, opinions, evaluations) from a group of people; especially useful when the group is part of an established hierarchy.

A critical point is the formulation of the starting question. Some examples:

✴ What are our criteria for success? What do we mean, when we look back at a piece of work and say that it was successful?
✴ What is functioning well and what is not functioning well in our current work/project?
✴ What factors might help us achieve our goals, and what might hinder us?


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About
What is NGT? How can we rapidly synthesize opinions?

This method, by various names, has been included as a component in several methodologies, including Learning for Change as well as (I think) Metaplan. It takes place in four steps. 

Several aspects of it appeal to a deeper level than the purely intellectual, though this is not articulated. For instance, in Step 2, each person STANDS around an empty table or whiteboard (everyone is on the same footing), and puts their written opinions or ideas one by one on the table or board (putting our cards on the table). The instructions and facilitation need for this reason to be very precise if the full benefit is to be obtained.

This method is useful whenever you need to quickly gather and synthesize input (facts, opinions, evaluations) from a group of people.

NGT enables a group/team to bypass unproductive debate and reach relatively painlessly a consensus about the field in which they are operating. The true benefits are realized when the results are used as a basis for further planning and action.

I first encountered it as a part of the Metaplan methodology but would appreciate all input on other sources. Metaplan attributes it to Eberhard Schnelle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eberhard_Schnelle
What if someone has NO input from Step 1?

This is important information. There is someone in the group who feels no identity with the initial question. Is this a problem of question formulation, or are there issues in the group that make free speech feel dangerous, or is that person ‘cut off’ from what you assumed to be the normal flow of work? Make sure to thank them for their contribution and to use it.

Categories
  • Appreciative / Community building
  • Business / Entrepreneurial Thinking
  • Collective Intelligence
  • Decision making
  • Empowerment
  • Group communication
  • Reflection
  • Strategy / Planning
  • Team Building / Trust Building
  • Understanding complexity
Innovation Phases
  • 1 Understanding the challenge
  • 2 Creating an Innovation-Friendly Culture
  • 3 Fostering New Perspectives & Ways of Thinking
  • 4 Idea Generation
  • 9 Evaluation
Train the Trainer seminars including Nominal Group Technique, NGT can be found here:
Target Group
Who is NGT for?

Any project or other work group with tasks and ambitions in common.

Is participant experience relevant?
It's okay if participants haven't seen the inside of a classroom in years.
Physical trust needed
Mental trust needed
Other prerequisites for participants 

They need to trust the facilitator.

REQUIREMENTS
Experience level of the facilitator
routine as participant OR professional facilitator
How stationary?
Stationary and moving are both necessary for different parts
Location requirements

A room in which people can move about. Tables or whiteboard.

Participant's preparation/subsequent work needed

Full documentation needs to be sent to each participant afterwards. The outcomes need to be integrated into planning or replanning exercises.

STEP BY STEP GUIDE
Preparation (excluding materials)

Think very carefully through the question that will form the basis for the exercise. See examples above. What is it you most need to align the team around?

1

Step 1 Individual brainstorm

1. In silence, each person considers the starting question and writes every answer that presents itself on a piece of paper or a sticky note, a separate piece for each answer. This is individual brainstorming so no self-censorship and there are no bad ideas.
2. There is no need to prioritize or analyse, simply to write the answers. If someone has five answers, they have five pieces of paper. Each person keeps her or his own papers.

2

Step 2 Cards on the table

3. When all are ready, the group stands (not sits) around a clean/ empty table. If you use sticky notes, you can gather in front of a whiteboard.
If you have more than 8-10 people and are using tables (rather than a whiteboard) you will probably want to set up 2-3 tables rather than just one.
4. At each table, one person reads one paper aloud.
5. Brainstorming rules apply, i.e. no criticism or discussion, but questions for clarification may be asked.
6. When (and only when) all have understood, the paper is put on the table. Another person reads one of her/his papers in the same way.
7. Answers that seem related can be placed close together.
8. People continue to read one paper at a time until all papers are on the table.

3

Step 3 Synthesize!

9. The group completes the sorting process, gathering the papers into related piles.
10.Each pile is given a title, as specific as possible. If it’s difficult to find a short title, maybe the pile should be divided. There is no right or wrong number of papers in a pile; a pile of one may be appropriate.
After this point you can interrupt the process to ask how they feel about the exercise and the results.

4

Step 4 Harvest

a) If you have had more than one table for Steps 2 & 3, invite each table to present an overview of their findings to the others.
b) A member of the group undertakes to write out all the papers (grouped under their headings) and distribute them to all members of the group.

Harvest

Discuss with the group what use they can make of the results, for example as input to a planning or re-planning process.

ONLINE & VARIATIONS
Does NGT work online?

NGT can be used online with an online whiteboard. Recommendations by Mel White:
Group and lock the space on the whiteboard in advance.
Make the workspace area clear on the whiteboard - so they can see which sticky notes have already been grouped. You can make one frame which is the group space, and give each person their own pile of prepared sticky notes outside of that space (maybe a different colour sticky note for each person). Grouping things in columns works well.
Watch out for different people's levels of digital literacy. For example some participants might need help with moving the sticky notes.
With experienced groups it can all move very quickly and be really efficient and seamless.

Online
online facilitation possible
Screen needed?
Computer required
Quality of Internet Connection
stable and fast (video conferencing and collaboration tools like miro)
MATERIALS

Ballpoint pens; slips of paper or sticky notes (enough for at least 8 per participant); marker pens for writing the titles in Step 3.

Empathic Interview questions

Future Music Canvas

Future Music Canvas Guide

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Project Tree template

Perspective Carousel video

Online Transformative Learning
- a practical guide


Click on cover to read or download.

Overview BLAST

Online Transformative Learning Enquiry

A transformative Edge

Click on cover to read.      Get the real book here.

 

 

Risk Assessment

A simple way to get an overview of possible risks, and how to deal with them.

IMPACT
Hidden curriculum

Non-hierarchical, inclusive. Encourages synthesis.

How can NGT be an empowering experience?

The first key is in the opening question from the facilitator: is it clear, relevant to the purpose of the group, and relevant for the participants?
The second is in the careful introduction and ‘enforcement’ of the steps. For this to work, the participants need to trust the facilitator.

What is the potential of NGT for group empowerment and Community of Practice?

The group experiences solving this challenge together, every team member´s input is respected.


How does NGT work with collective learning?

The whole team is present and involved in the solution process, hence learns not only about the result and answers to the initial question, but also what it is like to move forward as a whole group.


4
Well done, you made it to the end!
If you have a personal story to share you may go on, but the following part is even more optional than the other parts. In fact this is an invitation to other authors to share their stories. So if you know of someone experienced, please ask her or him.