Consultation,
Consensus, and Collaboration
Gregg Walker, Department of Speech Communication,
Oregon State University
Consultation
-
An information gathering or feedback activity
-
Decision making is not shared
-
No negotiation
-
Emphasis on control; power is maintained
-
“Inform and educate”
Consultation in Natural Resource
Decision Making
-
Uses Traditional Methods of Public Involvement
-
Specialists prepare detailed environmental
documents.
-
Opportunities for public comment are provided,
such as hearings, open houses, and letters.
-
How public input is used is not clear.
-
The agency is in the role of arbitrator.
Consensus
-
A decision making goal
-
Desire for full agreement
-
Outcome centered
-
Degree of joint decision making
-
Some shared power
-
Possibility of negotiation
-
Collaboration is possible but not required
Is there Consensus on Consensus?
Consensus can be:
-
The majority’s will determined by democratic
voting procedures
-
Unanimous agreement (consent or support)
-
Absence of objection
-
Commitment of a decision without full agreement
-
Commitment to implementing a decision
-
Group compliance
Genuine Consensus?
-
Dictated consensus is consensus
as a mandated, pre-determined goal (“we will work on this until we reach
consensus”).
-
Emergent consensus is consensus
that comes from the “ground up” as a result of group interaction.
-
Consensus is influenced by the degree of group
loyalty shared by members.
Group cohesiveness is a predictor of consensus.
Collaboration
-
Emphasis on process and procedure
-
Open communication; disagreement is respected
-
Mutual gains/integrative negotiation interaction
-
Joint decision making
-
Shared power
-
Consensus is possible
A Definintion of Collaboration
-
An emergent process
-
Interdependent stakeholders
-
Differences addressed constructively
-
Joint ownership of decisions
-
Stakeholders assume shared responsibility
for outcomes
(from B. Gray, Collaborating, 1989)
A Learning-Based Collaborative
Approach
-
Is less competitive than traditional decision
making
-
Emphasizes mutual learning
-
Guides stakeholders (e.g., interest groups
and agencies) to learn from one another
-
Respects both local and scientific knowledge
-
Fosters systems thinking
-
Values diversity of parties and viewpoints
-
Encourages innovation
-
Promotes dialogue and mutual gain negotiation
-
Is accessible and inclusive
-
Builds individual and social capacity
Collaborative Conflict Management
is not Easy
-
It must be a viable option for parties/stakeholders;
strategic behaviors will persist.
-
It demands commitment - up and down as well
as across.
-
It requires meaningful decision space.
-
It occurs in a historical context; building
trust and overcoming skepticism takes time.