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”

• 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.

• 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

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

• 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.

• Emphasis on process and procedure
• Open communication; disagreement is respected
• Mutual gains/integrative negotiation interaction
• Joint decision making
• Shared power
• Consensus is possible

• An emergent process
• Interdependent stakeholders
• Differences addressed constructively
• Joint ownership of decisions
• Stakeholders assume shared responsibility for outcomes

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

• 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.