Step
8
Select and Set Up
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Now that alternatives have been evaluated
and ranked, the decisionmaker selects one and sets the stage
for implementing.
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Purpose
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Everything has been evaluated
; you have a recommended solution that looks like it will
work. Congratulations! Celebrate
this success --Getting a plan
to solve the problem is a major achievement!! |
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- To decide on the course of action
- To finalize agreements and establish commitment among
participants
- To set that action in motion
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Why?
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Don't use dragons to light a stove--chose the simplest
option. |
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The quality of the decision determines the
quality of the solution. Participants have worked out tradeoffs
and compromises to find solutions that will work and fit the
situation and environment. Impacts and interrelationships have
been evaluated. Now the decisionmaker can use this as a basis
to select a balanced, workable alternative.
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How?
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The difference between advice giving and decisionmaking
is one of responsibility. Doctors or mechanics can give advice,
but they are not ultimately responsible for your life or your
car--you are. In the same way, technical experts can give advice,
but they are not ultimately responsible for the decision. The
decisionmakers should have been identified early on and kept
informed throughout the process. Now they take the lead. If
these decisionmakers have not yet been identified, find out
who has the authority to make the decision and determine who
the decisionmakers are. Contact them. Recognize the problems
the delay has caused and get them up to date on the decision
process.
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Review
the Decisionmaking Climate
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The politics and amount of conflict
will determine the degree of control over a decision.
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The context for the
decision will determine how the decision will be made and
the solution accomplished. Re-examine existing relations with
politicians, agency and department heads, and influential people
on national, state, and local levels. These relations will fall
on a scale somewhere between pro-active (working with groups
to find a supportable, workable solution) and re-active (responding
to requests and influences). Work within the context to determine
how to communicate and what can and can't be done.
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Identify the Showstoppers
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If a dragon coughs, it doesn't mean he is going to
eat you. Putting you in the stew pot and lighting the
fire might. |
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Identifying showstoppers is akin to
the preacher's last call to "speak now or forever hold
your peace" at a wedding. |
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Showstoppers are issues, concerns, needs,
or values that are worth stopping the process now. Recognize
that the solution won't please everyone completely. If a showstopper
is really worth stopping the process, document the situation
and then fall back and regroup. Otherwise, keep track of potential
showstoppers throughout the decision, implementation, and followup.
Demonstrate how these showstoppers were addressed and resolved
and then document how you followed through on those resolutions.
Sharing this with the affected publics, decisionmakers, and
other participants can forestall or avoid court battles and
build support for your solution.
To clarify potential showstoppers and gauge their strength,
ask participants about:
- Values
- (Why are you involved? What do you care about so much
that you are willing to invest your time?)
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- Needs
- (What needs do you see being met by this process?)
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- Issues
- (What concerns give you heartburn? What are you losing
sleep over?)
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- Warning signs
- (What are the red flags in the process? What would mobilize
your constituency or other groups or organizations?)
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Document these concerns. Set up and consistently apply procedures
for dealing with them. For example, if you know that existing
water rights holders will not support your new actions unless
their rights are secured, make it clear upfront each time that
the new uses are not a threat to the old, established uses.
Or, if you know that noise or dust is a concern, develop and
publicize a contingency procedure for dealing with potential
occurrences of excessive noise or dust.
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Make
the Decision
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Deciding not to
act is also a decision--and the rationale must be
documented. |
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When making a decision, try to select
the alternative that best accommodates the resource and solves
the problem. Look at the results of the evaluations
to determine the most effective solution. But this is not enough.
The decision must strike a balance between support and effectiveness.
Consult with implementors to be certain that the decision you
select is doable.
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Document
the Rationale
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NEPA/CEQ and
the Administratives Procedures Act are examples of requirements
to document the rationale for a decision. |
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Pitfall:
Solutions cannot be all things to all people--someone
is going to get hurt. But uou still have to make the decision.
Promising everything will be great for everyone will puncture
your credibility quickly. |
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Document and share
your reasons for the selection to show everyone what drove your
decision and why. This should be presented in a decision document,
such as the record of decision required under NEPA. This
will:
- Help rally support needed to
make the decision a reality
- Show participants in other decision processes what aspects
are important now
- Demonstrate to supporters of other alternatives that
your decision was a reasonable one
- Avoid active opposition by
giving reasons to support or at least accept the decision
- Help prepare for active opposition if people do sue,
veto, or delay the action
If the recommended alternative is selected, the rationales
given in the recommendation can be used. If not, you will have
to show why your reasons for choosing another alternative overshadowed
the recommendation. For example, if the selection board determines
the top three applicants for a position and explains why they
were selected, the selecting official can base the decision
on their procedure. However, if someone other than the top three
candidates is selected, then the selecting official will have
to explain not only the rationale but the entire process--including
why the top three were rejected.
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Put
the Plan in Motion
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The details are necessary to get the
thing done. |
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Responsible implementors are like symphony
conductors. They use each player's skill to create a harmonious,
intricate whole. |
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Decisionmakers can do some basic things to
help accomplish the solution:
- Select a responsible implementor.
- You need to have a person who has authority but who is
still close enough to the work to understand and coordinate
the details of translating the plan into reality. To do this,
appoint a responsible person who will be accountable for the
implementation. If participants (both internal and external)
agree on this person, it will be easier to focus on the real
work and avoid sabotage. This will effectively and consistently
help translate the solution into reality. Remember that this
responsibility needs to be coupled with authority.
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- Confirm and re-establish ground
rules
- Since there will be many new players and since circumstances
have changed drastically, review the ground rules with the
responsible implementor and see if changes need to be made.
Incorporate these into the plan.
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- Provide a support team.
- The composition of the team will vary, depending on the
action. When selecting this staff, include diverse styles
(deep thinker, crazy innovator, precise planner, etc.) and
technical expertise to get a complementary mix. Consider comfort
levels and skills.
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- Communicate the plan .
- While most people may have been involved in the decision
process, everyone needs to be at the same level of understanding
now. This helps ground implementors and shows the plan's rationale.
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- Set up continuing communication.
- The decision-maker and responsible implementor need to
consult on a regular basis. The decisionmaker must explain
overall developments in issues and priorities that might affect
the action. The implementor must discuss current actions,
changes, and potential problems and solutions.
Decisionmakers need to communicate with responsible implementors
often, early, and too much! These two individuals must understand
each other's expectations and actions.
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Tools
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Tools at earlier stages provided the decisionmaker
with the information needed to make a balanced decision. Now
use tools to strengthen working relationships to ensure decisions
can succeed. These may include:
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Decision Process
Results |
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Participants in the decision process have
worked together to find the most effective solution to the problem.
Use the knowledge, understandings, and agreements
forged so far as a tool for taking action.
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Credibility
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Figure out who has credibility in the process.
Work with these people to understand the issues and rationales
as well as explain your decision to others. Work with politicians
to explain the issues. Don't be confrontational--strong-armed
tactics are expensive in the long run.
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Issue Tables
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Retrofitting is expensive.
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Tracking issues arising through implementation
is critical. People don't stop thinking about issues after the
decision is made--they want to see what happens in real life.
Participants will hold you accountable to keep all promises
made and to abide by all agreements. When showing the rationale
for your decision, also list all the issues and show how each
was resolved. Add potential showstoppers to the issue list.
You might keep this on a wall that everyone can visit. Continue
to note what actually happened.
Sample Issue Table
Issue
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Resolution/ decision
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Implementation
plan |
Implementation
notes |
Followup
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Briefly discuss
the issue |
What you decided
to do about it |
Who will do what
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Who did what,
what happened |
Was this satisfactory?
What changes needed to be made? |
Sedimentation |
Put in erosion control measures
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Contractors will compact side slopes
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Chemicals in the workplace |
Measure levels of chemicals |
Contractors will institute measures
x and y |
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Safety |
Safety training and drills |
Each office will develop training and
schedule drills |
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Look Forward
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The decision is actually the easy part. Once
you know where you are going, set the solution up to succeed
by communicating and getting the support you need. |
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Communicate
Your Decision
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There are times to have an old sage present your case.
There are times when a young princess is more effective.
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"Fairly" does not mean that everyone
got their way--rather it means that ideas were heard and
considered equitably. |
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How you communicate the decision will determine
if the solution works or gets bogged down. Two groups really
need to understand the decision, but from varying perspectives:
- Internal.
- Internal staff and managers need to understand how the
decision relates to their jobs and missions. Clearly articulate
how the decision relates to the work Reclamation needs to
do. Focus on the future--how will this decision promote Reclamation's
mission in the years to come. Caution:
relating this decision to one or two instances where staff
feels there were problems will surely backfire, as people
will resent the implications and predict a negative result.
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- External.
- Participants will have a wide variety of agendas
and needs. This decision is sure to upset someone out there.
If you can use open and honest communication to demonstrate
that you are playing fairly, people who oppose the decision
may go along with it. Clearly explain that there is a serious
problem and show why you think that this is the most responsible
way to deal with that problem.
If the process has not been fair (or if some participants
feel it has not), address this before going any further. Otherwise,
an active opposition will spring up.
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Set
the Solution Up to Succeed
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Thank people for being involved to bost
morale. Just be careful to remember everyone! |
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Tell everyone what they need to know so they
can take action. This includes:
- What the decision is
- How the solution will be put into place
- How it will be monitored and evaluated
- How changes will be decided on and made
Make certain that:
- People responsible for implementation, followup, and
monitoring as well as affected publics have been contacted
and support the decision.
- They have the resources to put it in place.
- Commitments to act and monitor are understood and agreed
to
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Motivate
People
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Persuading people that the work has only just begun is a
difficult but vital task now. First, let everyone know that
you appreciate the work done so far. Little things, such as
certificates of appreciation, tee-shirts with the program's
name, gym bags, or lunches mean a great deal. They will:
- Show participants that their efforts mattered. (My name
is on the poster by the Crystal River Bridge.)
- Help strengthen the identity of the group. (I worked
on the Crystal River Basin Program rather than I opposed the
so and so's who were going to ruin the river).
- Let people celebrate their accomplishments.
- Rally participants to focus on solving the problem.
Use lots of imagination and humor to find something that
fits the situation.
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Go On
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Executive
Summary and Process Tours:
Evaluate <---- >Implement
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