Week 4 - Delphi Method Versus Nominal Group Technique

The Delphi Method and the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) are both techniques for achieving consensus within a group.  The Delphi method was created to make accurate predictions of the future while NGT was developed to prioritize issues within a group.  Both techniques are iterative in nature where the groups make initial assessments and then refine them as evaluations are shared within the group.  The Delphi Method can have closed collaboration where a single set of individuals work toward consensus or open collaboration where new people are brought into the evaluation as needed.

The techniques differ in some aspects.  The Delphi Method is usually used for longer term forecasting that is more abstract in nature and can take much longer to achieve consensus as team members share data sometimes via mail or email over a period of time.  NGT is usually used to achieve consensus within a couple of hours as team members quantify their opinions numerically (using for example sticky notes) and the values are ranked and summarized.  Sometimes smaller teams achieve numerical consensus and then these results are compiled into a larger group.

NGT participants quantify using sticky notes

I would use the Delphi Method to perform big picture forecasting where the subject matter is very broad and requires time to think and research the topic (Community and Economic Development).  Inherent in the Delphi Method is the social force.  Some people produce better answers when they are anonymous. As the topic begins to focus on certain technologies I would broaden the participation and allow open collaboration so that subject matter experts could be brought in to add to the discussion.

A force that would move me to use NGT is circumstantial and in this case the circumstance is time limitation.  NGT would be useful for things like course evaluations or problem solving within a small group where the problem is more narrowly focused so that consensus could be achieved in a short time frame.

References

Community and Economic Development. (n.d.). Modified Delphi Technique. Retrieved October 23, 2012, from University of Illinois: http://www.communitydevelopment.uiuc.edu/sp/ Step6/Delphi%20Technique.pdf