Decision Process Worksheet

Our decision process worksheet

This is a wide table: please print it out or adjust your screen.

This is a compilation of many different worksheets, starting from the first time we met to produce a guidebook through the web version. We usually went into a room with whiteboards, set up the categories, and started to brainstorm. We would then haul in the decisionmakers, show the thought process and our suggestions. With the decisionmaker, we refined our actions.

Naturally, many items changed while we developed the guidebook. We used the previous worksheets to determine what the changes affected. For example, when decisionmakers asked us to address another need (e.g., guidance on how to work with partners or handle conflict), we looked at our previous needs and determined that these were compatible. So we expanded the guide. When we found that our solution, a paper guidebook with general training, met our objectives but did not solve the problem (need for on-the-ground guidance), we developed other courses. When readers expressed different, more specific needs (helpful hints, overview of the process, etc.) we created this web version so readers could pick what they wanted.

Need	Objectives	Resources/ Constraints	Options	Criteria	Alternatives	Evaluate	Select	Implement	Monitor and Adapt
Follow a clear decision process	Provide a decision process tool	Resources Core team	No Action Quit	Meet the needs of our customers: - Region - Area - TSC - Washington - Other agencies - Stakeholders - Interested publics	No Action		We will use a small team as this will better provide a uniform approach and we can make the guidebook usable and flexible. We will integrate comments, insights, and suggestions from as wide a range of perspectives as we can.
Work with partners	Provide overall view of decision process to fit other guidance systems	Contributors with experience	Standardized training course		Use a small team: - Lots of contributors   - Research - Develop training guidebook together	Priority stack: 1. Usability 2. Flexibility 3. Uniform approach 4. Diverse perspectives 5. Timeframe 6. Coordination		Interview contributors	Three-ring notebook makes it easier to incorporate new changes
Flexible decision processes	Develop flexible, usable system	Washington support	Adaptable training courses (2 hours-2 days)					Write sections	Work with others to find out new information and ideas.
Flexible guidance		Other government guides	Get something off the shelf	Stay within time and budget				Send out drafts	Monitor Reclamation Manual and adapt guidebook
Need to explain the decision process - Partners, other agencies - Decisionmakers - New participants - Team members - Implementors	Communicate decision process clearly	Computers	Use another government guide	Simple	Use a large team with each person contributing one part			Incorporate comments	Keep getting comments from application contributors
		Internet	Use a consultant	Understand-able				Develop and give training
		Graphics	Use the decision processes in place	Easy and friendly to use
		Editors	Combine with other efforts (NEPA handbook)	Emphasize process	- Use as a group discussion			Keep people informed and follow up
		Training materials	Have a large team develop this	Keep it flexible	Rewrite guidebook to create a hypertext on www.	Use Storyspace to create a framework. Use HTML editor to clean up.	Create a www doc that provides tours for various audiences	Incorporate comments in the www version	First editor didn't work. Graphics were not imported well, had to be redrawn. Need for monitoring.
			Use existing decision process models
Evolving decision processes: - Reinvention efforts - Reclamation Manual system	Promote an effective process	Constraints	Use a small team to write and develop
		Existing, changing regulations	Ask people what works
	Use as discretionary guidance under RM	Time/staff days available	Use what works from other models, works.
Solutions don't work - Skipped steps - Surprises - Politics	Show ways to avoid pitfalls	Money	Find the basic steps in the decison process
			Show how studies start
			Talk about overall issues

Go On

Handyman's Tour Decision Analysis <---->Scoping

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Take Stock

Reality checks