INTEGRAAL Step 4

Step FOUR — Mobilise the actors for tasks of deliberation.

This step relies on the framework and information developed in steps 1-3 above.  It produces outcomes in the formal sense of a multi-actor multi-criteria evaluation.  It also provides insights and learning to participants via the discussions that take place and observation of the respective positions adopted and of how these evolve through the collective learning that occurs. 

Deliberation exercises of current performance or future options, are undertaken in a multi-stakeholder multi-criteria perspective at appropriate scales (e.g., from farm to region to nation…), corresponding to defined contexts or “theatres” of collective debate and action.  There may, in principle, be many discrete evaluation exercises — hence our term “piecewise deliberation” — that can be loosely coupled by engaging common typologies of stakeholders and performance values, or by considering the same or analogous strategies.

The deliberation step can be organised in 3 sessions:

1. A preliminary session

Once information is gathered, all participants, representing stakeholders, can be invited for a presentation of the preliminary results, which leads to settling the axis of deliberation (categories of performance issues, scenarios or alternatives, and any forgotten stakeholder). Adjustments can be made at this phase. The discussion on scenarios or alternatives will take place only in the second session. The aim of this first session is to explain the method, reinforce the contact with the stakeholders, and increase their willingness to participate to deliberation.

2. The evaluation session

During this session, the facilitation team proposes a deliberation support tool, for example the KerDST deliberation matrix. The participants are invited to give their perception of the performance of the scenarios according to the different performance issues, by filling up the matrix. 

• The evaluation can be done by gathering all the actors
• Or it can be done in several sessions, by categories of stakeholders and geographical proximity

Deliberation can initiate at this stage, on the basis of the analysis of the preferences of the different actors: where their evaluation regarding each scenario and each performance issues diverge or converge. 

REEDS has developed a tool, the Deliberation Matrix (KerDST), which can be used to organise the interfacing of the options for evaluation relative to the stakeholders and relative to the performance criteria.

3. The deliberation session

The actors enter a process of arguments and negociation on the best alternative(s) since the previous session, by giving their preferences. The aim of the third meeting is to compare and discuss the evaluations of the different groups.

Each stakeholder group will be handed a document with the results of his category, with the indicators which supported his/her evaluation. 

To improve the quality of the debate, the facilitator can manage the debates towards the key messages and the future possible evolutions. To conclude, a balance must be done on proposals and actions to develop on the basis of this deliberation excercise.