Post in Building consensus online

Mar 31 22:06 UTC

tom.kaneko wrote:

> We have different premises when it comes to building consensus...
> So in your scenario, applying [my process] logic goes along
> these lines:
> * 3 agree to P
> * 7 individuals will make their objections known, but avoiding
> repetition.
> * a new draft, Q, is drawn up after discussion and compromise, and the
> old draft P is thrown out for the time being.
> * 3 individuals make their objections to Q known, and the proposal is
> refined again until consensus is achieved, or something as close to it
> as possible.

So I take it Tom, this situation cannot occur in your process (not
formally, anyway):

  * 3 agree to P
  * 4 agree to Q
  * 3 agree to neither proposal, or are undecided

Instead, the alternative proposal (Q) is handled in this way:

  * 3 agree to P
  * 7 do not agree, or are undecided (4 of them actually agree to Q,
    but their agreement is not formally acknowledged)

Then Q is formally acknowledged, and P is rejected:

  * 4 agree to Q
  * 6 do not agree, or are undecided (3 of them actually agree to P,
    but their agreement is not formally acknowledged)

> I guess this is a more linear process to the one you are describing.
> Note how proposal P is rejected as soon as Q is drafted, which keeps
> the group's focus on the one proposal.

Yes, I see your intent.  But what causes them to focus on Q, and to
reject P?  What does Q have, that P lacks?  If only 2 participants had
agreed to Q, for example, would it still become the new focus?

Your process seems to depend on *quantity* of agreement.  It allows
one proposal (P) to be rejected and replaced by a very different one
(Q) soley on the basis of which has the *most* agreement.  So my
original questions still apply: How does the process formalize each
proposal, and the agreement to each?  You say that a "new draft, Q, is
drawn up".  So maybe each proposal is a separate draft text?  But how
is the quantity of agreement formalized, for each draft?

How is the rejection of alternative proposals formalized?  You say
that the "old draft P is thrown out for the time being".  Where does
it go, exactly?  Is the quantity of agreement it had aquired (3
participants) still formally acknowledged?  Or is that, too, thrown
out?