Group Decision-Making Methods: The Delphi Technique and the Nominal Group Technique (NGT)

There are many well-known group decision-making methods available today. The Delphi technique is perhaps the most widely used of all available methods. The aim of the Delphi technique is to develop an expert-based judgement about an epistemic question (Niederberger & Spranger, 2020). One underlying premise of this group decision-making method is that multiple perspectives are better than one. Niederberger and Spranger (2020) argue that a group of experts and a multitude of perspectives will produce a better judgement than the top official in any given field. This technique has been around since the 1950s. Norman Dalkey and Olaf Helmer developed the Delphi technique to gain reliable expert consensus (Barrett & Heale, 2020). The name comes from the Ancient Greek Oracle of Delphi who could predict the future (Barrett & Heale, 2020). This technique begins with asking a set of experts their opinions on a given topic. The discussion shapes the discussion for future rounds, allowing the study to evolve. At the end of each round, the answers to the questions are shared anonymously with the group. The participants are also given time to reflect on their responses after considering the strengths and weaknesses of other expert responses. This approach of multiple rounds should morph into a consensus view (Barrett & Heale, 2020).

A second group decision-making approach is the nominal group technique (NGT). The NGT is a structured method for group brainstorming that encourages contributions from everyone (ASQ, n.d.). Participants write down several of their own ideas regarding a particular topic and then select whichever they feel is the best. Each participant then shares their favorite/best idea to the collective. Each idea is considered and prioritized via a point system. Typically, the highest value idea is considered the solution to the problem at hand.

Now let us compare and contrast the Delphi technique with the NGT. Both methods are considered consensus methods that involve a group of experts to generate ideas and determine priorities (McMillan, King, & Tully, 2016). The Delphi technique and NGT are used in different scenarios. NGT, for example, is better suited for small groups. This method requires in-person attendance. This could prove difficult if the experts are not geographically co-located. The Delphi technique does not typically require in-person attendance. This method usually enlists larger groups of experts. Furthermore, the Delphi technique requires much more time. It is not uncommon for this method to take weeks and even months to provide a consensus, whereas the NGT is much more timely (McMillan, King, & Tully, 2016).

References

ASQ. (n.d.). What is nominal group technique? https://asq.org/quality-resources/nominal-group-technique#:~:text=Nominal%20group%20technique%20(NGT)%20is,idea%20they%20feel%20is%20best.

Barrett, D., & Heale, R. (2020, May 19). What are Delphi studies? https://ebn.bmj.com/content/23/3/68

McMillan, S. S., King, M., & Tully, M. P. (2016). How to use the nominal group and Delphi techniques. International journal of clinical pharmacy, 38(3), 655–662. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-016-0257-x

Niederberger, M. & Spranger, J. (2020, September 22). Delphi technique in health sciences: A map. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00457/full

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