Decision Implementation and Monitoring

Consultative decision making does not end with a consensus decision. Integral to the process is the plan for decision implementation and to ensure the process is monitored. Consulting without implementation and effective results is time wasted. The use of this creative and synergistic process has as its purpose action and objectively measurable results.

There is a mutually beneficial inter-relationship between consultative decision making and project cycle management. The use of participatory processes to define project goals, outputs, activities and work plans requires an instrument such as consultative decision making. Likewise, the effectiveness of consultative decision making is greatly enhanced when combined with logically organized project planning and resource allocation. The components of a typical objectives-oriented project management scheme are shown in Figures 11-12.

In consultation a monitoring of the decision is implicitly required. The principle is that “..decisions once made become the decision of every participant—dissenting opinions after decisions are made are destructive and compromise success.” This requires a standard of behavior that can be difficult if an individual has doubts about the decision, but is willing to meld his or her will to the group on the assumption that the group decision is best. But what if it is not? What if something changes and new facts are known? How does the group maintain unity in the face of evidence that a decision needs to be reviewed?

Figure 11.  Simplified scheme of the steps in project cycle management.