Topic Guide Tools Resource

Process & Communication
Revised 05/04/16

Topic Guide Resource List

Topic Guiding Process (from Anne)

• Holds the container for the community’s input
• Sifts through the information and finds patterns
• Guides the process in and out of all the different constellations
• Brings the topic, at varying phases, to the community via Community Meetings
  • Works with the facilitator to create a framework and process for these meetings
  • Gets clear on: What do we want to get out of this meeting? = Purpose
  • Gets conceptual agreement from community on direction
  • Proposal creation and presentation

Ideas for resources and information on the website (from Mac)

• info about when to use posted decision vs decision made in Community Meeting (see the Decision Making and Meetings Agreement)
• info about value of plenary time and how to guide topic so as to make best use of that time
• specific purpose of using plenary time should be very clear and written as purpose to be sent to ST and included in agenda
• link to Posted Decisions section of Decision Making & Meetings Agreement
• link to WORKING WITH TOPICS AND MAKING DECISIONS section of Decision Making & Meetings Agreement
• reference Consensus Philosophy Guidelines; any topic guide should be thoroughly familiar with it    
• discussion about essence of role: to take community input to sculpt proposal; TG is servant of community to get their best ideas put into decision; not TG’s idea pushed onto community
• link to Discussion section of Meetings Guidelines
• link to Making the Decision section of Meetings Guidelines
• link to If Consensus Cannot Be Reached section of Meetings Guideline
  • I think topic guides should be familiar with the complete Meetings Guidelines
• link to Summary of Decision Method section in Facilitation Guidelines
• link to Proposals section in Facilitation Guideline
• link to If Consensus Cannot Be Reached section in Facilitation Guideline
  • I think topic guides should be familiar with the complete Facilitation Guidelines
• link to Alternative Decision Making Methods Guidelines
• link to Facilitation Tools Resource so TG is aware of possible tools to use in Community Mtg
• Laird’s Webinar Resource
• overall strategy of topic expanding and the contracting (see diamond above)