New directions in software for strategic choice

The Strategic Choice Approach to decision making under uncertainty originated in Britain over 20 years ago, in studies of group decision processes by staff of the Institute of Operaional Research and social science colleagues from the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations. It has since been extensively applied as a framework for group ‘decision workshops’ using low-technology aids such as flip charts and marker pens-especially in the Netherlands, where it has been adapted to support government/industry communications over major issues of environmental policy. In 1987, work began on the development of software to support individuals and small groups in the more informal use of this approach. The outcome was an interactive software package of IBM-compatible PC’s-Strategic Advisor, of STRAD for short-which was launched in February 1991. This paper will outline the conceptual foundations of the software, will describe how the experience of running Strategic Choice workshops was used in its development, and will point to a range of possible applications.