The unifying vision process: Value beyond traditional decision analysis in multiple-decision-maker environments

A new process for the application of decision analysis and other analytical methodologies, called the unifying vision process, can be very valuable in multiple-decision-maker environments. This process is valuable because it removes constraints on the analysis and increases the likelihood that the recommendations will be implemented. Its value is the consequence of establishing a unified vision or ‘sense of how the world works’ among the multiple decision makers. The unified vision is not a compromise but a new, superordinate vision that encompasses the visions initially held by all of the decision makers. The establishment of a unified vision is enabled by the learning that occurs throughout the process.