An application of decision conferencing to strategic planning for a voluntary organization

Decision conferencing is a process for solving strategic decision problems in which the owners of the problem get together for discussions that are facilated by an analyst, a facilitator, and information technologies that perform multiattribute computer modeling and various sensitivity analyses. The purpose is to create shared understanding and gain commitment to action. The Independent Living Center, a voluntary organization from Western Australia, used the decision conferencing approach to develop its strategic plan. Eleven top executives participated in a decision conference in the planning and decision domain, a specially designed facility at Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia. They identified a future direction quickly and developed a plan for implementation of the strategic plan.