Skip Maine state header navigation

Agencies | Online Services | Help
State of Maine Seal
  
Background
Consensus-Based Stakeholder Processes
Mediation of Disputes Involving State Agencies
Related Web Sites
Public Policy Consensus & Mediation: State of Maine Best Practices

Key Steps of a Consensus Process

  1. How to do an internal agency’s assessment
  2. How to do an external stakeholder’s assessment
  3. How to select and work with a facilitator or mediator
  4. Establishing a representative group
  5. Establishing ground rules
  6. Disclosing timing and funding constraints
  7. Phases of work
  8. Finalizing the Agreement


Key Step 4: Establishing a Representative Group

The key to a legitimate consensus process is participation of all necessary parties. There are five principles to ensure representative participation.

Five principles to ensure representative participation

  1. All necessary interests are represented or at least approve of the process. (More Information)
  2. Participants usually represent stakeholder groups or interests and not just themselves. (More Information)
  3. Participation is voluntary. (More Information)
  4. Participants share responsibility for both process and outcome. (More Information)
  5. All parties must be able to participate effectively. (More Information)

How to decide who participates

Deciding who participates is a two-step process -- first identifying the interests that need to be represented, then selecting the representatives for those interests.

Step 1: Identifying which stakeholders need to be at the table
to start identifying interests, you should answer three questions:

  1. Who needs to be on board to implement an agreement if one is reached? (More Information)
  2. Who could block a decision if they did not like it? (More Information)
  3. What other interests could be affected by the action? (More Information)

Step 2: Select participants

Ideally when the parties have agreed on the interests that need to be at the table, each interest selects its own representative. This is relatively straightforward when each seat is to be filled with someone from an organization, but when parties form coalitions, selection is more complex. Makeup of the group is important, too. It is often necessary to bring participants to the table who have authority to make decisions for their respective groups.

Sometimes a diverse committee made up of stakeholders can develop criteria to guide parties in selecting representatives. This can help ensure that the individuals at the table will be able to work well together.

Policymaking members of an organization are usually in the best position to represent their organization effectively. When a person serves in a policy-making role, they are more likely to speak with authority and have the flexibility to seek consensus or compromise. When paid lobbyists are designated representatives, they may have more difficulty with a consensus process, particularly if they view consensus as antithetical to their role as a strong advocate for the organization’s position.