National Issues Forum

National Issues Forum or NIF, is a method for deliberative democracy in the USA.

NIF Process

1) NIF is desigen for large masses face-to-face deliberation, therfore it is hard to create large diversity of options. To overcome this obsitcale, experts are preparing 2-4 options before the start of the deliberation process. The NIF manual does not describe how the deliberation of the expert are done.

2) Participent recive the booklet that the experts preperd and. they may be curious (question mark) about the meeting, and may read it, in order to prepare themselves for the event. I am not sure how many read the booklet and preper themselves. From what I have seen, most don't read it. Participent that read the booklet may enalarge their SON on the subject.

3) After intial intoduction that explain the importance of the subject in hand, a short movie inteoduce the subject in bitsound fashion. This movie, if done properly, puzle the participent and elvate their curiosity.

4) This curiosty is create motivation for listening to the experts that introduce the diffrent options to the audiance. If the experts explained clearly explained the subject and the options, The SON increase and the options will be more clear to most participents/

5) After the intoduction, the participents go to predesteind groups. The destribiotion is set to increase hetrogeneity. In the ways to the group, people tend to naturly gather in small groups of 2-4 members, and will try to discuss and understand the options and the subject more clearly. This is a by product.

This mini-break, also help paticipent to recover from ego deplition.

6)

experts knowledge

In NIF, experts knowledge is introduced (and framed ) by a book which is prepared by the comity or other agency. The book describe 3-4 options to solve an issue

At the begging, a short movie that explain the issue is introduced

Psychological Settings

facilitators charge participants to listen with respect; to consider all perspectives, including those that different from their own; and to seek common ground.

Participation

They encourage everybody to participate.

modorators encourage people to explain even unpopular epproches.

Learning

People are encouraged to tell a their story in the issue, to get people engage the issue (story telling).

Evaluating

Modorators encourage participants to consider each approach fully and fairly, to illustrate each approach with personal stories and experiences, and to consider the related costs and consequences of each approach.

Selection of Common Solution

At the end, after several hours, participants are asked to describe what is the common ground. what is the real issue, what is unacceptable, and which points remain un solved. they strive to articulate a common story, as a group and to find a common path. if there is a devision, then the decision is recorded.

understanding

the facilitator is accompanied by a recorder, who write the outcome on a white board.