Consensus Methods: Nominal Group Technique

Abstract

Nominal group technique uses structured small group discussion to achieve consensus among participants and has been used for priority setting in healthcare and research. A facilitator asks participants to individually identify and contribute ideas to generate a list. The group discusses, elaborates, clarifies, and adds new ideas as appropriate. Each participant independently prioritizes the ideas, for example, by voting, rating, or ranking. The facilitator may summarize the scores to ascertain the overall group priorities. This method is useful for generating a diverse range of views and ideas in a structured manner, prevents participants from dominating the discussion, and promotes input from all members.