1. MODERATING DELIBERATIVE FORUMS—AN INTRODUCTION Winter/Spring, 2016

2. TODAY’S PRESENTATION Getting Started Background Moderating Forums Q&A
Next Steps

3. WHAT IS THE NATIONAL ISSUES FORUMS AND WHO’S INVOLVED?
A nationwide network that promotes deliberation on tough public issues.
Non-partisan, non-profit
Libraries, schools, colleges and universities, community organizations, senior centers, book clubs, and more
National Issues Forums Institute publishes issue guides, reports forum results, and connects the people and organizations that convene and moderate forums.

4. Partnership with The Kettering Foundation, a nonprofit operating foundation rooted in the American tradition of cooperative research.

5. KETTERING FOUNDATION
The Foundation trades insights from its research with this broad network of institutions, organizations, and individuals from over 80 countries.

6. WHAT WE’LL COVER TODAY
How moderators can plan and structure a forum
Key responsibilities of the moderator
Some strategies to help encourage a respectful, open exchange of ideas
Sample questions moderators can use in each segment of a deliberative forum
Frequently asked questions

7. WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “DELIBERATION” (AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT)?
NOT a debate or simply a discussion
Looks at different options for addressing a problem
Considers advantages AND trade-offs for each option
Asks people to recognize that every action will have a down side and urges people to realistically consider which of these trade-offs they are willing to accept
Asks participants to think about priorities and what matters most to themselves, their families, their communities, and our country as a whole
NOTE: Include a conversation about: "what is a trade-off" - to show that this is more than "pros and cons" -- but the question we use in the Writers Group is: If this action/option worked PERFECTLY, what might the downside be?

8. WHAT DO PARTICIPANTS DO IN A DELIBERATIVE FORUM?
Look at different ways of thinking about a problem
Exchange views with others
Weigh benefit and trade-offs of different approaches
Listen and reconsider in a safe environment
To help people weigh different options and approaches
To give people a chance to hear other perspectives and points of view
To help people look closely at the risks and trade-offs of different approaches
To help people test their own thinking in a safe environment where everyone is committed to listening and reconsidering initial thoughts

9. WHAT ARE MY MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES?
Encourage an exchange of views
Press participants to focus on tradeoffs
Stay Neutral
Bring in points- of-view that may be missing
Keep conversation respectful and on-task
What role do you typically take in a conversation with friends? How will this experience be different for you?

10. WHO ARE THE KEY PLAYERS?
A CONVENER Someone who brings people together to talk
PARTICIPANTS The real drivers of deliberative forums
A MODERATOR Responsible for getting people to weigh choices and listen to each other
A RECORDER Records key themes , concerns, and questions

11. WHAT MATERIALS CAN I USE?
NIF issue guides are the basis for the deliberation. These lay out 3 or 4 different options for participants to consider.
See all the guides at
Many guides can be downloaded free of charge. Print copies can be ordered at very reasonable cost
Participant questionnaires
Moderator response forms
PowerPoint handouts, other presentational aids
Find the materials you need at
I think we need something like this. Michele and Amy, could you fill this is to reflect the materials these moderators will be able to use.

12. HOW SHOULD I USE THE TIME?
Most moderators divide forums into specific segments.
Generally, forums run about 2 hours.
INTRO: A basic introduction—who you are, what will happen in the forum. Introduce the ground rules. (10 min)
PERSONAL STAKE: A short discussion of how the issue affects people individually and/or the community as a whole (10 min.)
EXAMINING THE OPTIONS: Discussion of each of the 3 or 4 options in the book. (20 min each, or a total of 1 hour)
REFLECTIONS—where we tend to agree, where we’re still divided, where we still undecided, what questions we have min.
QUESTIONNAIRE: There are participant questionnaires for many issues These can be completed and returned to NIF. We use these to report on what citizens are saying in the forums across the country.
Is there a questionnaire for these forums and how will the results be used?

13. WHAT GROUND RULES SHOULD I SET FOR MY FORUM?
Listen to other voices. Listening is as important as speaking.
We'll consider each approach fairly, looking at its benefits and its trade-offs
Everyone is encouraged to participate. No one or two individuals will dominate.
It’s ok to disagree, but do so with curiosity, not hostility. Learning more about how others think is one of the most interesting parts of a forum.
Others you might want to consider?

14. HOW CAN I OPEN THE FORUM AND GET PEOPLE TALKING?
Why did you come out today?
What interests you about this issue?
How has this issue affected you, your family?
When we think about this issue, what concerns us? What’s valuable to us?
How is this affecting our community?
Other ideas for opening a forum?

15. HOW CAN I HELP PEOPLE WEIGH THE OPTIONS DELIBERATIVELY?
Moderators sometimes use questions like these:
Tell me something you like AND something that worries you about this option?
How might people from other walks of life might see this option?
[When people like an option] Are there any ways this idea could go wrong or be taken too far?
Whether you like this option or not, do you think it would make a major difference in addressing the problem?
Do you see any gray areas?
Ask people to hold off on their judgments until the forum has looked at all the options
Point people to the trade-offs listed in the guide

16. WHEN IS IT TIME TO PLAY THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE?
In forums with a lots of like-minded folks, it’s up to the moderator to fill in the missing voices.
What to look for: • Everyone quickly rejects one option • Everyone quickly agrees on one option • People look at an option and say “no one feels that way”
Is it time to argue for an option that’s being dismissed out-of-hand?
Is it time to point to the cost, trade-offs, and difficulties of an idea everyone seems to like?
Is it time to speak for people who may not be in the room?

17. HOW DO I KNOW IF THIS IS GOING WELL?
Moderators often look for signs like these:
People acknowledge the difficulty of solving the problem
Participants consider a range of views
People talk about what really matters to them—rather than quoting what they’ve read or heard on TV
People talk about consequences—they acknowledge the cost and risks of the ideas they support
Disagreements are aired but in the spirit of looking for understanding and common ground
Other signs of deliberation?

18. HOW CAN I WRAP UP? SOME QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
After hearing everyone talk, are there a couple of things that the people in this room might agree on?
How does this deliberation affect our thinking re: what the community should do?
How does this deliberation affect our thinking re: what we want our elected official in Washington to do?
How does this deliberation affect my thinking re: what I should do myself?
What questions do we have now? What more do we need to know and think about?
EMI: Knowing WHY they are doing these forums and “what’s next” with the info that comes from them will be helpful here.

19. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can people combine the options?
What if people want more facts?
How can I localize the issue?

20. CAN PEOPLE COMBINE THE OPTIONS?
In most deliberations, people tend to like some elements from each of the options, and mixing and matching is often a mark of a good exchange of ideas and looking for common ground.
HOWEVER → YOU MAY WANT TO ASK:
How realistic is it to think we can do all these things?
Can we afford to do all these things?
Are there conflicts or tensions if we try to do all these things?
If we don’t have the money or time to do all of these things, which are the most important to you?

21. WHAT IF PEOPLE WANT MORE FACTS?
Sometimes people want more information, and having people leave the forum with questions about the issue is a good sign of deliberation.
HOWEVER → YOU MAY WANT TO ASK:
Why is this piece of information important to you?
How would your views change depending on what you find out?
Suppose the information is not available or it’s disputed, how would that change your thinking?

22. HOW CAN I LOCALIZE THE ISSUE?
Nearly all issues have both local and national implications, and considering both is an important part of deliberation.
So → YOU MAY WANT TO THINK ABOUT:
Would it be helpful to find a few local statistics prior to the forum?
Are there people in the room who can talk about how the issue is emerging locally?
Are there people in the room who have lived in other communities who can provide important comparisons?

23. DOES THIS SEEM LIKE A LOT?
Get a co-moderator (or two!)
One person can handle logistics, timekeeping, turn-taking; the other can handle the content and flow of the conversation!
Many forums have different moderators for different segments— one takes the introduction and wrap-up, while one or two others focus on helping the group weigh the options.

24. AND WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, HERE’S WHAT MATTERS MOST
Reach out to invite a diverse group. This bring different experiences and life stories into the discussion.
Take time to prepare yourself to present the options fairly. If you feel confident you understand the values and tensions of each option, you’ll be able to present each with its best foot forward
Set a tone where participants are encouraged to work through tensions and tradeoffs. Playing the devil’s advocate is probably the most challenging part of moderating, but honestly facing up to tough questions is what makes a forum rewarding.

25. WHAT’S NEXT? Organize a forum Review and order materials
Complete participant questionnaires online
Learn to moderate an online forum
Participate in an online forum—Common Ground for Action

26. FOR MORE INFORMATION!
Kettering Foundation National Issues Forums