2.2.6. Finding Solutions through Collaboration
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
Helen Keller
Consensus-building is said to be one of the most challenging tasks for today’s transportation professionals. Building consensus throughout the CSS project development process involves gaining a full understanding of the community, identifying issues and concerns using the full range of communication tools, and incorporating flexibility in the development of design alternatives.
Figure 2-5 illustrates consensus as a goal, and how defining the community and its issues and needs help to create a solid foundation upon which design alternatives that are acceptable to project stakeholders are developed:
In a special issue on Public Involvement, the Transportation Research Board offers several practical tips for practitioners. The following are particularly relevant to the collaboration challenges of CSS projects:
Establish and follow ground rules for debate. While advocacy and special interest groups can offer valuable input on transportation and community issues, take care that advocacy does not get in the way of achieving consensus. At the onset, make sure that the rules of debate are clear—that no individual may dominate discussion of issues, and that all ideas are on the table until removed by consensus.
Consider the big picture. The larger perspective can be lost when individuals are focusing on negative impacts. It is important to maintain a balance between consideration of immediate impacts and the larger costs and benefits of a proposed solution.
Build consensus by making a series of agreements. Consider dividing the decision-making process into a series of consensus agreements. This will make it easier for stakeholders to evaluate each decision: the data, community values, the nature of the problem, and goals of the process.
Know when to make the final decision. “You may have to make some tough calls about the diminishing returns of continued discussion. Prolonging the discussion is an effective strategy for someone who holds a minority opinion. If consensus is strong and minority opinions have had a fair hearing and consideration, it probably is time to call for a final decision.”
(Source: Matley, 2002).
