Democratic Dialogue –A Handbook for Practitioners
Bettye Pruitt and Philip Thomas
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Contents
Democratic Dialogue – A Handbook for Practitioners

Acknowledgements.......................................... xii
Foreword.......... xiii
Preface............. xvi
Acronyms and Abbreviations........................ xvii
Introduction... 1
Purpose of the Handbook............................ 1
Focus on Practitioners.......................... 1
How to Use the Handbook........................... 2

Part 1: The Conceptual Framework.............. 6

Chapter 1.1: Introduction.................................... 7
Chapter 1.2: The Need for Dialogue................ 10
The Need for a Culture of Democracy..... 10
The Need for Effective Governance......... 14
Participatory Processes That Can Produce Results........................ 15
Chapter 1.3: Defining Dialogue....................... 19
Definitions.. 19
Defining Dialogue as a Distinctive Kind of Process......................... 20
Defining Dialogue in a Global Context................................................ 24
Governing Principles: The Defining Characteristics of Dialogue Processes...... 26
The Dialogic Approach.............................. 32
The Dialogic Approach as a Code of Conduct................................... 33
Taking the Dialogic Approach beyond Dialogue Processes........... 33
Chapter 1.4: How Dialogue Contributes to Change........................................ 35
Levels of Change......................................... 35
How Does It Work?..................................... 39
The Dialogic Moment.......................... 40
From Personal Change to Societal Change............................................... 41
Conclusion. 43

Part 2: Putting Concepts into Practice........................... 46

Chapter 2.1: Introduction.................................. 47
Dialogue Practitioners and the Roles They Play...................................... 47
The Dialogic Approach.............................. 49
How to Use This Section........................... 51
Chapter 2.2: Exploring the Possibility for Dialogue....................................... 54
Understanding Assessment as Intervention............................................. 54
Two Levels of Assessment........................ 55
Full Assessment: Understanding the Issue, the Actors and the Context............................................... 58
Parameters of the Exploration............ 58
The Issue............................................... 59
The Actors............................................. 61
The Context........................................... 62
Engaging the Actors in Conversation....... 64
Tools for Assessment................................. 66
Finding the Most Appropriate Path Forward............................................. 69
Indicators Suggesting Ripeness for Dialogue................................... 70
Basic Conditions for Dialogue............ 71
Checklist: A Dialogue Process May Not Be Advisable If …........... 71
If Not Dialogue, Then What?.............. 72
Making the Case for Dialogue................... 73
Chapter 2.3: Designing the Dialogue Process................................................. 74
Basic Design Criteria................................. 74
How to Proceed: Assembling a Project Team.......................................... 75
Profile of a Project Management Team.............................................. 76
The Principle of Co-design........................ 78
Elements: Decisions to be Made............... 79
Defining Objectives............................. 80
Developing Strategy............................ 84
Selecting the Participants.................. 88
Defining ‘Third-Party’ Roles................ 93
Managing Information/Communication.............................................. 95
Establishing the Time Line/Schedule. 96
Mobilizing Resources.......................... 97
The Convening Process............................. 99
Essential Characteristics of the Convener......................................... 99
Practitioner Tips on Enrolling Participants....................................... 100
Six Convening Experiences............... 100
The Dialogue Process Design................. 103
Chapter 2.4: Implementation.......................... 104
Monitoring, Learning and Adapting: Keys to Success.......................... 104
Dialogue Events: Creating a Safe Space................................................. 105
Logistics.............................................. 105
Venue. .................................................106
Ground Rules...................................... 107
Facilitation 110
Key Roles and Qualities of the Facilitator......................................... 111
Roles within a Facilitation Team....... 112
Impartiality and Neutrality................. 112
Dialogue Events: An Overview of Process Options............................... 113
Why Consider Process Options?...... 114
Processes and Process Tools.......... 115
Process Tools for Large Groups....... 116
The Dialogue Journey.............................. 116
Getting Started................................... 118
Eliciting Perspectives........................ 121
Enriching Perspectives and Achieving Understanding................. 124
Framing Choices and Deliberating.. 128
Deciding.............................................. 131
Implementing and Taking Action...... 134
In Between Dialogue Events.................... 136
Communication and Information Management............................... 136
Ongoing Assessment........................ 137
Chapter 2.5: Monitoring and Evaluation....... 140
The Purpose of M&E................................ 140
Five Aspects of Good M&E Practice...... 141
Defining Clearly What is to be Evaluated......................................... 141
Building M&E into the Dialogue Process......................................... 142
Involving Stakeholders..................... 143
Developing Quantitative and Qualitative Indicators....................... 145
Balancing a Learning Orientation with an Outcome Orientation. 145
Essential Elements of an M&E Process. 146
Basic Steps of Monitoring....................... 147
M&E Tools 148
Democratic Dialogue – A Handbook for Practitioners vii
Structuring Periodic Reviews........... 149
Evaluating and Systematizing Key Learnings.................................. 150
Chapter 2.6: Dilemmas and Challenges........ 152
Dilemmas.. 152
Tangible vs Intangible Outcomes..... 153
Short-Term vs Longer-Term Vision.. 153
Working with Representatives vs Being More Broadly Inclusive 154
A Challenge................................................ 154
Moving beyond Dialogues of the Elite.............................................. 154

Part 3: Applications..... 160

Chapter 3.1: Introduction................................ 161
Chapter 3.2: Dialogue on Peaceful Coexistence, Guatemala.................... 162
Context...... 162
Purpose.... 164
The Dialogue Process.............................. 164
Outcomes and Impact.............................. 167
Lessons Learned....................................... 169
Chapter 3.3: Dialogue on the Millennium Development Goals, Mauritania.......... 172
Context...... 172
Purpose.... 173
The Dialogue Process.............................. 174
Outcomes and Impact.............................. 177
Chapter 3.4: Dialogue on a Constitutional Process, Nepal......................... 179
Context...... 179
Purpose.... 179
The Dialogue Process.............................. 180
Outcomes and Impact.............................. 185

Appendix 1: Overview of Dialogue Initiatives.............................................. 188
Appendix 2: Process Options and Process Tools—An Overview............. 214
Exploration and Awareness-Raising: Sharing Knowledge and Ideas 215
World Café.......................................... 215
Conversation Café............................. 215
Open Space Technology................... 215
Circle Process.................................... 215
Lekgotla Process............................... 216
Theatre of the Oppressed.................. 216
Relationship-building – Working through Conflict................................. 216
Sustained Dialogue........................... 216
Public Conversations Project........... 217
Deep Democracy............................... 217
Intergroup Dialogue.......................... 217
Israeli–Palestinian School for Peace................................................ 218
Participatory Action Research......... 218
Deliberation – Working through Tough Decisions................................. 219
Citizen Deliberative Councils............ 219
National Issues Forums..................... 219
Citizen Choicework............................ 219
Study Circles....................................... 220
AmericaSpeaks 21st Century Town Meeting................................... 220
Deliberative Polling............................220
Collective Action – Multistakeholder, Whole-System Change............ 221
Future Search..................................... 221
Appreciative Inquiry.......................... 221
Scenario Planning............................. 221
Change Lab......................................... 222
Other Tools................................................. 223
Learning Journeys............................. 223
Story Dialogue.................................... 223
Graphic Facilitation and Information Design................................... 223
Listening Projects and Dialogue Interviewing ................................ 223
Web-Based Tools............................... 224

Notes ............... 225
Wisdom from the Field – Sources ................ 236
About the Authors ........................................... 239
About Us.......... 240