Step 2 – Solution development

Figure 13-4

After sufficient assessments were made by a minimum number of participants for all questions in Step 1, Step 2 would be released by the Federal Council with the usual notifications. The first screen in Step 2 would provide participants with the ability to view the results of each question in Step 1, particularly the consensus statements that represented the views of most of the participants.

Part A. Brainstorm solution features

Participants should now be sufficiently informed and in the right mindset that they can brainstorm solutions effectively. In part A, participants would contribute their ideas of individual features of possible solutions for the issue. They would not submit fully developed solutions. Rather, the statements and assessments screen in Figure 13-2 would display a question asking participants for their ideas regarding features of possible solutions with one idea or feature per statement.

The question would make it clear that this was a brainstorming activity and that any feature could contribute to the potential solutions assembled from these feature statements by the Federal Council. After assessing at least 10 feature statements, participants could enter their own unique feature statements to answer this question.

The purpose of this question

Another area where collective intelligence shines is in collecting solution ideas from a large group, the larger the better. Science and technology has advanced rapidly because people around the world contributed to solving problems through scientific journals, forums, and even social media.

This question asks participants to brainstorm solution features for use by the Federal Council to combine into solutions. The opportunity to contribute to a solution could be very exciting. Citizens who were engaged in the issue would likely revisit the issue frequently to monitor new ideas submitted and consensus statements on feature ideas. The ideas would spark their creativity and they would have additional new ideas to submit. Statements would naturally be refined and participants would leap frog to discover better and better solution features.

This part of Step 2 would probably be the most fun of the entire democratic solution process. Participants would become fully solution-oriented and collaborative, a place far from their original fixed positions.

Part B. Brainstorm success measurements

After moving on from the question in Part A, the statements and assessments screen would display a question asking participants for their ideas regarding how to measure if a solution was successful for this issue. Each statement submitted would contain one idea. The idea could also include a method of measurement if possible, but it would not be required.

The question would make it clear that this was a brainstorming activity and why ideas for measurements of success are needed to develop solutions. If the citizen who submitted the issue had included ideas for how to measure success when the issue was submitted, the Federal Council would add those as statements before activating Step 2.

The purpose of this question

Without a measurable objective, the solution could be unclear and the success of the solution would be unknown. In our current political environment, politicians claim success regardless of the outcome, but that is dishonest. Our goal is transparency and honesty. Monitoring solutions through a known measurement of success would allow us to learn, to grow, and to improve our decisions and solutions continually.  

Part C. Brainstorm possible side effects

Next, the statements and assessments screen would display a question asking participants for their ideas regarding possible negative side effects and how to measure if a negative side effect resulted from a solution. One side effect would be entered per statement. The side effect could include a method of measurement if possible, but it would not be required. The question would make it clear that this was a brainstorming activity and how measurements of potential side effects help error proof solutions. If the citizen who submitted the issue included ideas for how to measure side effects when the issue was submitted, the Federal Council would add those as statements before activating Step 2.

The purpose of this question

It is not sufficient to measure if you are achieving your success measurement. Negative side effects must also be monitored as they represent problems with the solution that can be worse than the benefits. Knowing a possible side effect and its measurement could allow the Federal Council to error proof the solution to prevent the side effect if possible. Monitoring side effects would allow us to determine the effectiveness of the solution and to correct it if necessary.