Assignment 5: Identify Potential Options
Some of the following materials are adapted from the
Decision Process Guide, published by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation.
Once you have identified your problem, needs, resources, and constraints you can begin to identify your options to help you meet your objectives.
Having a wide range of options will aid in understanding and meeting the identified needs related to your problem statement. It will also promote participation in the decision-making process and commitment to the solution by looking at all concerns and respecting stakeholder values.
How to do it:
Brainstorm to identify your options. This assignment is about quantity not quality.
The following questions may help you identify options:
- Has the organization tried something in the past that could be used effectively now if changes were made?
- Has something changed internally or externally that would make a past strategy successful now?
- Has another organization been successful with a strategy that can be adapted?
- Has a strategy been used unsuccessfully by others that could be successful for you?
- Is there a way to enhance resources?
- Are there resources that can be utilized or shifted to support an option?
- Is there a way to limit constraints?
- Is there a collaboration or partnership that could lend support?
- Is there an option to start now and phase-in or finish later with future resources?
- Is there a viable solution that we have overlooked?
Make a list of the options that were generated using the
Options Worksheet [2.1.3.a.7.a] to document and track changes in your suggestions.
Categorize your options into groupings of related issues. Groupings can be determined by function, personnel needed, shift, department, internal and/or external, among others. Options can be included in more than one group.
Ask the following questions to help categorize options into groupings:
- Are these groupings reflective of our problem, needs, and objectives?
- Are we dealing with groups that relate to our stakeholders?
- Are there groupings that should be included but are not? Generate options for these groupings.
- Are there options that are included in multiple groups? What does this signify?
- Are there options that are only included in one group? What does this signify?
Add new or reconfigured options based on your answers to the above and other questions. Continue to track these new options on the
Options Worksheet [2.1.3.a.7.a] under the “New Options” section.
Other resources are available at
Tools to Help with Making Decisions [2.1.3.b.1.].