Understanding the Delphi Technique

In this podcast, Ricardo talks a little bit about the Delphi technique and it's use beyond project risk identification. He gives tips on how to use it correctly, and also talks about the advantages and disadvantages of this technique.

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Episode transcript

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Hello everybody welcome to the five minutes PM. Podcast Today like to discuss and talk about the Delphi Technique a lot of people really attach the Delphi technique to risk identification, but I want to talk a little bit more about this. We can use the Delphi technique for all kinds of information gatoring. So when I need to get information from different stakeholders or different people or different suppliers may be Delphi Technique can be extremely interesting.

So I want that you think above and beyond just risk identification and what is about when we do a Delphi technique, they're is one thing that is really, really important. It's an anonymous process. So nobody knows who else is also participating on the process in this is the key aspect to differentiate Delphi from other techniques. When we talk about brainstorming, for example, or NGT or nominal group technique, we're talking pretty much about a process where you know, other people and maybe when you were in a brainstorming session, because its present shul, the people that are together, this can inhibit this can make you not to be so syncer.

So let's suppose that we are talking about the problems in the project and then we are trying to do a brainstorm to understand. And maybe you want to say that the problem in the projects is exactly the sponsor, your boss that is just sitting in front of you. And so those will not work. Maybe a few talk this during the brainstorming session, the problem will not be the project anymore. Maybe the problem will become you and your boss. But when we do Delphi, it's different.

It's different because they'll fight, it's an anonymous process. So we can benefit from that. So what I'd like to share with you today about Delphi, how are we can do this first thing that we need it's that we need to draft the scope of what we'll be asking for, what we be looking for when we use the Delphi am I looking for a supplier? And my look for this kind of product, is it a technical information gathering?

So I need to understand all the Ys it to become extremely broad. Second step it stood, define exactly who will be the facilitator. And the facilitator has the key task on the Delphi Technique the facilitator consolidate out a data and he, and only he or she is able to know who is answering each question. So it's a critical position when you do this.

The third step is we will create a list of questions. List of points were a one to receive their comments. So let's suppose that I'm evaluating a new software. Then I want to invite potential suppliers that that will participate on that beat to put their opinions. So maybe to brainstorm will not be a good two for that, but I can use Delphi So are we will prepare the questions or the topics.

Of course, in the first round, this questions could be quite broad, but in the second step, I can start to narrow some point. Then I will define the fourth step, who you are, the people that they will be interviewing, then it will distribute the interview. Then I will receive the information. Then the next step, I will compile the information. And this is for me the critical one, because I want to keep it anonymous.

So if some comments are pretty much clearly related to someone, I need to rewrite it. But the problem of rewriting it is that maybe I'm changing the meaning. So I need to work in both places because of this, that the facilitator is someone critical in the process. Then I will return back to everybody. So everybody will see their comments, but also the Otter comments. And then they made to revisit their points.

So which you can do the N infill it times until you reach consensus and consensus is not at 100% agreement it's until you think there is nothing else to explore. So all the positions are completely clear den what you do. You just compile the final list, do the final analysis and compiled information. It's deep. And it's very, very good. It's very, very good. So the great aspects of Delphi it's deep, far, much deeper than the brainstorming.

It's deep. It's very useful when the, you have problems where you cannot put people together or otherwise they will change the subject. So conflicting opinions, potential suppliers, people with relationship problems. And so this kind of thing, it's extremely useful, but the dark side or the bad size of the fights takes time in usually in the project environment, this is a big, big issue because we usually do not have time to do a lot of stuff.

So this is a big, big challenge. So we need to understand it's deep but takes time. And what I want you as my final message, think about Delphi as a tool in your Swiss knife, it's a tool that you may use tomorrow in your day to define some aspects of your project. This maybe something nice to do if you have this kind of situation. So keep always in mind the options that you have. If you have a lot of options, you be much more comfortable and you we'll do your work as project manager in a much better way.

I hope you enjoy this podcast. See you next week with another five minutes to be on podcasts.

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