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Forschungsprojekt bei politisch-administrativen Entscheidungen - The use of decision-support methods Priv.-Doz. Dr. Dieter Beck & Univ.-Prof. Dr. Rudolf Fisch
English Summary - Project Overview
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Methodological support for the management of complex decision-making processes The management of complex political-administrative planning and decision-making processes can be aided by the use of systematic decision-support methods. The application of such methods is particularly useful when information, expert knowledge and argumentations by different stakeholders should be systematized, visualized and thus made available for a problem-solving or a decision-making process. The methods a have always a supporting function in the decision-making process. The information integration and knowledge management is facilitated on the basis of social science theories and methodology. However, the final decision and responsibility cannot be substituted by any method or tool.
Theoretical and methodological background The theoretical foundation of the project lays in social psychological small group research and in research on decision-making processes. Furthermore, concepts of cognitive and educational psychology are used to analyze the psychological principles for the functioning of decision-support methods. A general distinction has to be made between the social aspects of situation management for group problem-solving and decision-making, the cognitive aspects of individual knowledge management and the integration of unshared knowledge in these situations.. Decision-support methods were developed in parallel within different scientific disciplines since the early seventies. Methods for project management have been introduced by engineering sciences. Further methods were developed in political and administrative science, law, operations research, educational psychology and psychology. The methodological background of the project is based mainly on expert interviews and literature and document analysis. In qualitative interviews with experts in decision-support methods, high level senior officials in public administration and with members of consulting agencies, specialized in knowledge management, the motivating and prohibiting conditions for the application of decision-support methods are analyzed. Here the focus is on the public administration. Further, to analyze the dynamics of group decision-making, theories and methods of social interaction analysis are used. In sum, a social science approach is followed which is looking for the social-cognitive mechanisms, the group dynamics and the ecological conditions for the use of decision-support methods. However, neither the theoretical advantages of these methods nor the sophisticated computer tools to support these methods are sufficient to arrive at higher quality decisions in public administration. It is still the task of the decision-makers to enhance his knowledge management by an appropriate use of the methods.
Analysis of functional psychological principles in decision-support methods This aspect of the research project concentrates on the theoretical analysis of the functional mechanisms of the different support methods.
Toolbox – Overview on decision-support methods One part of the project aims at giving an overview and systematization of different theory-based decision-support methods. Examples are brainstorming, synectics, nominal group technique, group facilitation techniques, mind mapping, cognitive mapping, stakeholder analysis, complex problem solving using network approaches, e.g. the analysis of causal networks, scenario technique and methods for project management. Further methods for group facilitation are considered to manage the accompanying social interaction processes in group problem-solving and decision-making. The different methods support the systematic analysis of situations, the analysis of stakeholder constellations, idea generation and -structuring, the evaluation of decision options, the analysis of causal networks, the time structuring of projects or the analysis of consequences. To aid the practice of the methods often specialized computer based tools have been developed.
Analysis of the motivating and prohibiting conditions for the use of decision-support methods The social interaction process during the use of methods supporting group decision-making needs a sensible facilitation. In general a very high level of concentration is demanded by the participants, while "natural" group dynamics is considered as dysfunctional and often neutralized by procedural measures. Seen the relatively rare application of decision-support methods in public administration, questions arise about motivating and prohibiting conditions. These questions are followed by expert interviews and in a review of the rare research literature about the application conditions. The aim is a systematization of influencing factors and a sensibilization for the conditions and possibilities for the use of decision-support methods and tools.
Development of a decision-design for the management of complex political administrative tasks The central aim of the research project is the development of a decision-design for the management of complex political-administrative tasks. For the different phases and functions in a decision-making process a modular system of supporting methods will be proposed. In parallel, hints for facilitating the accompanying social interaction and communication processes in group problem-solving and decision-making will be given.
Knowledge transfer – Professional Education, Teaching, Consulting The project will contribute to the enhancement of methodological and social skills of senior officials in the public service. Thus, a high level of the quality of decision-making processes should be preserved. The knowledge transfer is realized within the professional education program for senior officials from public administration of the "German University for Administrative Sciences Speyer" (Deutsche Hochschule für Verwaltungswissenschaften Speyer) and within the complementary study and the master program of the Speyer University. In April 2002, a three day conference with 60 experts (high level senior officials from different public institutions, scientists, and consultants) has been held at the German University for Administrative Sciences Speyer with the title: "The art to manage complexity". Further, in different small consulting projects, e.g. for the town of Speyer, experiences are collected in the use of different selected methods and tools. From March 31 to April 2, 2003 a small group expert conference was organized sponsored by the Fritz Thyssen-Stiftung, Cologne, under the title: "Experiences with decision-support methods in complex tasks in economy and public administration". The different contributions from both conferences are published in: Fisch, R. & Beck, D. (2004). Komplexitätsmanagement. Methoden zum Umgang mit komplexen Aufgabenstellungen in Wirtschaft, Regierung und Verwaltung. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. Further, a monography about the use of decision support methods is available: Beck, D. & Fisch, R. (2005). Entscheidungsunterstützende Verfahren für politisch-administrativen Aufgaben. Speyerer Forschungsberichte 235. Speyer: Forschungsinstitut für öffentliche Verwaltung. All publications from this project are listed under "Ergebnisse".
Project period: 1.11.2000 - 31.10.2003 Funds by the Research Institute for Public Administration at the German University for Administrative Sciences Speyer The project stands in the tradition of earlier work by Dieter Beck and Rudolf Fisch about the analysis of public decision-making from a social science perspective and of work on the analysis of social interaction processes in group decision-making.
Last revision: March, 3, 2005
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