D&D Success Stories

Compiled by the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD), 2005.

Below are dozens of links to dialogue and deliberation success stories and case studies that are available online. Approaches covered include Deliberative Polling, Citizens Juries, Future Search, National Issues Forums, Jewish-Palestinian Dialogue, AmericaSpeaks, Study Circles, the Public Conversations Project, and Wisdom Councils. NCDD has been compiling these resources for the D&D community for several years, but we could really use your help keeping this page updated. Email us at [email protected] with your additions and changes.

Discovering Common Ground: How Future Search Conferences Bring People Together to Achieve Breakthrough Innovation, Empowerment, Shared Vision, and Collaborative Action

Marvin Weisbord and 35 international co-authors, Future Search. Berrett-Koehler, 1992.

Case studies showing theory in action from around the world. A definitive book on the underlying theory, research, and practical applications providing general guidelines for successful conferences. 444 pages.

Resource Link: http://www.futuresearch.net/method/whatis/books_videos.cfm

Discovering Community: A Future Search as a Springboard for Action in Santa Cruz County

Blue Sky Productions.

A 30-minute video documenting a Future Search around affordable housing conducted by Sandra Janoff and Marvin Weisbord in Santa Cruz, California. Includes 18-month follow-up.

Resource Link: http://www.futuresearch.net/method/whatis/books_videos.cfm

Future Search

Future search includes a planning process and a 16 to 18-hour meeting usually including two overnights. Participants discover a set of shared values or themes (common ground) and build new dynamics such as inclusion and collaboration into their organization or community. Future search ("future search" is not capitalized) is not owned by anyone and all are encouraged to use the process and experiment with it. It is supported by a network of people called the Future Search Network. It is an open system process, which means it considers anyone a necessary participant who can affect, is affected by or has important information or experience related to the task at hand.

Future Search Network (and trainings)

The Future Search Network initiates future search conferences, innovative planning conferences used world-wide by hundreds of communities and organizations. The conferences meet two goals at the same time: helping large diverse groups discover values, purposes and projects they hold in common; and enabling people to create a desired future together and start implementing right away.

Resource Link: http://www.futuresearch.net

Future Search: An Action Guide to Finding Common Ground in Organizations and Communities

Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff, Future Search Network. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1995.

This book describes a step-by-step process for planning and leading a Future Search conference, where diverse community members come together to envision and plan their shared future.

Resource Link: http://www.futuresearch.net

Open Futures

Since 1997, Open Futures has facilitated 63 large group events involving 4,176 participants or an average of 66 people per event. Open Futures specializes in six large-group, whole system processes: Open Space, Future Search, Giant Mind Maps, Vision Search, Strategy Search and the Perth Process. In 2003, they published The Large Group Facilitator's Manual and, using the manual as a professional platform, Open Futures offers open training workshops or customized workshops in understanding, planning and running large group events involving from 20 to 500 people.

Resource Link: http://www.openfutures.com

Productive Workplaces Revisited: Dignity, Meaning, and Community in the 21st Century

Marvin Weisbord, Future Search. Pfeiffer, 2004.

In Productive Workplaces Revisited, Marvin Weisbord takes the next step in exploring effective strategies for improving workplace productivity through dignity, meaning, and community. In this new edition the author revisits the case studies from the first edition, Productive Workplaces, to show the long-term effects of OD interventions--twenty-plus years after the fact and provides invaluable insights for practitioners and students alike.

Resource Link: http://www.futuresearch.net/method/whatis/books_videos.cfm

The Large Group Facilitator's Manual: A Collection of Tools for Understanding, Planning and Running Large Group Events

Kerry Napuk and Eddie Palmer. Gower Publishing, 2003.

Covering six processes -- Open Space, Future Search, Giant Mind Maps, Vision Search, Strategy Search and the Perth Process -- Open Futures' Manual provides a collection of tools for understanding, planning and running large group events. A clear step-by-step format takes potential facilitators through every stage of making large group events happen. This is the first manual to offer such detailed guides for so many different processes involving between 20 and 500 people in real-time work on the future.