One strategy that has consistently worked well in public policy dispute processes I have facilitated is to begin by getting the group's agreement on how it will work together. For each new case, the practitioner prepares a set of the rules for committee decision making which are reviewed in advance of a first meeting, discussed by the group as a whole, revised if necessary, and then adopted by the group. They are often the group's first success in working together. The groundrules create an environment the group has collectively created and within which the committee can work effectively together.
Ground rules vary in length and complexity, depending upon the nature of the case.
This is a brief, two or three sentence, description of the scope for the group's work and the problem the group is being asked to resolve. The purpose section defines the bounds of committee discussion. Participants This section describes of the membership of the committee, the interests represented and the structure of their involvement. It could include a listing of all the caucuses and how they are structured with representative seats at the table. This section also defines the negotiating committee, numbers of seats at the table per interest, rules about attendance and responsibilities for representing the concerns and interests of constituents to ensure that any agreement reached by the negotiating committee is acceptable to the organization the member represents.