However, full and open discussion does not mean that each view must be acted on by the team. A sense of ownership on the part of the IPT members is key to the success of the IPT process. Ownership is a collective concept. All IPT members must believe that their contributions are important to the process and are fairly and openly considered. Qualified, Empowered Team Members 4.6.3.2.1.
Empowerment is critical to making and keeping the agreements essential to effective IPTs.
All representatives assigned to IPTs must be empowered by their leadership. Of course, IPT members cannot be expected to have all the breadth of knowledge and experience of their leadership. One of the responsibilities of DCMA leadership is to train and educate their staff so they will have the required knowledge and skills to represent their organizations. IPT members must make the other team members aware of any limits to their ability to speak for their organizations. IPT agreements cannot be binding if they exceed the limits of a member s empowerment.