PHRONETIK is ​a tool for non-experts to make group decisions about complex public issues for engagement, consultation and education projects.

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Phronesis or practical wisdom is the ability to do the right thing in any given situation in light of what is truly worthwhile and important in life.

It involves a sense for what features of a problem are most important, including the consequences of possible actions for the people involved.

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Practical wisdom is not about applying a rigid set of ethical rules or principles, but judging how best to uphold systems of universal values given the particulars of different situations and courses of action. It brings values, beliefs and facts into dynamic relationship. When done with others it brings together diverse understandings of this relationship. 

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A competence that grows with experience, practical wisdom comes with practice.

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PHRONETIK is a collaborative roundtable decision-making format that enables small groups to work constructively with values disagreements when making practical wisdom judgements about difficult policy problems.

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The format supplies bite-size summaries of the main arguments, counter-arguments and rebuttals concerning the positive and negative consequences of a proposed course of action. It then allows each participant to generate statements about the meaning and importance of the conflicting values at stake in the decision. These inputs are displayed, captured, combined and manipulated using a collaborative debate mapping tool.

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The structured format enables participants to assess the strength of arguments, reflect on which values commitments to prioritise both individually and as a group, and reach agreement on which of the proposal's possible consequences should become the group's goals. The original proposal is either endorsed, rejected or amended in line with the group's agreed set of values and goals.

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The format provides a safe space for participants with diverse views to practice the skills and abilities needed to deliberate with others. These include:

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• Active learning

• Cognitive flexibility

• Complex problem solving

• Critical thinking

• Emotional intelligence

• Judgement and decision-making

• Logical reasoning

• Negotiation

• Persuasion

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Self-facilitated in a half-day workshop, re-usable and easily retooled with content on a range of topics, PHRONETIK is a low-cost high-impact resource for engagement, educational and consultation projects.