​PHRONETIK is a deliberative format that helps non-experts with diverse worldviews make informed group decisions about complex public issues.

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Phronesis or practical wisdom is a capacity for doing the right thing in any given situation in light of what is truly worthwhile and important in life.

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​Rather than apply a rigid set of ethical rules or principles, it involves judging how best to uphold 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 grows this competence. Its collaborative roundtable format enables participants to work constructively with value disagreements as they examine a difficult policy problem together and form a group judgement about what to do.

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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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Following a five-step process, participants assess the strength of arguments, reflect individually and as a group on what value commitments to prioritise, 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 well 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 different topics, PHRONETIK is a low-cost high-impact resource for engagement, educational and consultation projects.