Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Scenario-Based Nominal Group Technique (SB-NGT)

SCENARIO-BASED

NOMINAL GROUP

TECHNIQUE (SB-NGT)

Designed for professionals

working to develop systems to

prevent acts of targeted

and/or mass violence

October 2019

What is SB-NGT?

•

SB-NGT is a data collection methodology

•

The benefits of using SB-NGT include:

•

The training necessary to successfully collect data is

minimal.

•

The technique works well with diverse groups of

participants.

•

The scenario can be easily adjusted to be relevant in any

environment.

•

Participants

•

7-9 experts per group/table

•

1 Facilitator per group/table

•

1 Recorder per group/table

•

Time (75-90 minutes) to complete:

•

1

st

 Round : Challenges

•

2

nd

 Round:  Functions

What does SB-NGT require?

What data does SB-NGT collect?

SB-NGT is designed to collect data – from a

range of experts and practitioners – on what

functions

 a 

system 

requires, to be able to

respond to a 

challenge

 outlined for the

group in a scenario.

SB-NGT does not solicit information on

resources.

•

System:

 all public, private, and voluntary entities that

contribute to the delivery of services related to the

prevention of extremist, targeted or mass violence within a

jurisdiction.

•

Challenges: 

issues encountered during a specific situation

that a system must be able to address

. 

•

Functions: 

actions a system must be capable of doing to

address the aforementioned challenges.

•

Resources: 

the capacities the system must have to execute

the functions necessary to address the challenges posed by a

given situation.

Defining Terminology

Defining Terminology Example

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Scenario

: newly announced effort to improve literacy

nation-wide.

•

System: 

all public, private, and voluntary partners engaged

in this effort.

•

Challenge: 

identifying currently illiterate adults interested

in learning to read.

•

Function: 

coordinating a nation-wide public education

campaign to reach these individuals.

•

Resources

 (not addressed in SB-NGT): public

communications personnel and expertise necessary to

design this campaign.

Defining Terminology Example

SB-NGT FICTIONAL SCENARIO

All characters and settings – including

names, locations and facts – are 

fictional

.

Setting

This scenario takes place in

[

insert LOCATION

] on [

insert START DATE

].

Insert picture of the town/city

It is late at night…

•

While using the family computer, Erik (the father) notices that Lucas (his son) has

been very active on (

name of group associated with targeted violence) 

website.

•

More troubling, Erik notices an open thread on the website where Lucas has

posted several logistical and travel related questions regarding a rally organized by

a 

local group with a history of acts of targeted violence

.

•

The rally, protesting [

insert scope of the rally

] is being held just a few days from

now, on [

insert DATE

] in [

insert EVENT LOCATION

].

•

Erik does not know if Lucas has concrete plans to travel to [

insert EVENT

LOCATION

] or if he plans to engage in violent activities during the rally.

About Lucas

•

Lucas is [

insert AGE

] and was born and raised in [

insert LOCATION

].

•

He is the only child in his family and has always performed very well in

school. He recently joined a volunteer group in [

insert LOCATION

] to raise

funds for a local Christian organization.

•

During the past year, Lucas has openly expressed his views – at home, at

school, and online – against current [

insert type of policies or facts

]

policies. This has resulted in tension in the home and a lack of

communication between Lucas and his father. Additionally, Lucas has lost

some of his friends as a result of his increasingly strong opinions and lack

of tolerance towards other views.

[

X

] days before the rally

•

Erik is concerned about the amount of time Lucas spends online – and the

materials that he is reading – and decides to confront him.

•

Erik tells Lucas that he saw Lucas’s online activity. He says that he is upset

about the [

targeted 

group] comments with derogatory language because

they do not reflect the way he was raised. And he expresses particular

concern about Lucas’s seeming intent to attend the upcoming rally.

•

Lucas does not reply to his questions and leaves the house, but returns

one day later.

[

X

] days before the rally

•

Erik runs into a good friend of Lucas at a local store and they start talking

about Lucas. The friend tells Erik that Lucas hasn’t been hanging out with

him anymore, and that he [

insert APPROPRIATE ESCALATOR

].

•

Erik is feeling hopeless and does not know what to do. Against his wife’s

will he ultimately decides to report the situation to the [

insert FIRST

CONTACT

]. Erik learns that few months ago Lucas’ driving license was

suspended for driving under the influence of alcohol, but Lucas has no

other criminal record.

Step 1: 10 minutes of silent thinking about the challenges

presented by the scenario

Step 2: 10 minute round robin

Step 3: 10 minute group discussion

Step 4: 5 minutes to identify and rank the top three challenges

presented by the scenario

SB-NGT 1

st

 Round: Challenges

Step 1: 10 minutes of silent thinking about the functions

necessary to respond to the scenario

Step 2: 10 minute round robin

Step 3: 10 minute group discussion

Step 4: 5 minutes to identify and rank the top three functions

presented by the scenario

SB-NGT 2

nd

 Round: Functions

Each group reports, to the entire room, the top three

challenges that their group identified.

Each group reports, to the entire room, the top three functions

that their group identified.

SB-NGT (Optional) 3

rd

 Round: Sharing