Reaching Group Consensus

Session Five

Prepare for Round Two

• In preparing for the next round of talks, direct delegation groups to prioritize their proposals and develop negotiating strategies. Each group should discuss potential modifications to their proposed resolutions and again attempt to reach consensus regarding the changes. Prioritizing the proposals may include designating certain proposals as high priority and others as low priority. Some proposals may need to be abandoned. The delegations should seek to secure modifications to other groups' proposals

Negotiate with other delegations

• Ask each group to select representatives to negotiate with other groups. The negotiators should attempt to learn more about the desired proposal modifications from the other groups as well as persuade them to change or to negotiate compromises on their positions.

Develop final proposals

• After the informal negotiations have finished, delegations make final modifications to their proposals given the information gained from the negotiations. Remind students that they are attempting to reach consensus in the summit while still maintaining their delegation’s core goals and values. They should consider what modifications best meet both of these aims.

Present the final proposals

• Each delegation presents its proposals in a brief, uninterrupted statement.

Vote on all resolutions

• Conduct a final vote. Only those proposals that are unanimously accepted will be adopted.

Encourage final reflections

• In a formal group setting or as an individual activity, invite students to reflect on the simulation and on the main conclusions of the summit. You may want to use the questions found in Reflecting on the Experience to structure these reflections.