Dotmocracy
Dotmocracy is an effective and engaging voting technique ideal for Climate Resilience Groups to democratically prioritize initiatives after brainbrowseing sessions. This method allows every participant, regardless of their role or outspokenness, to visually express their preferences by placing dot stickers on presented ideas. Through this process, the group quickly identifies and aligns on key actions that resonate most, ensuring a focused and collective approach to tackling climate resilience projects. Dotmocracy not only streamlines decision-making but also reinforces the democratic, inclusive values central to community-led environmental efforts.
Steps:
Setup: Place sheets of paper or posters around the room. Each sheet should represent a different idea generated from a prior activity such as Card Collection/Clustering.
Distribute Dot Stickers: Give each participant a set number of dot stickers. You can vary the number of dots depending on the total number of ideas and the importance of prioritizing more ideas.
Voting Process: Participants walk around the room and place their dots next to the ideas they feel are most important or relevant to the group’s goals in climate resilience. They can distribute their dots in any way they choose, whether by placing all on one idea or spreading them out.
Adjust the number of dots per person depending on the size of the group and the number of ideas to be prioritized. Provide clear instructions on how dots can be placed (e.g., all on one, or spread across multiple ideas).
Counting and Discussing: After everyone has placed their dots, count the dots for each idea. The ideas with the most dots are highlighted as the group’s priorities.
Reflection and Planning: Discuss why these ideas resonated the most. This can lead into a planning session for future activities based on the top-voted ideas.
Duration:
20-30 minutes
Group Size:
Suitable for large groups
Materials/Resources Needed:
Sheets of paper or large posters
Pens or markers for writing ideas
Dot stickers (enough for each participant to have multiple)
A large space with walls or boards for affixing sheets
Accessibility Considerations:
Ensure the space and materials are accessible for participants with mobility or visual impairments.
Consider using different colored dots for those with color vision deficiencies.
Tips/Pointers:
Encourage participants to think about the impact of each idea on climate resilience when deciding where to place their dots.
Consider a brief wrap-up discussion to explore the reasons behind the voting patterns, which can provide deeper insights into group priorities and values.
If time and group size allow, consider a second round of dotmocracy to refine priorities further, especially if initial voting results are close.
Works well for quickly moving forward when many ideas are present and need to be prioritized and ensuring broad participation from all group members, not just those who are most vocal.
Can be effectively paired with other brainbrowseing methods to generate and then prioritize ideas.