OPERA: Own, Pair, Explain, Rank, Arrange
OPERA, or Own, Pair, Explain, Rank, Arrange, is a participative and structured brainbrowseing session ideal for Climate Resilience Groups aiming to collaboratively develop actionable solutions. Designed for small to medium-sized groups, this 60-minute method involves five key steps that facilitate deep engagement and a comprehensive evaluation of ideas around climate resilience topics, such as sustainable local practices. Participants begin by independently noting their ideas, then pair up to merge and refine their thoughts, before sharing them with the larger group. This ensures a diverse range of concepts is brought forward. Ideas are then ranked and categorized, emphasizing group consensus and prioritization of the most impactful solutions. OPERA not only ensures that all voices are heard but also engages members in a dynamic process of collaboration and critical thinking, making it a powerful tool for generating and focusing community-driven environmental actions.
Steps:
Own: Each participant independently writes down their ideas about a specific climate resilience topic, such as sustainable practices in the local community.
Pair: Participants form pairs and discuss their ideas. Each pair then selects up to four ideas they agree on and find most compelling.
Explain: Pairs write their chosen ideas on a flipchart or post-its. They then present these ideas to the larger group, providing a brief explanation for each.
Rank: After all pairs have presented, the pairs reconvene to review all shared ideas. Each pair can select up to 25% of the total ideas presented, but they can only choose one idea from their own list. This helps ensure a diverse selection of ideas from the group.
Arrange: Using different color markers or stickers, pairs mark the flipcharts with their selected ideas. The facilitator tallies the votes and leads a discussion to categorize the highest ranked ideas by category or theme.
Duration:
Approximately 60 minutes
Group Size:
Suitable for small to medium-sized groups (up to 30 participants)
Materials/Resources Needed:
Pens or markers
Post-it notes or flipcharts
Different color markers or stickers for voting
Accessibility Considerations:
Ensure that all materials and spaces are accessible to participants with various abilities.
Consider providing verbal and visual explanations to accommodate different learning styles.
Tips/Pointers:
Encourage honesty and open-mindedness during the pair discussions to foster a collaborative atmosphere.
Keep the energy high and maintain a pace that allows for thoughtful discussion but also moves the process along.
Works well for Engaging all participants actively throughout the process, ensuring a wide range of ideas are considered without premature narrowing.
Allocate sufficient time for each step, particularly the explanation and ranking phases, to avoid rushing and to ensure thoughtful decision-making. This method may not be suitable for very large groups due to the complexity of managing many pairs.