Scriptapedia/Documenting GMB process

Documenting the GMB process is critical to the success of any GMB workshop. It encompasses the documentation of both the content of the participants' thoughts and discussions, as well as the group processes and group dynamics. Documenting these two aspects in a GMB workshop serves to ensure that the final output, in the form of an informal or formal model, accurately captures the full breadth and depth of the conversations had among the participants. The documentation of the group processes and group dynamics may also be used in the context of an overall evaluation of the GMB process, and contribute to further improvements to future GMB sessions.

Documenting contents of GMB workshop

Documenting the contents that emerge from the discussions in the GMB workshop is the primary task of the recorder. This involves strong listening skills, and the ability to take detailed notes of the words, definitions and terminology used by the participants to describe causal relationships, variables, and structures, as well as comments and questions asked. It is also important for the recorder to note where there is significant agreement or disagreement among the participants during the discussion, and to document how the disagreement was resolved or how the group achieved consensus.

The reflector is another key member of the core modeling team who assists in summarizing the key issues and insights that have been developed by the participants. While the reflector helps the participants to reflect on what the group has done so far, and facilitates the process of identifying significant themes that have emerged from their discussions, the lead recorder takes note of the summary of issues and insights achieved by the group.

Documenting group process and dynamics

The main responsibility of the process coach is to observe the group process by paying particular attention to how the participants are experiencing the workshop. The process coach takes note of the participants' behaviors, and language used in response to the facilitator's verbal prompts and body language. It is also useful for the process coach to observe the group dynamics during the session, in order to identify any dominant participants who may be interfering with the group process, and offer potential solutions to the facilitators. If necessary, the process coach may provide accurate and timely feedback to the facilitators to guide the direction and flow of the session towards a positive outcome.

Creating artifacts

Throughout the GMB workshop, it is important to document the sessions by taking photographs of the ongoing process as well as the intermediate and final outputs of the scripts. The community facilitator or gatekeeper should seek the consent of group participants to take photographs of them, prior to the start of the session. If the participants consent to being photographed, members of the core modeling team can take turns creating photographic artifacts of the sessions.