University of Wisconsin–Madison

Nominal Group Technique

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The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) is a simple and innovative group brainstorming technique.

Nominal Group Technique Instructions

Benefits:

  • Promotes group participation in the decision making process where all voices and ideas are equal.
  • Engages both extroverted and introverted team members.
  • Uses priorities of each group member to discover the overall priorities of the group.
  • Use with small groups (5-10 people) to:
    a. Develop solutions (changes) that can be tested using PDSA cycles.
    b. Reach consensus on what change to test first.
    c. Can also be used to identify the key problem.