It is a socio-technical process to engage key players in solving an issue of concern by (1) developing a shared understanding of the issue, (2) creating a sense of common purpose, and (3) generating a commitment to the way forward.
During a decision conference an impartial facilitator helps participants in developing a formal model of the problem on-the-go.
[4] Socio-technical approaches derive from the seminal work of Eric Trist and Fred Emery, who studied the interaction between people and technology in the work environment.
Some of this research shows that groups rarely outperform their most knowledgeable members, unless the interaction is mediated by impartial facilitation, decision modelling and information technology.
[6] Some authors argue that the key process taking place in decision conferencing is the behavioral aggregation of expert judgments.