Archive for the ‘final decision’ tag

Iran says woman’s stoning sentence still stayed

Iran said today that a sentence of death by stoning against a woman convicted of adultery that has sparked an international outcry remained stayed pending a final decision by the judiciary. Mother-of-two Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani also reportedly received a 10-year jail sentence after being found guilty of participating in her husband’s murder.

‘Group-1 mains will be held in March next’

Final decision on prelims today, says appsc chairman.

AP to move SC on fee reimbursement verdict

Hyderabad, Aug. 30: The state government may be compelled to approach the Supreme Court challenging the recent order of the AP High Court over the fee reimbursement issue.

The government has sought the opinion of its legal department and a final decision is expected to be taken on September 3.

The HC had last week issued orders that private college managements can collect fees from beneficia

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No final decision taken on woman’s stoning: Iran

Iran said on Saturday that it has yet to take a final decision on the stoning of a woman convicted of adultery and complicity in her husband’s murder in a case that has sparked an international outcry.

50 p.c. quota for women in local bodies soon: CM

The state government is contemplating to provide 50 per cent reservation for women in local bodies. “A final decision on this will be taken soon,” chief minister K Rosaiah said here on Sunday.

No final decision on stoning

EHRAN, Aug 28, (AFP): Iran said on Saturday that it has yet to take a final decision on the stoning of a woman convicted of adultery and complicity in her husband’s murder in a case that has sparked an international outcry.

As human rights grou…

Iran says no final decision on woman’s stoning

TEHERAN – Iran said on Saturday that it has yet to take a final decision on the stoning of a woman convicted of adultery and complicity in her husband’s murder in a case that has sparked an international outcry.

India starts last-ditch talks on BlackBerry security

Ministry expects a final decision to be taken on Monday

No final decision on caste census yet: Govt

The Government has not taken a final decision on inclusion of caste in the ongoing census exercise. Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Maken informed Rajya Sabha that the matter was under consideration of the Union Cabinet.

Final decision on BlackBerry on Aug 30: source

Government will take a final decision on Aug. 30 on whether to block some BlackBerry services over which the country has security concerns, a senior government source said on Tuesday.

Jairam to take final call on Vedanta project

In a big blow to Vedanta bauxite mining refinery project in Orissa, the environment ministry’s Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) on Friday accepted the N.C. Saxena Committee report and left the final decision on the project to Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh.

Lapierre still undecided on Delhi CWG

Australian long jumper Fabrice Lapierre’s flip-flop on his participation in the Delhi Commonwealth Games continues and after initial reluctance followed by a confirmation, the world indoor champion says he will not take a final decision until next month.

Govt mulls drought-hit tag for 4 districts

The state government is likely to declare a drought-like situation in parts of the state. The final decision on it is going to be taken on Monday.

Call on caste census by cabinet, says Pranab

A day after a Group of Ministers gave the green signal for inclusion of caste in census, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Thursday that a final decision on the modalities would be taken by the Union Cabinet.

Final decision on baton relay route held up due to differences

Serious differences between Commonwealth Games Organising Committee and Delhi Police on the route for Queen’s Baton Relay in the national capital today further held up a final decision on the issue.

Modalities of caste census to be decided by Cabinet: Pranab

A day after a GoM gave green signal for inclusion caste in census, the Government on Thursday said a final decision on the modalities will be taken by the Union Cabinet.

“Group of Ministers (on the issue) has decided that caste will be canvassed without affecting the integrity of the headcount,” Leader of the House, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, said in the Lok Sabha.

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Bengal minister asks transporters to defer strike

West Bengal Transport Minister Ranjit Kundu has asked transport operators to defer by 10 days their proposed strike seeking higher sops to offset the fuel price hike but the later are yet to take a final decision on it.

‘River Princess tender process in final stages’

Advocate general (AG), Subodh Kantak, on Monday informed the high court of Bombay at Goa that the process of awarding a contract for towing away M V River Princess is in its final stages and a final decision would be taken within this week after convening a meeting of the tender committee.

No final action on Modi in July 3 meeting: Srinivasan

No final decision will be taken on Lalit Modi’s case in next week’s BCCI Special General Body Meeting, which will only decide whether to refer the suspended IPL Commissioner’s fate to the Disciplinary Committee, Board secretary N Srinivasan said.

IAF likely to grant Sachin honorary rank

The Indian Air Force (IAF) may grant the honorary rank of group captain to batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar in recognition of the laurels he has brought to the country, an official said on Wednesday.

“The IAF has given a proposal to the defence ministry for according the honorary rank of group captain to Sachin Tenduklar. There is no final decision taken on it as of now,” the official said.

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BJP defers decision on Bihar alliance

The BJP central leadership would meet on Wednesday or Thursday to take a final decision on the party’s relationship with the JD-U, BJP spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain told reporters after the meeting. Bihar BJP leaders had informed Gadkari of the problems in running the alliance with the JD-U.

‘Home ministry to take final call on Afzal Guru’s mercy petition’

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said today that the final decision on parliament attack convict Afzal Guru’s mercy petition rests with the central home ministry.

YSR b’day to be state fete

Hyderabad, May 17: The Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, plans to celebrate Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy’s birthday on July 8 as a state function.

A final decision in this regard will be taken in the Cabinet meeting scheduled on May 19. Though the issue was not included in the agenda, the Chief Minister shared his plan with some of his close associates and wanted the Cabinet to discuss the proposal

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BJP calls meeting over Hemant Soren’s offer

The Bhartiya Janta Party has called the party meeting at Sushma Swaraj’s residence in New Delhi to discuss Shibhu Soren’s son offer of change of leadership in Jharkhand. The party has called its all MLAs from Jharkhand in Delhi to take the final decision on Soren’s offer.

‘Kuwait to test Rafale planes before making final decision’

KUWAIT CITY, April 18: Kuwait is to test Rafale jets in June before making a final decision on buying the French-made warplanes, the defence minister was quoted as telling MPs on Sunday.
“The defence minister told MPs that the deal is so far in th…

Today is the 15th birthday of Wiki! Learn the wiki way to reach a consensus

Consensus is defined as “an opinion or position reached by a group as a whole” by the American Heritage Dictionary. But reaching that point is difficult and even understanding what a consensus is can be mind numbing. These instructions will guide you through the process of finding common ground and building a consensus.

Steps

1. Understand what a consensus is. There are five requirements of consensus decision-making:
   • Inclusion. As many community members as possible should be involved in the process. Nobody should be excluded or left out (unless they ask to be excluded).
   • Participation. Not only is every person included, but each and every person is also expected to participate by contributing opinions and suggestions. While there are various roles that others may have, each person has an equal share (and stake) in the final decision.
   • Co-operation. All the people involved collaborate and build upon each other’s concerns and suggestions to come up with a decision or solution that will satisfy everyone in the group, rather than just the majority (while the minority is ignored).
   • Egalitarianism. Nobody’s input is weighed more or less than anyone else’s. Each has equal opportunity to amend, veto, or block ideas.
   • Solution-mindedness. An effective decision-making body works towards a common solution, despite differences. This can come in the form of compromise, a better idea, or even dropping the potential issue completely.
2. Familiarize yourself with the arguments against using a consensus process. Many people feel and have been raised to feel that democratic voting (i.e. majority rules) is the proper solution to all decision making. This may create a win/lose situation that is less productive in the long run. Those who prefer voting often view the consensus model as inefficient and time-consuming. By understanding the resistance towards consensus building, you will be better able to address people’s concerns.
3. Emphasize the benefits of using a consensus process. While both the voting method of decision making and the consensus process of decision making are meant to promote discussion, the consensus process is more likely to result in all parties reaching common ground. Both sides of an issue may need to make concessions in order for the issue to move through the process. The end result, however, is a solution that everyone can be satisfied with. It may not be exactly what anyone wanted, but it gives everyone enough of what they want to be content and will ultimately improve group cohesion with a shared plan, vision or goal, rather than create factions or an “us against them” mentality.
4. Clearly outline what needs to be decided. You may need to add something or take something away. You may need to start something new or amend something current. Whatever it is, make sure that the entire issue is clearly stated for everyone to understand. It’s always a good idea to address why the issue is being raised in the first place (i.e. what is the problem that needs to be solved?). Briefly review the options that are available.
5. Test the waters. Before attempting a lengthy discussion, have the decision-makers vote.
   • If everyone agrees on a position, move on to taking action and implementing the decision.
   • If there is disagreement, discuss with the decision-makers the reasoning behind their votes. The consensus method requires that a solution be reached, if possible, by finding a middle ground between all parties. So a discussion may reveal that you can modify some aspects of your proposal to promote a solution.
6. Modify the proposal to address the concerns raised by objectors. This may include making some concessions of your own. Remember, if even one person disagrees with you, you are still obliged to discuss the issue further and not exclude the dissenter.
7. Identify when consensus has been reached. This can come in several forms based on the decision-making body. There are four commonly-identified types of consensus (excluding 100% consensus, which is always preferred). The type to be used by your group should be decided well in advance of any contentious proposal being brought before it for consensus-building.
   • One Dissenter (also called U-1, or Unanimity minus one) means that all participants support the decision except for one. The individual dissenter usually can’t block the decision, but may be able to prolong debate (like the infamous filibuster). Due to their skepticism of the decision, the lone dissenter makes a very good evaluator of the outcome of the decision because they can view it with a critical eye and spot negative consequences before others would.
   • Two Dissenters (U-2 or Unanimity minus two) also can’t block a decision, but they are more effective at prolonging debate and obtaining a third dissenter (in which case a decision usually can be blocked) if they agree on what is wrong with the proposal.
   • Three Dissenters (U-3 or Unanimity minus three), is recognized by most groups as enough to constitute non-consensus, but this can vary between decision-making bodies (especially if it is a small group).
   • Rough Consensus doesn’t specifically define “how much is enough”. The working group leader or even the group itself must decide when a consensus has been reached (although this can create additional disagreement when consensus cannot be reached about coming to a consensus). This places increased responsibility on the leader and can stir further debate if the leader’s judgment is questioned.
8. Implement the decision as quickly as possible and follow the decision to the letter. If any alteration is made to the decision after consensus, it must be reintroduced to the decision-making body for voting and consensus-reaching.

Tips

• Emphasize the role of the team in finding a solution to various issues together, not pitting stakeholders’ interests against each other.
• Some decision-makers may want to “stand aside”. This usually means the individual does NOT support the proposal being discussed, but will allow the decision to pass if necessary. Sometimes, however, a person chooses to stand aside simply because they don’t feel that they are knowledgeable enough about the subject to participate constructively.
• For a decision that will require a lengthy amount of time and many people, establish roles for the discussion. Make sure these people are responsible members of the group. Also, ensure that participants understand that these individuals are considered responsible members of the group and the suggestions are to be taken respectfully and seriously. The role-playing individuals have equal votes among the decision-makers, their vote counts no more or no less than anyone else. Here are a few roles that might help:
  • Facilitators make sure that the decision making process adheres to both the rules of consensus building (as described above) and a reasonable schedule. There can be more than one facilitator, and a facilitator can “resign” from their responsibility if they feel they’re becoming too personally involved with the decision.
  • Timekeepers keep their eye on the time. They let the facilitators and group know how much time is remaining and can help with steering the discussion back on track. A separate timekeeper is not always necessary, unless the facilitators are too busy moderating to keep checking the time.
  • Empaths gauge the “emotional climate” of the discussion to make sure that it doesn’t get out of hand. The goal is to anticipate emotional conflicts, prevent them or resolve them, and get rid of any kind of intimidation within the group.
  • Note takers document decisions, discussions, and action points of the group so that leaders or facilitators or any member of the group can recall previously stated concerns or statements and keep track of their progress. This role is especially important in a long, varied and drawn-out discussion, where it’s hard to remember who said what.
• Make sure that everyone understands what is meant by “consensus” (see Steps above) since everyone will want to know when consensus is reached.
• Be patient with people as they learn about the consensus climate. It is often much different for people (especially individuals from Europe and North America) from democratic lifestyles.
• Set aside some time for silence during the discussion. Participants will give more measured and well-reasoned opinions if they have time to think before they speak.
• Keep in mind that the goal is to reach a decision the group can accept, not necessarily a decision that fulfills every member’s wishes.

Warnings

• Watch out for belligerent decision makers who seek to make an argument personal or off-topic. Facilitators and empaths (if you use the roles mentioned in Tips) should be tasked with maintaining the positive atmosphere of consensus decision-making.

Related wikiHows

• How to Lead a Discussion
• How to Resolve a Conflict at Work
• How to Deal With Impossible People
• How to Make a Decision Using a Quantitative Scoring System

Sources and Citations

• Some information for this article was adapted from the Wikipedia article on consensus decision-making.

• Read on wikiHow
• Email this Article
• Edit
• Discuss


Posted: March 25th, 2010
at 8:43pm by Arif

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Gas pricing: decision soon

The Government will soon take a final decision on its proposal to increase price of natural gas produced from the nominated blocks of Oil and Natural Gas Corp Ltd and Oil India Ltd and prices of which is regulated by the government.

Eurozone readies possible bailout for Greece (AP)

Eurozone finance ministers agreed Monday to offer financial help for Greece — likely in the form of bilateral loans — but refused to give details until European Union leaders make a final decision on the potential bailout.

Panvel airport plans delayed

The final decision on the proposed airport at Panvel, 35 kms from Mumbai, has been put off once again. At a meeting called by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) in New Delhi on Thursday, Union Minister Jairam Ramesh told the Maharashtra government to submit the Environment Impact Assessment Report (EIA) for the 1,140-hectare airport by end of August.

Govt to judge the judges

Citizens keen to expose corrupt judges will have to reveal the source of their information in complaints filed by them and the final decision on whether action should be taken against the erring judges will be the government’s, according to a new draft bill.

Israel mulling a spring or summer war Ahmadinejad

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that Iran’s arch-foe Israel was mulling starting a war “next spring or summer” but has yet to make a final decision.

India sharply divided over introduction of Bt Brinjal

With Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh’s final decision on commercial cultivation of Bt Brinjal expected today, Indian scientists, politicians and actitivists remain sharply divided over the issue of allowing the genetically modified vegetable to hit the market. Ramesh is likely to hold a press conference over his decision today.