How does it work? Format description
Solving mini case studies are short group discussions about a specific scenario that the moderator has assigned to the groups. For a lively and varied discussion, it is good to use a total of 3 scenarios, which are discussed one by one. To bring out different perspectives, it is good to create 3-4 roles in each scenario (e.g. local government, parent, direct supervisor, etc.) from whose perspective the scenario is solved. Each group should have 3-6 members, the number of roles depends on how many groups participate in the discussion.
When applying mini case studies, it is important to understand what the purpose of the discussion is – whether you want to find new innovative solutions or you want to understand the experiences and activities of different people. Depending on the purpose and topic of the discussion, it is sometimes necessary to make a short introduction presenting different aspects of the topic before starting to solve the cases. Here it is good to involve field experts, with whom the moderator can conduct a short interview.
The process of solving mini case studies is as follows:
1. The moderator describes the scenario and assigns a specific role to each group. (2-3 min) The moderator describes that a recurring concern is the logistics of children’s school/kindergarten-training-home. Now, for example, a group with the role of “local government” thinks about how the local government could prevent, alleviate or solve this problem for people.
2. Each group thinks and discusses from their role how to prevent, alleviate or solve the situation described in the scenario, taking into account realistic opportunities and real-world limitations. (5 min)
3. Each group briefly and concretely describes the result of their discussion (1 minute per group)
4. The moderator gives experts the floor to comment and supplement the solutions (2 min)
5. The moderator summarises and moves on to the next scenario
What is the role and profile of the moderator?
The moderator’s role, in cooperation with the organiser and, if necessary, involving experts, is to prepare scenarios that are diverse and present the topic of discussion from different perspectives. The scenario descriptions must be simple and concrete, preferably as illustrative as possible, the roles described in the scenarios sufficiently precise to create concrete solutions, but sufficiently general that group members can relate to the role without extensive background knowledge (e.g. chief specialist in maritime affairs is likely too specific a role, but a single father of two children is already precise enough).
If it is desired to involve experts to provide input to group discussions and to reflect on the results, the moderator must also prepare suitable questions for interviewing them. During case solving, the moderator’s role is to divide participants into groups, explain the scenarios to the groups as clearly and concretely as possible, keep group discussions on schedule and summarise the discussions.
Number and profile of participants in the discussion?
The case solving format is suitable for 8-30 participants. Depending on the purpose of the discussion, participants may need prior background knowledge of the topic, but mainly active and involvement-interested participants are simply needed.
Preliminary and follow-up work: what larger process is a discussion built in this way suitable for?
The main preliminary work is the creation and description of scenarios, for which it is possible to involve different target groups in advance and also publicly collect ideas (e.g. through a public e-survey).
For the discussion to have impact and a real outcome later, we recommend that a summary of the proposed solutions be made, disseminated further both through the Opinion Festival and other channels, and the discussion be raised.
If you feel you need advice on choosing or applying a discussion format, please contact your discussion area coordinator.