Conventional field methods utilized for organizational diagnoses and
interventional guidance are relatively inefficient, typically contain multiple
meanings, and overly rely on the investigator's interpretations. The In
formant Panel was invented to overcome these difficulties. Combining
features of the Nominal Group and Delphi techniques, the Informant Panel is
an inexpensive, time-efficient, retrospective method for obtaining the consen
sually meaningful information needed to guide change projects. This article
describes the Informant Panel, its origins, a major illustrative application,
and its developmental requirements.
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