The Informant Panel: A Retrospective Methodology for Guiding Organizational Change

Abstract

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.