Participatory Design in Consulting

Abstract

Consultants are important actors in the shaping of organizational and technical change. Consultants could broaden the use of participatory design (PO). Five case studies are given to identify specifics of PO in consulting. We explore how projects came to be discussed and how, if ever, they developed momentum. It turned out to be critical how these projects are embedded into the network of actors. It is still difficult to use PO in consulting because the area of application is not sharply defined, and the risks are high. When using PO in consulting, one has to cope with two conflicting aims. Low involvement and little responsibility for outcomes are necessary for successful work with groups. On the other hand, high involvement is needed to procure contracts. Therefore, we propose that PO consulting be conducted in teams of two, and that facilitation be separated from design. This separation encourages the optimal deployment technical and group-facilitation expertise and eases group management..