DRAFT

Each of the steps in the NGT process is discussed in further detail below.Step 1: Silent Generation of Ideas in WritingAs indicated previously, the nominal question for the workshop was “What PSTA service improvementsshould be priorities over the next 10 years?” This question was presented to the group both in written form(on a worksheet that was handed out to all participants) and it was stated verbally. The participants thenwere given 5 minutes to respond to this question by writing brief phrases describing their five necessaryimprovements in the space provided on the worksheet.Step 2: Round-Robin Listing of Ideas on ChartThe next step of the process involved reading each TAC member’s ideas to the rest of the group. Eachidea provided was recorded by the facilitator on a flip chart. This procedure continued for all the responseworksheets until the responses to the nominal question were exhausted for all workshop participants. Thepages of the flip chart containing the provided ideas were displayed for further reference.Step 3: Discussion and Clarification of Each IdeaThe ideas listed on the flip chart then were discussed. The facilitator read each idea, indicated in generalterms the understood intent of the idea, and asked the group if there were any questions about it. Duringthis process, efforts were made to ensure that each idea was clarified appropriately and that it wasunderstood clearly by all participants. In addition, ideas similar in intent were grouped together to producea more concise listing of ideas. In some cases, additional probing was used to help identify more specificdetails about some of the ideas that were listed.Step 4: Vote on PrioritiesAt this point in the process, the participants again were reminded about the nominal question that they weretrying to address regarding priority PSTA service improvements needed in the next 10 years. Theparticipants then were instructed to select their preference for the five most important improvements fromthe entire list of ideas displayed on the flip chart pages and record these improvements on separateresponse sheets that the facilitator had provided. In addition to the participants selecting five importantimprovements, the facilitator asked each participant to rank in priority order the improvements listed on theircards from one (highest priority) to five (lowest priority). The participants were given approximately fiveminutes to complete this step, and they did so independently and without discussion. The following is asample of the response worksheet provided to participants for use in voting and prioritizing theimprovements.Tindale-Oliver & Associates, Inc.September 20105-22Pinellas Suncoast Transit AuthorityTransit Development Plan