What is the nominal group technique? The nominal group technique (NGT) is a structured group method — developed by Delbecq and Van de Ven in 1971 — for generating and prioritizing ideas, in which people first write ideas silently and independently, then share and discuss them, and finally rank or vote privately so the outcome reflects the whole group rather than the loudest voices.
The nominal group technique typically runs in stages: participants respond to a clear question by writing ideas silently on their own; each person shares one idea at a time in a round-robin while a facilitator records every idea without debate; the group then clarifies and discusses the pooled list; and finally each person ranks or votes on the ideas privately, with the individual scores aggregated to produce a prioritized result. Because ideas are generated independently before any discussion, NGT reduces anchoring and social pressure, gives every participant equal airtime, and surfaces contributions from quieter members that open brainstorming often loses. It differs from conventional brainstorming (which is verbal and interactive from the start) and from the Delphi method (which keeps experts anonymous and remote across multiple rounds). NGT is widely used in healthcare, education, public health and community planning, and needs assessment. Argumentree applies the same principles digitally: participants can submit input independently and asynchronously before group discussion, evaluate options in a structured way, rate and prioritize contributions, and keep a recorded, searchable output of what the group decided and why.
What Is the Nominal Group Technique?
The nominal group technique (NGT) is a structured method for generating and prioritizing ideas in a group — developed by Delbecq and Van de Ven in 1971 — that has people think independently before they discuss, so a decision reflects the whole group rather than whoever talks the most.
Last updated: 2026-07-04
In short
The nominal group technique (NGT) is a structured group decision method in which participants first generate ideas silently and independently, then share them in a round-robin, discuss and clarify them as a group, and finally rank or vote on them privately — with the individual rankings aggregated into a prioritized result. It's called a "nominal" group because, during idea generation, people work as individuals (a group "in name only"). NGT is designed to give everyone equal input, reduce the anchoring and dominance that derail open brainstorming, and make sure quieter voices are heard.
The steps of the nominal group technique
- 1
Silent idea generation
The facilitator presents a clear question or problem, and each participant writes down their own ideas silently, without conferring. Working independently first prevents early opinions from anchoring everyone else.
- 2
Round-robin sharing
Going around the group, each person offers one idea at a time while a facilitator records every idea on a shared list. There is no discussion or criticism yet — the goal is simply to capture the full range of contributions with equal airtime.
- 3
Group clarification and discussion
Once all ideas are listed, the group discusses them to clarify meaning, combine duplicates, and understand each item. Discussion focuses on understanding, not on persuading or eliminating ideas.
- 4
Private ranking or voting
Each participant independently ranks or votes on the ideas they consider most important — for example, selecting and rank-ordering their top few. Voting privately again removes social pressure from the choice.
- 5
Aggregate and prioritize
The individual rankings are tallied to produce a prioritized list that reflects the whole group. Where useful, the group can discuss the results and run a second round to refine the outcome.
The exact wording varies between sources — some describe NGT in four steps by combining ranking and aggregation — but the defining sequence is the same: independent generation first, structured sharing and discussion next, private ranking last.
Why the nominal group technique works
NGT's structure directly counters the group dynamics that distort ordinary meetings:
Equal participation
Round-robin sharing and private voting give every participant the same weight, so the outcome isn't dominated by the most senior, most confident, or most talkative person in the room.
Independent input reduces anchoring
Because ideas are generated and later ranked privately — before and apart from group discussion — participants aren't anchored by whoever spoke first, which broadens the range of ideas and reduces groupthink.
Quiet voices are heard
Writing before speaking, and voting in private, let reserved participants and dissenters contribute fully. Ideas that open brainstorming tends to lose get onto the list and into the tally.
How Argumentree supports the same principles
Argumentree isn't a stopwatch-and-index-cards workshop, but it applies the same underlying principles as NGT — independent input before discussion, structured evaluation, and a recorded result — in a digital, often asynchronous form:
Independent submission before discussion
Participants can contribute arguments and options on their own — asynchronously if needed — before the group debates them, mirroring NGT's silent, independent idea-generation stage and reducing anchoring.
Structured evaluation
Instead of an open free-for-all, each option is worked through as a structured pro/con argument map, so the case for and against every idea is examined explicitly rather than settled by whoever argues loudest.
Rating and prioritization
Participants rate and rank arguments across multiple dimensions, and the ratings aggregate into a prioritized view — the digital counterpart of NGT's private ranking and vote-tallying step.
Recorded, searchable output
The ideas, the discussion, the ratings, and the resulting priorities are all captured and stay searchable, so the group's output is a durable record of what was decided and why — not a flip-chart that gets thrown away.
The goal is the same one NGT was designed for: a decision that reflects the whole group's independent judgment, captured as a result you can revisit later.
Explore further
What is group decision-making?
The broader field of how groups reach a choice together — of which NGT is one structured method.
What is collaborative decision-making?
How structured, transparent decision-making works when a whole group needs to decide together.
What is consensus building?
The practice of moving a group toward a decision everyone can support — a natural companion to NGT's prioritization step.
What is decision-making?
The foundations of how individuals and groups reach a choice — and where reasoning tends to get lost.
Frequently asked questions
What is the nominal group technique?
The nominal group technique (NGT) is a structured group decision-making method, developed by Delbecq and Van de Ven in 1971, for generating and prioritizing ideas. Participants first write ideas silently and independently, then share them one by one, discuss and clarify them as a group, and finally rank or vote on them privately, with the individual scores aggregated into a prioritized result. It's designed to give everyone equal input and to limit the dominance and groupthink that can distort open discussion.
What are the steps of NGT?
NGT usually runs in five stages: (1) silent, independent idea generation in response to a clear question; (2) round-robin sharing, where each person offers one idea at a time and a facilitator records them all without debate; (3) group clarification and discussion of the pooled list; (4) private ranking or voting on the ideas; and (5) aggregating the votes into a prioritized outcome. Some descriptions compress this into four steps by merging the ranking and aggregation stages, but the sequence — generate independently, share, discuss, then rank privately — is the same.
How is NGT different from brainstorming?
In conventional brainstorming, people generate ideas out loud and interactively from the start, which is fast and energizing but lets confident or senior voices anchor the group and can leave quieter members out. NGT deliberately front-loads silent, independent idea generation before any discussion, gives everyone equal airtime through round-robin sharing, and closes with a private vote. The result is usually a broader set of ideas and a prioritized outcome that reflects the whole group rather than the loudest participants.
How does NGT compare to the Delphi method?
Both NGT and the Delphi method were formalized around the same time and both use independent input to reduce social pressure, but they differ in setting. NGT brings participants together — in a room or a live session — and completes generation, discussion, and voting in a single structured sitting. The Delphi method keeps participants (often remote experts) anonymous and apart, gathering their input through several rounds of questionnaires with feedback between rounds. NGT is faster and more interactive; Delphi trades speed for anonymity and geographic reach.
Where is the nominal group technique used?
NGT is widely used wherever a group needs to surface and prioritize ideas without letting a few voices dominate. Common settings include healthcare (clinical guideline development, quality improvement, and consensus among clinicians), education, public health and community or program planning, and needs assessment and priority-setting exercises. It's especially valued when equal participation and a clear, prioritized result matter.
References & further reading
Delbecq, A. L., & Van de Ven, A. H. (1971). A group process model for problem identification and program planning. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science.
The paper that introduced and named the nominal group technique. Cited by name; consult the journal for the authoritative text.
Delbecq, A. L., Van de Ven, A. H., & Gustafson, D. H. (1975). Group Techniques for Program Planning: A Guide to Nominal Group and Delphi Processes.
The foundational book-length treatment of NGT alongside the Delphi method. Cited by name.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — "Gaining Consensus Among Stakeholders Through the Nominal Group Technique" (Evaluation Briefs).
A public-health practitioner overview of running NGT to reach group consensus. Cited by name; refer to the CDC's evaluation resources for the current version.
Nominal group technique — overview article
General-reference summary of NGT's history, steps, and comparison to brainstorming and Delphi, with onward citations.
View source →Bring NGT's principles to your team's decisions
Let everyone contribute independently before the debate, evaluate options in a structured way, rate and prioritize together, and keep a searchable record of what the group decided and why.
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