Plus/ Delta Frontload and/ or Debrief

Approximate Running Time: 5 minutes to 5 hours (time allotted is determined by the depth of reflection/ debrief)

Minimum/ Maximum Group Size: 1 person to 1000+ people

Age/ Level: Participants should be capable of reflection, sharing ideas, understanding the difference between behavior that they would like to repeat, and behavior that they would like to change.

Space Required: Sufficient space for participants to sit comfortably, indoors or outdoors.

Materials:

• Whiteboard/ chart paper
• Journals/ notepads for participants (if whiteboard/ chart paper/ wall space unavailable)
• Markers or pens if journals or notepads are being used.

Set-up: None required

Objective: To help groups or individuals evaluate a single experience or a chain of experiences.

Developing a Plus/Delta evaluation into a Plus/Delta model requires you to save and use previous Plus/Delta lists. After you or your group has made an initial Plus/Delta list, you must keep it for future review. The Plus/Delta becomes a working document in which you and your group track the implementation of deltas from previous experiences, and record whether any pluses has been forgotten.

Facilitator Guidelines:

In a Plus/ Delta, pluses are specific actions that an individual or group took during their activity/ experience, which allowed them to feel successful. The pluses are actions that they hope to repeat in future experiences. Deltas are suggested actions that an individual or group can take in future experiences, which will allow those experiences to be more enjoyable or successful than the one that is being evaluated.

The Plus/ Delta can be used as a working document, in which facilitator and participants track the implementation of deltas from previous experiences, and record whether any pluses and been forgotten

1. Have participants complete an experience or task

2.  Gather group members together to evaluate the experience or task

3.  Elicit specific pluses and deltas from group members, and encourage all members to contribute to the Plus/ Deltas

4.  Use the Discussion Shadow to make sure that each group member’s ideas are clearly understood and recorded

5.  Save and store the Plus/Delta in a place that is accessible to all

6.  Complete another experience or task

7.  Review previous Plus/Delta

8.  Move any deltas that have been changed, to the plus category

9.  Record any new pluses or deltas; encourage all group members to contribute 

10. Use the Discussion Shadow to make sure that each group member’s ideas are clearly understood and recorded

11. Save and store the Plus/Delta in a place that is accessible to all

12.  Repeat this process throughout working with the same group, or throughout working toward the same goal

References:

It is helpful to use the following chart format to clearly record pluses and deltas.