In order to ensure that the group and the facilitator are compatible, both facilitators and group members will be asked to read and agree to the pre-designed structure and the ground rules for the group.

In this way, both facilitators and group participants will all have become familiar with the group structure, the ground rules, and the methods of facilitation employed, and they will all have agreed to accept this format (or not) before they choose a group and join it.

Because of the match for compatibility and their agreement to conform to a preset structured group format, participants will be better able to help each other develop their ideas than they would be if they were distracted by strong, perhaps nonnegotiable opposition. Not much energy will go into trying to convince anyone to change his/her mind about basic issues. Therefore, there will be a lot to discuss, but not too much of substance to argue about within each group or between groups whose members have all come up with similar solutions to the problem their focused on.

Participants who decide not to accept the group procedures proposed will be offered a number of other alternatives. For example, they may choose to interact on the Solution Exchange with others who are relating to the same problem and have similar ideas for solutions, but who also reject the proposed group structure. The only requirement for joining the Solution Exchange will be to choose a problem and post ideas for solving it. Others might prefer to form their own ongoing real time group with people who would prefer to employ some other format that they can agree on. Or possibly they will use no structure at all.

There are a number of other possible online formats that might be used in addition to (or instead of) the face-to-face and chat formats described above. For example, the synanim tool might be adapted for use with the project.

Those who decide to form their own groups and use a different format will be encouraged to do so. They will all be invited to post their finished proposed solutions on the Exchange website and receive the comments and ratings of readers. If their individual or group proposals receive the largest number of favorable ratings, they will be eligible for inclusion in the Action phase of the program.