Samvinas Help For facilitators

Value / Doability — for facilitators

A 2D scoring tool: participants rate each idea on two dimensions and see the results as a scatter plot. A convergent step, ideal for prioritising once you've generated and grouped ideas.

Samvinas

  • Pipe in the shortlist (often the top-voted ideas).
  • Rename the axes in settings if "Value" and "Doability" aren't the right pair (e.g. Impact / Effort).
  • Give people time — the Submit bar sits at the bottom of the list.

The results view plots every idea on the two axes. Dot colour is agreement, not score — orange means the room is split, which is usually the more interesting conversation.

The Value / Doability results view: a scatter plot with do-ability across the bottom and value up the side, the high-value high-do-ability quadrant tinted green. Six numbered dots are placed across the grid; four are blue for high consensus and two orange for wide disagreement. A numbered key below lists each idea with its response count.

Value / Doability consumes idea items from an earlier tool — connect its Source and, if you voted first, filter to the items with enough votes.

Paper and pen

You need: a flip chart with a large 2×2 drawn on it (Doability across the bottom, Value up the side), the shortlisted ideas on sticky notes, and a pen per person.

  • Take the ideas one at a time. Everyone writes their two scores (1–5 for value, 1–5 for doability) on their own paper before anyone speaks.
  • Call the scores out, then stick the note where the averages put it. If the called scores were all over the place, dog-ear the note or mark it with an asterisk — that's your "orange dot".
  • One failure mode to avoid: placing each note by open discussion. The loudest voice drags it to their quadrant; silent scoring first keeps the plot honest.
  • Harvest: ring the top-right quadrant, list its contents on a fresh sheet, and photograph the whole grid — marked disagreements included.

When & why

Reach for Value / Doability when a shortlist needs prioritising on more than gut feel — after generating and a first cut, before committing to action.

A convergent step. Scores start the conversation; they don't end it — the disagreements are usually the useful part.

  • Discuss the quadrants, not individual dots: quick wins vs big bets vs not-now.
  • Where agreement is low (the colouring shows it), dig in — people may be scoring on different assumptions.
  • What usually follows: Elaboration or PPCO to develop the quick wins, or Sign Up to put names against them.

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