Triage: A new group technique gaining recognition in evaluation
| DOI | 10.1177/1035719X0200200212 |
| Author | Geneviève Pépin,Marie Gervais |
| Published date | 01 December 2002 |
| Date | 01 December 2002 |
| Subject Matter | Refereed Article |
45
REFEREED ARTICLE
Evaluation Journal of Australasia, Vol. 2 (new series), No. 2, December 2002, pp. 45–49
Marie Gervais
Geneviève Pépin
TRIAGE, or
T
echnique for
R
esearch of
I
nformation by
A
nimation of a
G
roup of
E
xperts, is an inductive and
structured method for collecting information that aims to
obtain a group consensus. The goal of this technique is to
provide quality informative material quickly and efficiently to
enable decision-making or to develop more sophisticated
survey tools. TRIAGE both distinguishes itself from, and
complements, the main group techniques used in evaluation
up until now. These are the Delphi technique, the Nominal
Group Technique (NGT) and the focus group (Delbecq, Van
de Ven & Gustafson, 1975).
The definition, the context for use as well as the different parts
of the usual process of TRIAGE technique (recruiting of
participants, individual production phase, collective production
phase with visual support, validation of results) will firstly be
presented then compared to these advocated in the Delphi,
NGT and focus group techniques.
Also, examples of TRIAGE being applied in different evaluation
contexts, such as the development of measurement
instruments and the evaluation of health programs, will be
presented. These examples will illustrate the richness, the
flexibility and the potential of this technique as an assessment
tool. Finally, the strengths and shortcomings of TRIAGE will be
discussed.
Introduction
The study of new evaluation methods is necessary for the scientific advancement of the
field of program evaluation (Stufflebeam 2001). In fact, evaluators must remain on the
cutting edge of alternative methods, testing their strengths and weaknesses, thus enabling
these techniques to be included in their evaluation procedures. These methodological
innovations will allow the development of more personalised protocols and procedures,
which are better adapted to the reality of the program to be studied (Stufflebeam 2001).
Currently, several data collection methods based on group dynamics are in use. The
Technique for Research of Information by Animation of a Group of Experts (TRIAGE)
(Plante & Côté 1993) is one of the lesser known methods though it has shown great
promise. It is the opinion of the authors that TRIAGE represents an answer or more
precisely a complement to the Delphi technique, the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) and
TRIAGE: A new group
technique gaining
recognition in evaluation
Dr Marie Gervais (top) is
Chef de service, Service des
études et de l’évaluation
en assurance automobile,
with the Société de
l’assurance automobile du
Québec, in Canada.
Geneviève Pépin (bottom)
is a doctoral student at
Laval University, in
Québec, Canada.
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