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    ORID focused conversation method

    ORID 焦点讨论法

    Technique
    Also called
    ORID, Focused Conversation Method, ORID framework, ORID model

    What is the ORID focused conversation method?

    The ORID focused conversation method is a way of leading group discussions developed by the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA): a facilitator asks questions at four levels in turn, objective, reflective, interpretive and decisional, so the talk moves from facts everyone saw to a concrete decision.[1][4]

    Four levels, asked in order

    Uses and evidence

    Schematic. The order of the levels, the sample questions and the uses come from ICA Associates’ method overview and dispute template; ICA notes the template is not meant to be used as is, so questions should be rewritten for each occasion.

    Select Preparation, one of the four levels, or a card below for details.
    Preparation at the top, the four levels in the order they are asked in the middle, and uses and evidence at the bottom. Select any part for details. Select a part for details
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    Key points

    • Each level asks one kind of question: objective, what did you see and hear; reflective, first reactions and worries; interpretive, what it means; decisional, next steps and who does what.[1]
    • To prepare, set a rational and an experiential aim and write two or three specific questions per level. When leading, do not skip levels because someone jumps ahead.[1][2]
    • ICA’s dispute template gathers facts from all sides, asks which part upsets people most, explores causes, effects on each person and possible solutions, then records the group’s decision.[2]
    • It also appears in research and teaching: a public health team analyzed interview data with it,[3] and a university course used it to structure reflection papers, noting its explicit feelings stage.[4]

    An example

    Lin and Jay are roommates who keep arguing about cleaning. Ms. Wang sits down with them and asks each to say what actually happened at home this week, then which part annoyed them most, then what it means to each of them. Finally they draw up a chore chart together and agree to check in next week.

    Misreadings and limits

    It is often said to follow the natural way people think and to be backed by science; that is ICA’s own claim.[1] The peer-reviewed papers consulted describe how it was used and do not compare its effects with other ways of running a discussion; one analyzed reflection papers from just 11 students, and its authors call for validating their revised model.[3][4]

    Sources

    1. 1 ICA Associates (2026). The Art of Focused Conversation: Transform your meetings with the four-level ORID method. ICA Associates (Canada), News. View source ICA Associates is licensed by the Canadian Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA Canada) to use the Technology of Participation (ToP) methods; the page also promotes its paid course.
    2. 2 ICA Associates (2023). Focused conversation for resolving a dispute. ICA Associates (Canada), News. View source
    3. 3 Fritzen-Pedicini, C., Bleasdale, S. C., Brosseau, L. M., Moritz, D., Sikka, M., Stiehl, E., & Jones, R. M. (2019). Utilizing the focused conversation method in qualitative public health research: A team-based approach. BMC Health Services Research, 19, 306. doi:10.1186/s12913-019-4107-0
    4. 4 Kayan Fadlelmula, F., & Qadhi, S. M. (2024). Beyond the classroom: Integrating the ORID model for in-depth reflection and assessment in service-learning. Education Sciences, 14(9), 987. doi:10.3390/educsci14090987

    Last checked against sources: October 28, 2026