PLAN FORMULATION

    Development of alternative plans should be thought about during the entire study process.  And significant individual and group resources must be allocated for the step of specifically formulating alternatives.  Most people will stop thinking about alternative courses of action when a good alternative presents itself.  This is a critical and common mistake, since your recommendation can never exceed your best alternative.  Thus, even if a potentially good alternative presents itself early in the process, additional alternatives must be formulated.  Group brainstorming exercises are sometimes viewed with trepidation, however they are very necessary.  A possible approach is to make it clear that it's an important and necessary exercise, however the exercise will have a definite termination point.

    Documentation of the formulation process is very important, since many infeasible alternatives may be discarded throughout the study process.  Inevitably, some of these alternatives will reemerge and the rationale for being dropped may be forgotten.  Furthermore, significant time may elapse between formulation and plan selection such that a previously infeasible alternative may become feasible.

Comments?  Last update: 06 January 2003