TBT
Our own method · © eutopia.social

The Big
Table.

Decide · Execute · Sustain

An architecture designed to address complex decisions involving multiple actors, diverse interests and a need for continuity over time. It is not a facilitation technique or an expanded dialogue space. TBT is a comprehensive design — oriented towards ensuring decisions are made, executed and sustained.

DECIDE
Clarity about what decisions are at stake, who decides and under what rules. Decisions stop being implicit, informal or personal.
EXECUTE
Each decision becomes explicit operational agreements. Identified responsible parties, conditions of execution, timelines, verification criteria. A decision that doesn't become action is not closed.
SUSTAIN
Record-keeping, traceability and periodic review mechanisms. Institutional continuity beyond individuals or circumstances. Follow-up is not an add-on — it is a constitutive part of the method.
The differentiator
"TBT doesn't propose more meetings or more control. It proposes better design of the process where decisions are made, acted upon and sustained."

The most frequent problem in multi-actor processes is not a lack of will or resources. It's a lack of architecture. Nobody designed how decisions are made, who decides, what happens after a decision is made, and how you know if what was decided was actually done.

TBT resolves exactly that problem.

TBT is / is not
Is not A space to "talk better" without deciding
Is not A participatory methodology to legitimise decisions already made
Is not A standard framework or a recipe applicable to any situation
Is not A meeting facilitation technique
Is A demanding architecture, designed for contexts where deciding seriously means taking on responsibility
The architecture

Three inseparable
dimensions.

1
DECISION
Clearly defines who decides what and under what rules
Decisions stop being implicit, informal or dependent on specific individuals. The process has structure.
What decisions are at stake
Who deliberates and who decides
Under what rules and with what information
How decisions are recorded
2
ACTION
Each decision becomes operational agreements
A decision that doesn't become action is not closed. TBT integrates from the design the translation of decisions into executable commitments.
Responsible parties identified by name
Concrete conditions for execution
Defined and agreed timelines
Clear verification criteria
3
CONTINUITY
The process survives people and circumstances
Follow-up is not a later addition. It is a constitutive part of the architecture. What was agreed has memory and traceability.
Record-keeping and traceability of agreements
Periodic review mechanisms
Updating agreements when context changes
Institutional continuity beyond individuals
The process

Seven structured
stages.

1
System delimitation
Defining the scope, boundaries and purpose of the process. What's inside and what isn't. Without this clarity, everything else is noise.
Output
Agreed scope · Explicit purpose · System boundaries
2
Stakeholder identification and mapping
Formal recognition of all relevant actors, their interests, their power and their relationships. Who is at the table and why.
Output
Stakeholder map · Interests and tensions · Participation logic
3
Building the Table
Designing the interaction space: participation rules, legitimacy criteria, roles and decision-making mechanisms. The process architecture.
Output
Table rules · Defined roles · Legitimacy criteria
4
Ordering strategic decisions
Prioritisation and making explicit the key decisions to be resolved. Not everything is urgent. Not everything is strategic. This step separates noise from what matters.
Output
Strategic agenda · Prioritised decisions · Sequence
5
Conversion into operational agreements
Formalisation of actionable commitments. Each decision is translated into who does what, when, under what conditions and how it's verified.
Output
Operational agreements · Responsible parties · Timelines · Criteria
6
Record-keeping and traceability
System to document decisions and agreements. Guarantees institutional memory — what was agreed is not lost when people change.
Output
Institutional memory · Traceability · Decision history
7
Continuity design
Mechanisms that ensure the sustainability of the process and agreements over time. The method doesn't end — it becomes institutionalised.
Output
Institutionalised process · Periodic review · Continuity
When to apply TBT

The right
context.

TBT is a demanding tool. It's not for every context or every team. It works when there is a genuine willingness to decide and take on responsibility.

Nobody can decide alone — the decision requires multiple actors
Decisions are interrelated and have chain-effect consequences
Dialogue exists but doesn't produce sustained progress
Agreements dissolve over time or when people change
The system needs predictability and stability to function
When it doesn't apply

TBT is not for every situation. There are contexts where it's not the right tool.

When decisions have already been made and only legitimation is sought
When there is no genuine willingness to take on commitments and responsibilities
When urgency doesn't allow for a structured process
When one actor has sufficient power to decide alone and doesn't need consensus
Documentation

All the
technical information.

White Paper
TBT Method — Complete documentation
The complete technical document for the TBT Method. Foundations, architecture, stages and application criteria.
Download PDF
Benchmark
TBT vs. other methods
Comparative analysis of the TBT Method against other facilitation, governance and multi-actor process management methodologies.
Download PDF
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