Comment Consolidation: Paper Method 1

Paper Method Cheat Sheet

Make sure you have read the Scorebook Navigator User Guide: Consensus Manual prior to using this document.

To complete this method, you will need to download the following from the Volunteer Resource Center:

  • Comments_Not_Used_Matrix
  • Using the magnifying glass icon to pull up the comments in the section you wish to print (see page 6 of the Scorebook Navigator Consensus User Guide). Print directly from this page or copy and paste them into a Word document before printing.
  • Cut each comment out into an individual strip. Each strip should include:

Examiner Name

Text of the Strength or OFI box

Text of the As Evidence By box

A/D/L/I or Le/T/C/I

Item reference

  • Divide the comments into Strengths and OFI Piles.
  • Concentrate on one pile first (Strengths or OFIs).
  • Sort all comments by Item Reference.
  • Look at comments in each Item Reference pile for commonality.
  • Group comments by their common themes, making more piles and/or marking them with a certain color marker or symbol.
  • If a comment does not show commonality with other comments (only identified by one or two team members), evaluate to see if it is valid, relevant or important.
  • If it is not valid, relevant or important, start a new pile for Comments Not Used.
  • Begin with one of the piles of comments with a common theme. Look over comments that have been identified as feeding the theme.
  • Create a comment that captures the best aspects of the group of comments.
  • Writing on paper or typing in Word Processing software, steal from the originals while crafting your new comment, and if one of the original comments does a good job of capturing the points, feel free to use that comment in its entirety.
  • Place Examiner initials from contributing comments at the end of the consensus comment.
  • Do this again for each themed pile.
  • Repeat steps 4-7 on the other (Strength of OFI) pile of comments.
  • From your Strength and OFI comments, select the 8 comments that best represent the applicant and that provide the feedback to help them identify areas for improvement.
  • With input from all team members, you will likely have more than 8 comments and will need to identify which are of the highest importance.
  • For comments eliminated in the prioritization, move these comments to the Comments Not Used pile.
  • Type up or cut and paste the 6-8 comments you have selected back into the Navigator.
  • You will need to pick a new set of 4-6 Key Factors for your new, Final Comments.
  • Save!
  • Using the scoring process, score this item again, using the new grouping of comments.
  • Score using only the Strengths comments and the criteria on the scoring matrix.
  • Save, again!
  • Fill out the Item you are working on (Column A).
  • Enter the Examiner initials for the comment being added (Column B), and the number of the comment from the consolidated scorebook.
  • Check the reason the comment was not used (Columns D-H).
  • Make any additional notes if necessary (Column I).