The Value Methodology (VM) Job Plan leverages both divergent and convergent thinking, as taught in the VMF 1 course (Core Competency #3: Value Methodology Job Plan). According to SAVE International’s Value Methodology Standard, “convergent thinking is used to narrow down and refine ideas, focusing on analysis, selection, and implementation, while divergent thinking generates a wide range of ideas.” The VM Job Plan’s six phases are: Information, Function Analysis, Creativity, Evaluation, Development, and Presentation. Convergent thinking is applied in:

Evaluation Phase: The team narrows down ideas using filters (Coarse, Medium, Fine, as in Question 33) and evaluation matrices, selecting the best ones.

Development Phase: The team refines selected ideas into actionable proposals, focusing on feasibility and cost.

Presentation Phase: The team consolidates proposals into a final recommendation, ensuring clarity and alignment with stakeholder needs.

Divergent thinking is primarily used in the Creativity Phase, while Information and Function Analysis involve analytical thinking but not necessarily convergent thinking in the same sense (they focus on understanding and defining, not narrowing down).

Option A (Creativity, Evaluation, Development) is incorrect because Creativity uses divergent thinking, not convergent.

Option B (Information, Function Analysis, Creativity) is incorrect because none of these phases primarily use convergent thinking; Creativity is divergent.

Option C (Evaluation, Development, Presentation) is correct, as these phases involve convergent thinking to narrow down, refine, and finalize ideas.

Option D (Function Analysis, Creativity, Evaluation) is incorrect because Function Analysis and Creativity do not primarily use convergent thinking.