Consensus Groups are conducted at the commencement of a market research project to gather input from personnel who will use or otherwise be affected by the research findings. They are invaluable for several reasons: (1) The groups reveal internal perspectives, including points of agreement and disagreement, which provide a critical context for the project. (2) The findings are important input for the design of the research. (3) The groups have political consequences: involving internal constituencies in the research process from the outset promotes support among differing factions and a greater acceptance of the findings.