Laura is head of ABC Systems. She needs to allocate a fixed amount of funds to various projects. There are two top projects that Laura believes hold the most promise. She decides to arrange a structured debate for the two top proposals. Importantly, the assumptions of each proposal are identified, and a conflicting counterproposal is generated based on a different set of assumptions. Advocates of each position present and debate the merits of their proposal before Laura makes her decision. Which technique is Laura using to help her make a better decision?

a. Devil's advocacy
b. Negotiation
c. Avoidance
d. Mediation
e. Dialectic method