It is helpful for the facilitator to develop a repertoire of games for a variety of situations, or to ask someone to lead a game. Facilitation is a set of skills to be used in working with a group, enabling and supporting them to achieve their objectives in a way that involves and respects all contributions, builds ownership and releases the potential of the group and its members. The facilitator should stand in front of the group when presenting a topic or calling on participants, and stand to one side during others’ presentations. • When action is taken, clear assignments are made and accepted. Giovanni Ciarlo is a cofounder of Ecoaldea Huehuecoyotl, Mexico. The facilitator’s job is to serve the group in a professional and impartial way, and to clearly define his/her role for all clients. It is appropriate to request the provider be as ecological as possible and not use Styrofoam, plastics and other non-reusable items. A short summary of this paper. Leading provider of sustainability education that promotes thriving communities within planetary boundaries. In some instances the facilitator might recommend sending the item to a committee, or continue discussion at a future meeting. Have a centering technique, such as deep breathing, prayer or meditation to stay relaxed and focused. Series: Consciously reinventing cooperative and harmonious ways of living and working together. Facilitators assist groups in a range of ways such as … This paper. Facilitation focuses on how people participate in the process of learning or planning, not just on what gets achieved Facilitation techniques are tools used to enable a group to work together to formulate a joint decision. Adopt a stance. When appropriate, the facilitator leads, or asks someone in the group to lead, an opening ceremony. Meetings held using tools such as Skype or Google Hangouts are common examples of virtual facilitation in practice. Developing Facilitation Skills A Handbook for Group Facilitators. A facilitator should participate as much as possible in meeting preparations and agenda planning. Meet with group members. Social facilitation refers to the finding that people sometimes perform better on tasks when others are around. The term facilitate is derived from the Latin word “facilis”, which means “to render less difficult” or “to make easy.”. Search inside this book for more research materials. Skills for facilitating a meeting Create an inclusive environment. Do not let the group stray off topic or follow discussions that deter from the agenda. Be well rested. These are excellent tools for bonding and moving the group forward through difficult topics. This might be a song, a round of final words, a short silent meditation, a dance, or any other collective and participatory item. After a meeting, a facilitator is responsible for helping the group reach a conclusion, as well as evaluating the meeting and planning follow-ups. There are several techniques for saving the group time, including straw polls, brainstorming, asking for consensus, asking those who haven’t spoken for their opinion, assisting someone in formulating a proposal, etc. If you wish to join the full Design for Sustainability course, sign up before 21st August to get your early bird 20% discount! Effective facilitators have to wear many hats in any given session. Theo Theosela. Once the agenda revision is finalized, the facilitator should strike the word “proposed” from the title. Side conversations disrupt meetings and the facilitator can deal with them in a variety of ways. Group facilitation is a process in which a person who is acceptable to all members of a group, is substantively neutral, and has no decision-making authority, is chosen to intervene in a group’s process to help it meet its agreed purpose.A facilitator is a process guide, someone who makes a process easier or more convenient. The book is available for purchase here and on Gaia Education’s online shop: Gaia Education is a leading-edge provider of sustainability education that promotes thriving communities within planetary boundaries. So I guess the first point is facilitation, mostly just about making it easy for a group to do whatever it’s set out to do. After a meeting the facilitator may feel exhausted and need to recharge. In the context of U.S. alternative dispute resolution (ADR), facilitation (or group facilitation) is generally considered to be a process in which a neutral person helps a group work together more effectively. By definition, a facilitator is “ a person…that makes an action or process easy or easier.” If ever there was an insufficient definition for something, this is it. Another way is to prepare ahead of time, planning meeting details and proceeding in an orderly and prescribed way. Go over a checklist and make sure that the space is clean, the equipment works, all supplies and refreshments are ready, restrooms are open, etc. If so, he/she should try to resolve the situation. The evaluation is a critical step and should not be skipped. READ PAPER. Formally concluding the meeting allows people to make closing remarks and creates a sense of intimacy among participants. The facilitator must prepare opening activities by giving the group relevant information about the facilitation, the group, the expectations, the purpose and the scope of the meeting. • Changing the wording of a participant. A site visit to meet with those in charge of the space will help the facilitator prepare for the meeting. The facilitator must be alert to maintain good mental agility and keep track of the agenda, ideas, participation, subtle messages, time, and all other aspects of running the meeting. A facilitator does, however, guide the group through dialogues, activities, and discussions by being aware of and prepared for differences, divisions, multiple interpretations, and other forms of conflict. Plan a site visit. When groups gather to discuss strategies, make decisions, plan activities, create a vision, or talk about daily business matters, they have options on how to conduct their meeting. It also requires that the facilitator be evenhanded, fair and impartial to the issues. Looking for research materials? • Judging comments of the group, liking some ideas better than others. Include an evaluation. The facilitator should tell the group when to reconvene. The facilitator should also ask the minute-taker to read each decision so that everyone can hear and approve them. In either case the group has much to gain by using a facilitator. Generally speaking 15 minutes is a reasonable break time, unless it is lunchtime or the group has been meeting for a long time. To keep the group from getting stuck in “icebergs” (items that don’t seem to move forward), help them figure out how to deal with unresolved concerns. Develop close relationships with key participants, including other facilitators, if any. Download PDF. He/she is impartial. Remember that the facilitator does not provide answers, but rather is a skilled questioner who can move things along by simply asking the right questions or referring to the ground rules stated earlier. Co-facilitation. At this point the facilitator clarifies the decision making process, posing questions such as: Who decides? "Facilitation" is a term that means different things to different people. Images from the IIFAC (International Institute for Facilitation and Consensus). This is usually followed by a round of introductions, which gives group members a chance to “break the ice,” hear their voices, build familiarity, identify participants, and in general “warm up” for the meeting. A facilitator oversees every step of the meeting process. If there are several announcements, intersperse them in the agenda or ask participants to submit only written announcements to save time. Some factors to consider regarding facilitation of the group. The facilitator will undoubtedly encounter stressful situations.

• Facilitation is the process where a facilitator guide the group members in meeting to share ideas, opinions, experiences, and expertise in order to achieve a common goal and agreeable action plan. In aviation settings, the facilitator is typically an instructor, however facilitation It is a good idea for the facilitator to have a personal toolkit with some of these essential items, and to check with agenda sponsors to see what equipment they will need. • The leader of the group does not dominate but is in control. 1. Group facilitation is a process in which a person whose selection is acceptable to all members of the group, who is substantively neutral, and who has no substantive decision-making authority diagnoses and intervenes to help a group improve how it identifies and solves problems and makes decisions, to increase the group’s effectiveness. An evaluation helps the group get a sense of ending on a constructive and, hopefully, positive note. Participation from all group members is essential for a well-facilitated meeting. Want to know what you can do? A good facilitator is patient and levelheaded, has a strong memory, stamina, humor, skills, and the ability to track complex signals and care for the group. Sometimes the energy of the meeting requires that the facilitator introduce a game or other group activity to lighten the atmosphere. The activities can be done in an explicit and systematic manner or in an implicit, organic and unfolding nature, depending on the nature and needs of participants. The Social Design dimension of the course starts on 23rd October 2017 and there are a limited amount of places left for this year, so sign up now. The training provides theory, information and activities to share and help retain the information. With the group's objective firmly in mind, preparation for the meeting or event is all-important. The facilitator focuses on both purpose and process. Search our database for more, Full text search our database of 148,100 titles for. What is Facilitation? Gaia Education’s online course in Design for Sustainability offers you an opportunity to learn practical effective ways to create the change we all seek in your community. In short, virtual facilitation is collaboration at the same time but in a different place. Does everyone understand the adopted decision making mechanism?