Facilitating Multi Stakeholder Processes and Social Learning Herman Brouwer/ Karèn Verhoosel Centre for Development Innovation Facilitation Visit://portals.wi.wur.nl/msp//portals.wi.wur.nl/msp

Definition: facilitation From the French word ‘facile’, which means easy To make easy, to enable To help members of a group to conduct a meeting in an efficient and effective way but without dictating what will happen The art of managing group discussion/ group work/ group performances Facilitation enables people to take part in a process in an effective way

MSPs and Learning Facilitating is in essence about helping individuals, organisations and networks of groups and organisations to learn - facilitation of multi- stakeholder processes Learning = reflecting on your environment and actions in order to develop understanding and knowledge that will improve future action

facilitator content actor advisor actor teacher Compare: Facilitator – Teacher - Advisor

MSP Facilitation Moments Divergence Emergence Convergence Opening up and coming to know (from) each other Shared understanding and common ground Learning and making sense from what is emerging

Moving through the process Discover our common strategic intention : Now that we know, what is it that we cannot stop doing? Collaborative action towards implementing our intention: how are we going to do it? Discover our realities: ¿what’s going on? Diverge EmergeConverge

Multi-stakeholder process and spaces MSP space Other surrounding spaces affecting our MSP space Learning activities Supporting projects

The generic facilitation process – a session  Context  Divergence  Emergence  Convergence

1. Context Create attention and interest, clarify reason Set objective of the session/process, define the outcome Develop group rapport Clarify the steps you will take the group through and the facilitator’s role Check if group understands the proposed process

2. Divergence Generate different ideas and perspectives Create interaction and participation Allow for clarifications Create intuitive, non-binding and preliminary connections between ideas

3. Emergence Create understanding about ideas and their relationships Analyse the ideas, the situation at hand Add meaning, develop new insights Explore differences and the common ground

4. Convergence and resolve Build consensus (if needed) Decision making Define final product Decide action, way forward Check Commitment/ownership of result

Facilitation Techniques Each step in the facilitation process can make use of different facilitation techniques, based on the specific situation

1. Context – facilitation techniques/tools Refer to past experience by a quote, song, visualisation, article, warm-up questions State & check objective, process, facilitator’s role Put objective on paper visible to all participants for easy reference and focus Develop ground rules Story telling to set context Introductions, energizers, ice breakers …….

2. Divergence – facilitation techniques/tools Brainstorming – individual or plenary, listing or cards Buzz groups – discussions in pairs Round robin Focused group discussion Active listening (probing, mirroring, summarizing etc) Creativity – Drawing, songs, proverbs etc Ask for past experiences, associations, relations Small group work ………

3. Emergence – facilitation techniques/tools Grouping of ideas or cards (using a grouping question) Exploring meaning, developing names, understanding Generative dialogue: looking for common ground Analysis tools: maps, matrixes, relationship models (e.g. cause-effect), ranking Role plays …….

4. Convergence: facilitation techniques / tools Meta decision: decide on how to decide! Generative dialogue: steering for consensus Ranking, prioritization Voting Creating a final product (list of decisions, song, skit, picture) Action planning, action list

Exercise of Facilitation The group will be divided into 2 subgroups The subgroup will divide roles 1 group facilitates (divide tasks – facilitator, reporter, time keeper) 1 group participates The facilitation group prepares a session concerning facilitation Prep time of 15 minutes / implementation time of max 30 minutes; Use different facilitation techniques / tools / methods; Think of: Context, Divergence, Emergence, Convergence

Focus questions for the practice What are key qualities of a facilitator? What could be difficult situations in facilitation and possible solutions?

Fundamentals of facilitating learning Attitudes and behaviour: listening patience respect willingness to learn Tools and techniques: visualisation selecting and adapting appropriate tools & techniques Commitment to the process Learning through sharing of knowledge

Facilitation and advising: a balancing act Balancing receptive and dynamic qualities Balancing task orientation and group dynamics orientation

Awarness of task Listens Checks out Aware of self and others Is approachable Available Empathetic Lets go of leadership Underview (humility) Trusting Senses Draws out others Decisive a timely intervention Affirms Tasks risks Thinks Playful Challenges Holds boundaries Offers ideas Articulates (sound, body, words) Leadership Is alert The Balanced facilitator

Being a facilitator To be a good facilitator as an individual or organisation you need: A clear vision of what you are trying to achieve A set of theories, assumptions and values about how to bring about change A set of methodologies that will guide your action A set of techniques and tools to put the methodologies into practice

Personal qualities of the facilitator Good listener Sensitive (to politics & emotions) Manager/organiser Creating confidence and trust Navigator force fields and tensions Discussion leader Animator Open (no hidden agenda) Neutral (though perhaps value driven)

Important skills of a facilitator Listening actively Managing group dynamics, including: adult learning understanding negotiation group development understanding Questioning Observation Honest feedback Summarising Intellectual versatility (being able to adapt) etc, etc

Role of the facilitator - stage manager Openness access to the process, openness in agenda-setting, transparency of the process Safety protecting against excessive risks due to participating, conflict management Progress maintaining a sense of urgency, incentives for collaboration, progress reports Content preventing ‘negotiated nonsense’, role of experts, focus with variation

Secrets of successful facilitators Effective facilitators are: flexible adaptive proactive responsive resilient source: Workshops by Thiagi, 1998.

Personal evaluation wheel Design your own evaluation wheel: Select 5 key competences of a facilitator Put them on the outside of the wheel Evaluate yourself against these competencies: how do I score? Fill in the wheel

Resources 100 ways to energise groups, Games to use in workshops, meetings and the community, The International HIV/AIDS Alliance, 2002 Basic Facilitation Skills, IAF, 2002 Demystifying Facilitation in Participatory Development, Annemarie Groot and Marleen Maarleveld, IIED, 2000 Facilitation skills workbook, Sophie Clarke et all, Tearfund, 2004 Foundational Facilitator Competencies, International Association of Facilitators, undated Tango for Organisations – 40 Tools for Organisational Development and Institutional Strengthening, Management for Development Foundation, 2004 Tools for Development - A handbook for those engaged in development activity, DFID, 2002

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