1111 national centre for first nations governance rebuilding our nations facilitation techniques

1111National Centre for First Nations Governance

National Centre for First Nations Governance

rebuilding our nations

Facilitation Techniques


How to have Effective Meetings Clear purpose and objectives.

Focus on achieving goals; making decisions

Good meeting processes promote meaningful participation and effective communications

Culturally appropriate


Community Engagement

Successful engagement relies upon effective communication.


Effective Communications Two way process (send, receive);

Listening vs. Talking The words are only one part of the

message. Tone and body language are important.

Information overload and complexity are major barriers



Effective Facilitation Helping the work; not doing the

work

Deliver some information but mostly gathering; maximize input from participants

Must be documented or recorded



Familiar Techniques Introductions / Icebreakers /

Energizers

Brainstorm

Interview Matrix

Small group discussion


Brainstorming


Brainstorming A technique where the facilitator

asks a group to suggest answers to a specific question.

The objective is to encourage as many answers and input as possible.

It is done as one large group.


Brainstorming Useful when the group is small and

you want a wide range of options.

Works well when the group has a good dynamic.

Not practical for very large groups; the writer is the bottleneck.

Sometimes difficult for shy people.


Brainstorming Numbered list keeps track of

quantity

Record words as spoken; clarify or ask for examples where needed

Combine and expand upon ideas; Sort and prioritize afterward

Can be done on flipcharts or with a computer and projector


Interview Matrix


Interview Matrix A variation of brainstorming.

This technique involves groups of 4 people interviewing each other.

It gathers each person’s responses to 4 questions and then summarizes all responses.


Interview Matrix Useful for considering multiple

issues from different viewpoints

Suitable for groups of 12 or more people

Very active discussions, sharing ideas

Generating excellent solutions requires excellent questions


Interview Matrix Not designed for small groups of

less than 12 people

Consider differences in language, literacy and note-taking ability

Ensure clarity of who is asking; who is answering; and in which order

A timekeeper helps with this exercise


World Café


World Café Another variation of brainstorming

Small group discussions café style

Gets people moving around and interacting with different people

Useful for generating creative solutions from a large group


World Café Suitable for larger groups

Encourages interaction among participants unfamiliar with each other

Very active, social and conversational; encourages creativity

Success and results depend on excellent questions and topics


World Café Not suitable for a small group

Must create an inviting and comfortable space large enough for tables and chairs

Need people to record and report conversations as well as to ensure input from all participants


Open Space


Open Space Effective with large groups to

identify issues and find creative solutions

Not suitable for small groups

Requires additional time and training

We will provide resources for you on this technique but will mention it briefly here


Surveys


Surveys Pose a standard set of questions to

a sample population

Can gather lots of information on several topics at the same time

Survey methods include: interviews, questionnaires, telephone, online, etc


Surveys Useful to generate a statistical

model of a population

Allows cross-referencing of different data sets to find patterns

Can gather opinions and numerical data

Used effectively, can be very powerful


Surveys Can also be complex and confusing

Entire industries now exist to do this

Results can be mixed

Results may require extra analysis


Surveys Know exactly what you want to

know

Design the questions carefully. The questions are just as important as the answers and outcomes

Cultural considerations


Additional Resources World Café

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cv82Yl0H7M http://www.theworldcafe.com/hosting.htm

Interview Matrix http://www.chriscorrigan.com/facilitation/matrice_e.pdf

Open Space http://www.kstoolkit.org/Open+Space


Additional Resources Surveys

http://www.ehow.com/how_16596_write-survey-questionnaire.html

http://www.thewritemarket.com/marketing/index.php?marketing=survey-design

The Art of Hosting: http://interchange.dk/ http://www.artofhosting.org/home/ http://chriscorrigan.com

Motivational Posters

1111 national centre for first nations governance rebuilding our nations facilitation techniques

Documents

national centre

appropriate slide

topics slide

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