“A facilitator is a person who helps a group of people to work together better, understand their common objectives, and plan how to achieve these objectives, during meetings or discussions. In doing so, the facilitator remains “neutral”, meaning he/she does not take a particular position in the discussion. Some facilitator tools will try to assist the group in achieving a consensus on any disagreements that preexist or emerge in the meeting so that it has a solid basis for future action. (1)
>International Association of Facilitators Core Competencies:
- Create Collaborative Client Relationships
- Plan Appropriate Group Processes
- Create and Sustain a Participatory Environment
- Guide Group to Appropriate and Useful Outcomes
- Build and Maintain Professional Knowledge
- Model Positive Professional Attitude
>A Comparison of Mediation and Facilitation (full article) (2) Mediation is a type of facilitation for resolving disputes between opposed parties.
| Area | Mediation | Facilitation |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | Agreement | Goals of the group |
| Process | Set by mediator | Set by group |
| Role | Neutral – fairly standard | Group effectiveness – may vary widely |
| Format | Joint sessions | Group meeting |
| Caucus | Small group work | |
| Idea Generation | Part of mediation process | Structured techniques |
| Ground Rules | Set by mediator | Agreed to by group |
| Agenda | Set by mediator | Set by group |
| Identifying Participants | Disputants | Stakeholders |
| Relatively Obvious | Major pre-facilitation issue | |
| Method Of Decision Making | Interest-based negotiation | Group decides, facilitator leads |
| Prior Contact With Participants | Mediator style | Necessary |
The four part nonviolent communication process by Marshall Rosenberg can be used as a guide for sequential staging of a conflict resolution meeting:
>4part_nvc_process
>Nonviolent Communication Training – Free Resources
>Developing Facilitation Skills
>Conflict Resolution Network Free Resources
Facilitation First Resources:
>Resources | Successful Meetings
>Research & White Papers | Northstar Meetings Group
>Watch Consensus Decision-Making Training Online | Vimeo On Demand on Vimeo
Facilitation Online Courses – Udemy
(1) Bens, viIngrid (2012). Facilitating with ease! Core skills for facilitators, team leaders and members, managers, consultants, and trainers. San Francisco: Wiley.
(2) Preventing conflict through facilitation: A comparison of mediation and facilitation. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://collaborateatwork.com/resources/facilitation.php
