Facilitation

Skills Training:
in preparation with the
BARANGAY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
CONFERENCE OF SAN ISIDRO

July 2, 2017
9:00 am
Sangguninag Barangay Conference Room
San Isidro, Rodriguez, Rizal

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

OBJECTIVES OF THE FACILITATION SKILLS (FS) WORKSHOP...................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION TO FS
WORKSHOP............................................................................................................................4
WHY
FACILITATE?...........................................................................................................................................................6
ROLE OF A
FACILITATOR ...............................................................................................................................................6
Transtheoretical
Model..................................................................................................................................................7
SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD FACILITATOR .....................................................................................8
PREPARING FOR
FACILITATION .................................................................................................................................11
MANAGING THE CHALLENGES THAT ONE FACES WHILE FACILITATIING ...........................................................12
Taking
control:...............................................................................................................................................13
Difficult
questions ........................................................................................................................................13
Managing
conflict ..........................................................................................................................................14
Managing
time................................................................................................................................................14
Involving all
participants .............................................................................................................................14
Handling dominant
people .........................................................................................................................15
Working with shy
people............................................................................................................................15
Working with diversionary
people...........................................................................................................15
FACILITATION
FLOW....................................................................................................................................................16

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OBJECTIVES OF THE FACILITATION SKILLS (FS) WORKSHOP

Background/Justification

By nature and design, the SCORE project constantly involves engaging communities to learn
through different ways including; community dialogues, interactive learning session (ILS),
Family dialogues at home visits, training of community based structures among others. The
staff therefore, need to have the appropriate skills to effectively engage communities and thus
the centrality of this facilitation skills training
Research shows that creative and participatory methods of facilitation are better at enhancing
understanding, and thus the need for this training
In most of the SCORE areas, it has been found that facilitation involves the traditional,
lecture/teaching techniques and the common participatory methods like brainstorming as
opposed to other creative facilitation techniques. This poses a question on the level of
understanding of messages in the areas where we work.

Training Outputs

Objectives: by the end of the workshop participants will be able to:

1. Discuss various participatory learning approaches and how they can be used in facilitating
dialogues and other community learning sessions;
2. Describe the differences between teaching and facilitating
3. Explain and also apply different solutions to deal with the challenges that one can face while
facilitating a session
4. Describe and know when or which non formal methods to use while facilitating specific
sessions

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INTRODUCTION TO FS WORKSHOP

What is Facilitation?
The art of bringing adults together with the learning, by helping adults learn through self-
discovery
Facilitation is about empowering others
It involves letting go of control over the outcome of a process and giving that
responsibility to the group

What are skills?

These are Abilities that help you do something in a certain way. Skills are linked to what I can
do and they are either learned formally or acquired through experience

What are the key differences between teaching and facilitating?

Summarize as follows:

SCHOOL TEACHING FACILITATION

Teacher starts from their own knowledge
Teacher follows a pre-set curriculum
Teacher presents new information from the
front
Facilitator starts from the knowledge of
the group
Facilitator addresses issues identified
by the group or their community
and adapts new ideas to the needs
and culture of the group
Facilitator uses practical,
participatory methods, eg: group
discussion and activities in which all
members of the group participate

Information flows in just one Information flows in many

direction, from teacher to students
Teacher brings extensive knowledge of
the subject
Teacher is concerned with
understanding the right answer
Teacher works for the community
and may come from outside
the community
different directions between the
facilitator and individual group
members a genuine exchange
of ideas
Facilitator draws out and builds on
students the knowledge of the group, and
knows where to find further information
on the subject
Teacher has a formal relationship with
the students, based on their status as a
teacher

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Facilitator encourages and values
different views
Facilitator works with the community and
may come from within the community
Facilitator is considered as an equal,
and has relationships based on trust,
respect and a desire to serve

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WHY FACILITATE?

The Brazilian educator, Paolo Freire, believed that education should be liberating. Rather
than giving learners answers, education should aim to increase the learners awareness
so that they are able to identify problems and their causes, and find solutions to them.

ROLE OF A FACILITATOR
Help a group find new ways of thinking about and analyzing their situation.
A facilitator does not know all the answers but helps the group think critically about their own
needs and interests, and to make decisions for themselves.
Encourage each member of the group to contribute to the best of their ability since everyone
has valuable knowledge and a valuable contribution to make.
To build trust and respect between the members of the group and to encourage dialogue
and learning, from which the whole group will benefit.

Transtheoretical Model
The Five Stages of Change

1. Pre-contemplation: is the stage at which there is no intention to change behavior in the

foreseeable future. Many individuals in this stage are unaware or under-aware of their
problems.
2. Contemplation: a stage in which people are aware that a problem exists and are seriously
thinking about overcoming it but have not yet made a commitment to take action.
3. Preparation: is a stage that combines intention and behavioral criteria. Individuals in this
stage are intending to take action in the next month and have unsuccessfully taken action in
the past year.
4. Action: is the stage in which individuals modify their behavior, experiences, or environment in
order to overcome their problems. Action involves the most overt behavioral changes and
requires considerable commitment of time and energy.
5. Maintenance: is the stage in which people work to prevent relapse and consolidate the gains
attained during action. For addictive behaviors this stage extends from six months to an
indeterminate period past the initial action
SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD FACILITATOR

WHAT ARE THE SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD FACILITATOR?

A good facilitator has certain personal characteristics and skills that encourage group members to
participate in a discussion or activity.

Summarize as follows: Skills of a good facilitator:

Characteristics of a good facilitator Non-Verbal Facilitation Skills

humble Look around the whole group:

generous avoid looking too much at a
patient specific individual
understanding Stand up when you speak,
accepting especially at the beginning of a
inclusive session. Show you are feeling
an encourager relaxed but confident by smiling
an enabler and keeping your hands still.
affirming of everyones knowledge Move around without distracting
sensitive to the needs of others the group. Dont pace up and
willing to learn from mistakes down, or show your back too
dynamic, a motivator much or speak when people cant
a good listener see you easily. Dont stand or sit
good at summarizing others ideas too close to people if it is clear
confident they want more space.
good communicator. Use gestures and actions to keep
the group lively and focused or to
show affection. Clap your hands to
get attention or show someone
has done the right

Facilitation is the art, not of putting

ideas into peoples heads, but of drawing ideas out. ANON
Skills of a good facilitator:
Verbal skills

Speak slowly and clearly. Find simple ways to express hard ideas and use local
examples to help understanding.
Help the participants do most of the talking. Ask questions that make participants
talk such as: What do you think about, Why, How, What if etc. If someone
answers with a simple Yes or No ask him or her to elaborate.
Paraphrase: Occasionally re-phrase peoples thoughts and feelings in your own words
and check-in with them to ensure that you have correctly understood what they said.
Say: So what youre saying is
Tell Your Stories: Use appropriate self-disclosure by the trainer to create trust
between the group and yourself. They will be much more likely to share their own
stories if you share yours. However, one should be aware not to become so personal as
to make people uncomfortable or to go on at too much length (people will generally
follow your lead, so be aware of what you model. Give support to someones
statements by sharing a relevant personal experience. Say something like: That
reminds me of something that happened last year when
Offer examples or symbols that will help people visualize and relate to what you are
talking about.
Listen, Listen, Listen!: Validate, clarify, restate, and reflect, especially when you think
you may disagree. When people put a question to you as the expert, make a practice
of inviting others to respond first by putting the question to the group as a whole. You
will often be surprised at how much wisdom resides within the group.
Draw on Others to Avoid a Battle: If you find yourself being criticized by a
participant or in strong disagreement with what s/he is saying, it is often helpful to
invite the comments of the rest of the group before commenting yourself.
Be Affirming!: Wherever possible, find something positive and useful in whatever is
being offered. Refocus the discussion if you have gone off topic.
Do Temperature Checks: Check in with the group relatively frequently regarding
their interest level and/or understanding of what you are presenting (Am I making
sense here? or Does anyone have any comments or questions at this stage? etc.)
Bring out quiet participants and address participants who talk too much:
Help to bring out views that are not fully expressed or represented.
Stop one-on-one arguments from developing and threatening to take over the
dialogue. Ask for quiet time for a few minutes, do a quick energizer
Be a model
Summarize the discussion for the group as you go along to help everyone keep up
with it. Keep track of peoples feelings as well.
A facilitator needs to be:
A model: Show by your words and your body language that you like and respect the group and
want to hear everyones views
A leader: Set the agenda, keep the group focused the agenda while following the ground rules,
challenge views positively. Be honest about your own limitations and weaknesses and be able to
laugh at yourself.
A referee: make the group follow the rules, keep to the agenda, allow equal speaking time, bring
out the quiet participants and help create boundaries for those who talk too much.
A peace builder: Encourage the group to work well together by accepting, understanding, and
supporting each other, especially through the hard times; make it safe to speak and share and
hear the differing viewpoints, calm conflicts, look for solutions, change direction if necessary.
A cheer leader: create team spirit, give support, encourage the group to achieve goals.
A prophet: inspire and challenge the groups visions for a better future.

Adapted from women in Peacebuilding Resource & Training Manual

 PREPARING FOR FACILITATION

Things to know before the facilitation

A facilitator needs to know:

the objective of the workshop
the chosen target group/ participants
materials and method for facilitation
activities
time limit of the activity
MANAGING THE CHALLENGES THAT ONE FACES WHILE FACILITATIING

Responses might include:

Taking control:
There is usually a great temptation to take control of a discussion or change process. This is
often out of a genuine desire to help the group move forwards. If we are used to a top-down
teaching style, and have not had the chance to observe good facilitators at work, it can be
very difficult to change our approach to sharing ideas.

Difficult questions

Explain that dealing with peoples questions can be difficult. Facilitators may often feel that
they need to have all the answers. They may lack confidence in their own ability to deal with
questions on a particular subject. It is
essential that they are familiar with the
content of the Guide as a whole, not just
the double page being presented.
As a facilitator, read for understanding,
and check that they are clear on the
meaning of the concepts and language
used. Consider which ideas might need
further explanation when they are
discussing them with the group. It is
very helpful for them to know where to
go to find more information, eg: other
publications, government or NGO
offices, radio programs, and so on.
Facilitators can also draw on the wisdom
and knowledge of other members of the
community, outside of the immediate
group, who may specialize in the topic
being discussed. A simple way of doing
this is by throwing the question back to
participants to answer than try gambling
to answer the question.
 Managing conflict
Sometimes people will have strong
and conflicting ideas on a subject.
Poor relationships within the group
will also affect the way the group
works together as a whole. A
facilitator needs to be sensitive to
possible differences and tensions and
encourage people to work through
these, keeping their common goals
and interests in mind.

Managing time
Sometimes, time management can
get quite difficult especially when a
discussion is getting very interesting
or when we have participants that are
quite engaging and like to illustrate
certain experiences with a lot of
detail.
Tips on Time Management
Choose a time a keeper to remind you
regularly about the time used and left
When caught up, Cut time from the
middle of the training, not from the
beginning or the end.
Simplify tasks (e.g., eliminate some steps
in activities or certain detailed examples).
Reduce the amount of discussion time
especially those in small groups.
Reduce reporting time to the larger
group.
Ensure you arrive on time and respect the
schedule (e.g., breaks, lunch, and end of
the day).
Negotiate necessary changes to planned
activities with participants.
Involving all participants
Sometimes, it becomes apparent that a
facilitator is moving with only a section of
participants. This is especially common if you
have a group with large exposure variations.
The group that is less exposed will keep quite
while the exposed one will dominate the entire
discussion.
Tips on involving all
participants
Change the composition of groups
for small group work.
Assign roles to participants in small
groups (leader, timekeeper, recorder,
spokesperson, etc.).
Encourage different methods of
reporting group work.
Create seating arrangements that
encourage group discussions.
 Handling dominant people

Sometimes there is one person

who dominates the discussion,
confident that they have all the
right answers. A good facilitator
needs to make sure that
others have the
opportunity to speak. They
could invite them by name, or
split the group into smaller
groups, or introduce a quota
system, in which each person is
given three stones or bits of
paper, and they have to give
one up every time they
speak. When they have no
more, they cannot speak again!

Working with shy people

Sometimes people may be very

shy or afraid to express their
views in a group. A facilitator
can either put people into
smaller groups or ask people to
discuss questions first in pairs.
They can also use other
practical activities such as
mind mapping, ranking, seasonal
calendars, timelines to help people
express their views. The most
effective way of encouraging
people who are shy is to refer
back to and use their ideas, so
they know they are important and
of value

Working with
diversionary people

There are often people that speak a lot but always bring up diversionary ideas that lead
the group aside if not controlled. These kinds of people when given too many
opportunities to speak can be very misleading to the rest of the group.
Therefore do not completely disallow their views but listen to them a few times and then
use the negative/diversionary views to turn the message around as a great point of
discussion. Beware though not to provide too many opportunities to them.

Working with diversionary people; example:

During a community dialogue in a certain community on parenting, an elderly man
started insisting that some children are very stubborn. He related it to a genetic
cause and that there was nothing that could be done to help change their behavior.
The same man continued that it is the children born in 1986 that are a complete
nuisance because it is from this moment that the child rights wing began and
children no longer listen. He continued to say that he does not believe children
model their parents behavior. That children turn out bad because of other aspects
not at all connected to the character or behavior of their parents. He also said he
knows children who were born in families that are broken, abusive and alcoholic
who are very successful today. It is not about the family therefore according to
him

Working with the perfect participant:

Working with the
perfect participant Remember that this a huge risk because the community
who responds members might walk away not agreeing to
the
correctly on spot: conclusion since they will feel that those were the views
When we find of that same perfect participant. Community members
ourselves with such a are usually more convinced by an external voice. They
participant, the risk is consider it authentic and important. Therefore ensure
that we give only that the perfect participant does not dominate. Turn the
them the continuous perfect participants responses to your own as you stress
opportunity to share. any point. Say the same thing but say it a little
differently so it sounds like your own and not the
perfect participants view.
FACILITATION FLOW

Body or
Content
Introduction
Conclusion
& Action
points