1. Federally Employed Women October 15, 2011 Dr. Patricia B. Easley

2. GOAL: to learn facilitation techniques that are useful in different settings Objectives:  Defining the role of the facilitator  Identifying useful resources for facilitator  Discussing activities that occur before, during, and after the meeting

3. WHO OR WHAT IS A FACILITATOR?  A facilitator is someone who uses a structured process to guide individuals or groups towards agreeable outcomes. (P. Easley 10/14/11)

4.  Help the group determine its purpose and goal(s)  Establish ground rules  Remind group to respect everyone’s opinion  Keep the meeting on track  Get “buy in” from all group members  Insures that accurate notes are taken  Helps group decide next steps—who will be responsible for following up or following through on group’s decisions

5. OUTSIDER  a neutral person who uses his/her expertise in group processes to lead the group in decision making. INSIDER  Someone who works in the organization  Might have personal stake in decisions being made

6.  Decide the purpose or goal of the meeting  Set the objectives (or steps that need to be completed to achieve the goal)  Determine who will be participating  Decide roles of participants  Write the agenda  Share pertinent pre-session resources  Determine where the meeting will be held

7.  Personal note pad  Sticky note pads  Sticky dots  Dry erase markers

8.  Introduction  Be Assertive  Establish Ground Rules  Provide a space/place for follow-up activities (parking lot)  Provide sticky note pads for participants  Post goals and objectives in prominent location  Agree on decision making process (consensus preferred)  Assign recorder

9.  Keeping Up the Momentum  Assignments  Commitments  Reporting Back to Convener

10.  Bens, Ingrid. 2005. Facilitating with Ease! Core Skills for Facilitators, Team Leaders and Members, Managers, Consultants, and Trainers. 2 nd Edition. Jossey-Bass. San Francisco, CA.  NOAA Coastal Services Center, Planning and Facilitating Effective Meetings, Charleston, SC, 2010