Plan Be: Active Senior Volunteers

2015-1-PT01-KA204-012930

TRAINING PROGRAMME | MODULE 2

MANAGING PEER TO PEER ACTIVITIES:
Soft Skills and Project Design

Author: RIC Novo mesto,

Simona Pavlin, Tina Strnad, Metod Pavšelj

Author: RIC Novo mesto,

Simona Pavlin, Tina Strnad, Metod Pavšelj
PLAN BE CONSORTIUM

FREGUESIA DE CASCAIS E ESTORIL – Project coordinator | Cascais, Portugal

ASSOCIAÇÃO ANIMAM VIVENTEM – Partner | Cascais, Portugal
KUUSANKOSKEN RETKEILIJÄT RY – Partner | Kouvola, Finland
RIC NOVO MESTO – Partner | Novo Mesto, Slovenia
SINERGIA SOCIETA COOPERATIVA SOCIALE – Partner | Bitonto, Italy

Contact information
Project Coordinator: Freguesia de Cascais e Estoril
Contact Person: Ms. Rita Serra Coelho
Address: Largo Cidade de Vitoria, 2750-319 Cascais – Portugal
Email: projetoseuropeus@jf-cascaisestoril.pt
Tel.: + 351 214849550

Legal Notice
This publication is a document prepared by the Consortium Plan Be. It aims to provide
practical support to the project’s implementation process.
The output expressed does not imply scientific, pedagogical, or academic positions of the
current consortium. Neither the partners nor any person acting on behalf of the
Consortium is responsible for the use which might be made of this publication.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held
responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

© – 2017 – Consortium Plan Be. All rights reserved. Licenced to the European Union
under conditions.

2 | Managing Peer to Peer Activities

INDEX
1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................... 4
2. WHAT IS PEER TO PEER? ............................................................. 5
Good Practices to work in groups in Peer to Peer Activities ............... 5
3. THE STAGES OF TEAM FORMATION ............................................... 6
4. WHAT ARE THE KEY (SOFT) SKILLS NEEDED TO WORK IN GROUPS
AND PEER TO PEER ACTIVITIES? ........................................................ 7
Self-Awareness ........................................................................... 8
Teamwork and Cooperation .......................................................... 8
Communication ........................................................................... 9
Conflict Management ................................................................. 11
Initiative and Creativity .............................................................. 13
Decision Making ........................................................................ 14
Leadership and Leadership Styles ................................................ 16
5. PROJECT DESIGN ...................................................................... 19
Tree Analysis ............................................................................ 20
SWOT Analysis .......................................................................... 22
S.M.A.R.T. Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Timely ............. 23
Action Plan ............................................................................... 25
6. WEBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................ 26
7. ANNEXES ................................................................................. 27

3 | Managing Peer to Peer Activities

1. INTRODUCTION

The intention of this module is to raise awareness of the relevance of

working in groups and promoting and developing important skills in order
to manage peer to peer activities.

It is aimed at people who are working in groups in some context and who,
most of all, are interested in developing skills in this area. A key element in
this is to direct attention to those areas, skills, competences and knowledge
that are specific and unique to each person.

Additionally, this module, also considers the active role of seniors as

responsible for designing and implementing volunteering projects that
involve peers in the team and as potentially users or beneficiaries.

Bearing in mind that there is no homogeneous groups, the facilitator must

develop the necessary flexibility to adapt its form of intervention
depending on the group that his working with. The concepts approached
in this module are complementary, although not interdependent, which
means the facilitator can focus only on some of the skills which are
needed in the group. The facilitator can and should adapt the way the
contents are transmitted upon the needs of the group, and therefore opt
for a training strategy that focuses on different techniques which allow the
development of tangible skills and thus leading to the goal, which is to
teach or, in other words, facilitate the conditions for learning.

The group exercises described in this module are just some ideas which you
can use with your seniors, however, as a facilitator you can also practice
and design new ideas, or even use another kind of materials beside the
ones suggested.
You also might discuss ways to adapt the techniques so they are in
accordance with the training and assist the general aims and outcomes of
your training. Choose what you think will work, play with it and create your
own fun games to energize your participants. As a facilitator, it is up to you
to choose what will and won’t work with the participants.
Always make sure that your techniques are culturally appropriate and do
not offend any local ethnic, religious or gender sensibilities.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

Helen Keller

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2. WHAT IS PEER TO PEER?

Peer to Peer is a specific form of relational dynamic, based on the assumed

equipotency of its participants, organized through the free cooperation of
equals in view of the performance of a common task, for the creation of a
common good, with forms of decision making and autonomy that are widely
distributed throughout the network.

Peer to peer processes are not unstructured, but are characterized by

dynamic and changing structures which adapt themselves to phase
changes. Its rules are not derived from an external authority, as in
hierarchical systems, but are generated from within. It does not deny
‘authority’, but only fixed forced hierarchy, and therefore accepts authority
based on expertise.

Peer to peer should be mutually beneficial and involve the sharing of

knowledge, ideas and experience between the participants. It can be
described as a way of moving beyond independent to interdependent or
mutual learning.

Both in formal and informal settings, peers are generally expected to be

skilled in communication, have the ability to listen actively and to utilize a
problem-solving approach when discussing a peer’s issue. Taking part of a
peer to peer activity, demonstrate a range of skills but also, by their very
participation, increase their skill base as they encounter a range of
situations and issues when engaging.

Working in a peer to peer way make participants more capable to explain

their ideas to others. They develop skills in organizing and planning
activities, working collaboratively with others, giving and receiving
feedback and evaluating their own work.

Good Practices to work in groups in Peer to Peer Activities

Identify Group Needs

• Experience - Identifying experience is important for group confidence.
Experience in particular areas can help the group identify with
individuals and allow individuals to shine in their appropriate areas.
• Attributes - Identify attributes is important as this can either help or
hurt the group cohesion.
• Specialty interest - Identify passions or non-passions. Identifying
individual passions or non-passions can help identify an individual’s
motivation.
• Skills - The necessary skill level is important so highly skilled
individuals aren’t bored with the project at hand. However, it is

5 | Managing Peer to Peer Activities

 important to have appropriately skilled individuals to be able to
accomplish the task at hand.
• Personalities - Are ideas going to be challenged? This question is
important. Allowing individuals to be challenged, or defend particular
point of views can allow healthy collaboration.

Practical exercise: “The Journey”

Objective: This exercise can be used to get to know better the elements
of the group, understanding their background, interests and skills.
Materials: Paper, drawing material, scissors, origami videos, origami
instructions. A3 paper for the islands
Time: 10 + 10 + 5 min/participant
Take the following steps: Each participant needs to create 1 paper
boat (origami). They work in pairs to help each other. There are many
ways to create and learn how to make a boat:
- Instructions video (2 versions one easier one more advanced)
- Instructions paper (2 versions one easier one more advanced)
- Learn from the facilitator
- Learn from each other
Change in pairs: give a name to your boat and write it on the side (not
the sail). Share with your partner why you chose that name
Change in pairs: paint the sail of the boat and share with your partner
why you paint it like that.
Participants sit in a half circle and one by one they will travel the Sea of
Memories. There are 4 islands in the sea:
- The Island of Me: where I can talk about my background, my past.
- the Island of My Interests and skills: Where I can talk about what
interests me and also what are my (special) abilities and skills.
- The island of Plan Be: where I can write about how I came to ‘Plan Be’
and Why
- The Secret Island: where I can share a secret, a passion, or a curiosity.

One by one starts the trip taking the boat to any island and talking about
the topic of the island, then they move from island to island and they
have to pass by all islands. Maximum time per participant is 5 minutes.

3. THE STAGES OF TEAM FORMATION

A team’s internal processes usually change over time. Like individuals,

teams develop their skills, the more they use them. Team functioning
generally improves after the team has been together awhile. New teams do
not perform at high levels right from the start.

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In 1965, psychologist Bruce Tuckman, came up with the Forming –
Storming – Norming – Performing model of group development.
Tuckman maintained that these phases are necessary in order for a team
to grow, as they face challenges, find solutions and plan work in order to
deliver exceptional results.

•In this stage, most team members are positive and polite. Some are
anxious, as they haven't fully understood what work the team will
FORMING do. Others are simply excited about the task ahead.

•Next, the team moves into the storming phase, where people start to
push against the boundaries established in the forming stage. This is
STORMING the stage where many teams fail.

•Gradually, the team moves into the norming stage. This is when
people start to resolve their differences, appreciate colleagues'
NORMING strengths, and respect your authority as a leader.

•The team reaches the performing stage, when hard work leads,
without friction, to the achievement of the team's goal.
PERFORMING

4. WHAT ARE THE KEY (SOFT) SKILLS NEEDED TO WORK IN

GROUPS AND PEER TO PEER ACTIVITIES?

Intrapersonal and interpersonal skills are very important for the personal
development as well as for the socialization and professional development
of individuals. Intrapersonal skills, allow a person to use effective thought
processes and mental habits to succeed in personal and professional
relationships, and Interpersonal skills, also known as social competence,
refers to the ability to interact positively and get along well with others.

Despite their intrinsic difference, intrapersonal and interpersonal skills are

equally important and they have a mutual impact on the personality and
one cannot ignore them. Well-developed interpersonal and intrapersonal
skills help to increase productivity and achieve easier the goals set up in
groups and peer to peer activities.

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Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is having a clear perception of your personality, including

strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions. Self-
awareness allows us to understand other people, how they perceive us, our
attitudes and our responses to them in the moment. As we develop self-
awareness we are able to make changes in the thoughts and interpretations
we make in our mind.

Practical exercise: “Life Line”

Objective: To provide the participants an opportunity to reflect on

various issues through their personal life experiences; To develop abilities
of self-reflection and self-awareness.
Materials: pen, paper and drawing equipment (pens and pencils)
Time: 45 minutes. Around 15 - 20 minutes for self-reflection and after
time is needed for sharing.
Take the following steps:
1. Work individually without sharing your impressions or thoughts with
others;
2. Draw a line representing your “life line”, and draw in the line (by
chronological order) all moments that you consider the most important;
3. Share your experiences in pairs or small groups.
Reflect about:
How did you feel in expressing yourselves to the others?

Teamwork and Cooperation

Is the ability to work co-

operatively within diverse
teams, work groups and
across the organization to
achieve goals. Teamwork is
not something that can be
quickly developed or
enforced; it takes time for a
real team to be created.
“The fact that individuals have to work
together and solve systematically
problems can help them develop their
skills of reflective thinking and self-
regulation. These aspects are of key
importance for the development of skills
for teamwork.” A.Brown.

Teambuilding activities are exercises that help teams

build cohesion and work through common group issues.
They are used as educational tools for a variety of
individuals, groups, and organizations.

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 Practical exercise: “Building a Shelter”

Objective: With this exercise, it’s possible to develop competences of

teamwork, cooperation and group problem-solving.
Participants: Minimum of 6 participants (in groups of minimum 3
participants)
Materials: Newspapers (many) and masking tape
Time: 35 minutes
Take the following steps:
1. The participants are divided into groups;
2. Each group gets a pile of newspaper and a roll of masking tape;
3. Imagine that they are on an island under scorching sun, and you as a
group must build a free-standing structure that the whole group can fit
under. The structure cannot be attached to a wall or any object. You have
8 minutes to plan how you will do it, but once you start to build it, you
can’t talk. You have 15 minutes to build the shelter.
Reflect about:
How did the group approach the problem?
How did the group approach the use of non-verbal communication?
What were your reactions and feelings?
What was good or bad about the experience? Make value judgements.
What sense can you make of the situation? / What could you do
differently?

Communication

Being able to communicate effectively is

the most important of all life skills.
Communication is simply the act of
transferring information from one place
to another, whether this be vocally
written, visually or non-verbally. Good
interpersonal communication skills
enable us to work more effectively in
groups and teams, which may be either
formal, like at work, or informally - in
social situations. Interpersonal
communication skills are essential to
developing other key life skills. Being
able to communicate well with others is often essential to solving problems
that inevitably occur both in our private and professional lives.

9 | Managing Peer to Peer Activities

 Practical exercise: “Communication & Relationships”
(Annex 1)

Objective: Develop verbal and nonverbal communication, and to get and

give information
Materials: 2 Sheets of paper with a drawing.
Time: 20 minutes
Take the following steps: This activity highlights verbal and nonverbal
communication. Each person takes a turn describing a drawing to their
partners, who in turn attempt to create the same drawing using only
verbal clues.
1. Ask the group members to find partners. Next, have them decide who
will be the first to draw (drawer). The other partner gives the instructions
(instructor).
2. Sitting back to back, the partners should not be able to see what they
are doing.
3. After the instructor sees the drawing, have him describe it to his
partner, who attempt to draw an identical drawing using only the
instructor´s verbal descriptions. The drawer may not speak—not even to
ask questions or to clarify. This will undoubtedly frustrate both of them.
4. After they are finished, have them discuss the difficulties in this
method. What worked and what didn’t as they see how close they came
to the main drawing.
5. For the second part of the activity, have them switch roles. Ask them
to once again sit back to back.
6. The instructor will describe a new drawing to his partner. This time,
however, the listening partner (drawer) may speak — can ask questions
to clarify.
7. When each pair finishes, have them compare the drawings and discuss
the difficulties and facilities they had in this second method
Reflect about:
What were the differences between the first and second activities?
What contributed to the frustration if there was any?
What makes communication effective?
What were the instructors or drawer’s challenges in this activity?
How about the person who was the first drawer?
What were the followers’ challenges?

To be an effective communicator it’s important to learn and always

be aware of the 3 human primary modes that people use to process
thoughts during communication. They are Visual, Auditory
and Kinaesthetic. Understanding which one the person you are speaking
with is using is a step forward to being a better communicator.

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 VISUAL AUDITORY KINAESTHETIC

VISUAL - See it • Invite the people to write down

directions or instructions.
Speakers will primarily look up / up and to
• Offer to fax, E-mail or mail written
the side as they process information
confirmation of the discussion.
(answers to your questions).
• Invite reading back of messages
These people are known as “the fast
and/or directions.
talkers” because visual memories are a lot
• Discuss ways for the other person to
quicker to process and put into words
view or see the information.
• Be willing to draw diagrams or
sketches to support your information.
AUDITORY - Hear it • Speak clearly and in plain language.
• Invite questions and discussion.
Speakers will primarily move their eyes left
• Be willing to repeat information.
to right / right to left (from ear to ear) as
• Provide verbal reminders.
“they need to hear” what they are saying.
• Read instructions and direction aloud.
These people are moderate speed talkers.
KINESTHETIC - Do it • Encourage participation throughout the
process or discussion.
Speakers will primarily look down and to
• If it is a “hands on” process or
the right as “they need to feel” what they
description, encourage them to work
are saying.
as they go.
Typically, these people will be slow talkers
• Be prepared for the kinesthetic person
because to feel their response before
to jump ahead or work faster than the
speaking, this takes longer to come out.
steps or instruction outline.

Conflict Management

Conflict situations are an

important aspect of the group. A
conflict is a situation when the
interests, needs, goals or values
of involved parties interfere with
one another. Different
stakeholders may have different
priorities. Often, a conflict is a
result of perception. Is conflict a
bad thing? Not necessarily.
Often, a conflict presents
opportunities for improvement. Conflict Management Model – Showing how assertive and
co-operative behaviours inter-relate
Therefore, it is important to
understand the Conflict Handling
Styles.

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Avoidance
Value of own issue/goal: Value of relationship: Goal: I lose, you lose
Low Low

Avoidance is characterized by deliberately ignoring or withdrawing from a conflict rather

than facing it. People who avoid the situation hope the problem will go away. There are
situations where avoidance is appropriate such as when you need more time to think of
how to respond. However, avoidance can be destructive if the other person perceives
that you don’t care enough to engage. By not dealing with the conflict, this style allows
the conflict to simmer and heat up unnecessarily, resulting in anger or a negative
outburst.

Competition
Value of own issue/goal: Value of relationship: Goal: I win, you lose
High Low

A competitive style is an attempt to gain power and pressure a change at the other
person’s expense. A competitive style of managing conflict can be appropriate when you
have to implement an unpopular decision, make a quick decision. The biggest
disadvantage of using this style is that relationships can be harmed beyond repair and
may encourage other parties to use covert methods to get their needs met because
conflict with these people are reduced to – "if you are not with me, you are against me."

Accommodation
Value of own issue/goal: Value of relationship: Goal: I lose, you win
Low High

By accommodating you set aside your own personal needs because you want to please
others in order to keep the peace. The emphasis is on preserving the relationship.
Accommodators are unassertive and cooperative and may play the role of a martyr,
complainer, or saboteur. However, accommodation can be useful when one is wrong or
when you want to minimize losses when you are going to lose anyway because it
preserves relationships.

Compromise
Value of own issue/goal: Value of relationship: Goal: I win some, you
Medium Medium win some

The compromising style demonstrates that you are willing to sacrifice some of your goals
while persuading others to give up part of theirs – give a little, get a little. Compromising
maintains the relationship and can take less time than collaboration and resolutions
might mean splitting the difference or seeking a middle ground position.

Collaboration
Value of own issue/goal: Value of relationship: Goal: I win, you win
High High

The collaborative style views conflicts as problems to be solved and finding creative
solutions that satisfy all the parties’ concerns. You don’t give up your self-interest; you
dig into the issue to identify the underlying concerns, test your own assumptions, and
understand the views of others. Collaboration fosters respect, trust, and builds
relationships.

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 Practical exercise: “Conflict Management”
(Annex 2)

Objective: To practice conflict resolution techniques.

Participants: Minimum of 6 participants
Materials: One copy of Role-Play Scenarios for each participant; One
copy of Observer’s Worksheet for each observer; One copy of Resolving
Conflict Checklist for each participant
Time: 15 minutes
Take the following steps: Divide participants into groups of three. Ask
each team to choose two role players and an observer. Hand out the
Role-Play Scenarios and the Observer’s Sheet to the participants taking
those roles on each team. The participants who take on character roles
should role-play the conflict. Distribute a copy of the Resolving Conflict
Checklist to each participant. As the participants who take on character
roles role-play the conflict, the observer(s) should use the guidelines
from the Observer’s Sheet to analyse how the characters take
responsibility for resolving the conflict. After 10 minutes, have the
observer(s) give feedback to the team.
Debriefing: Give an example of how you applied a guideline from the
Resolving Conflict Checklist to resolving this conflict.
The next time you try to resolve a conflict, which guideline do you think
will be the most important one for you to follow? Why did you choose this
particular guideline?

Initiative and Creativity

Is about engaging in proactive behaviour, seizing opportunities and

originating actions that go beyond simply responding to the obvious needs
of the situation or to direct requests from others. When you show initiative,
you do things without being told; you find out what you need to know; you
keep going when things get tough; and you spot and take advantage of
opportunities that others pass by. You act, instead of reacting.

Your ability to generate innovative ideas is not merely a function of the

mind, but also a function of five key behaviours that optimize your brain for
discovery:
1. Associating: drawing connections between questions, problems, or
ideas from unrelated fields
2. Questioning: posing queries that challenge common wisdom
3. Observing: scrutinizing the behaviour of customers, suppliers, and
competitors to identify new ways of doing things
4. Networking: meeting people with different ideas and perspectives
5. Experimenting: constructing interactive experiences and provoking
unorthodox responses to see what insights emerge.

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 Practical exercise: “Human Machine”

Objective: Develop creativity; Deepen relationships between

participants; Integrate and reconcile individual contributions in a broad
work
Participants: Minimum of 6 participants
Materials: sheet of paper with the indications (game rules) per group
Time: 30 minutes
Take the following steps: Ensure that there are two spaces that allow
each team to work without being seen by the other. Form 2 teams. Tell
each team they will build a machine that has to be formed by the bodies
of all its elements. The group decides what machine to mime: e.g. steam
roller, a pressure cooker, a submarine, a helicopter, etc.. The teams have
15 minutes to plan and put the machine to work. At the end of 15
minutes, will present his machine to the other participants. All the
members of the group have to take part in the mime; each one will be a
part of the machine. The machine should contain noise and movement.
The onlookers have to guess what the machine is being mimed
Debriefing: was it easy to set the machine to build? Were there mixed
feelings about the beginning and the end of the game? Which of them?
Did you have difficulties? How did you overcome them? All the members
had the same level of participation during construction? And in your daily
life where do you check these situations? In what situations did you had
to create something you wished, a personal or professional project (ex .:
raise money to buy a bike, make a camp or do something completely
new)? What helped you? And what made it difficult?

Indications
Game rules: You will build a human machine within 15 minutes. The
machine must be made by all team members and must have a clear
objective. Any other resources can´t be used. The goal is to win the
Human Machine contest. The machine should contain noise and
movement.

Decision Making

When a group of people work together towards a common aim, they must
make joint decisions, for example how to allocate funds. There are times
when decision making requires all, some or only a few group members to
be present. Group decision-making commonly known as collaborative
decision-making is a situation faced when individuals collectively make a
choice from the alternatives before them. The decision is then no longer
attributable to any individual group member as all the individuals and social

14 | Managing Peer to Peer Activities

group processes like social influence contribute to the decision outcome.
The decisions made by groups are mostly different from those made by
individuals. For example, groups tend to make decisions that are more
extreme than those made by individual members, as individuals tend to be
biased.

Practical exercise: “Bomb Shelter”

(Annex 3)

Objective: To illustrate the process groups go through in reaching

consensus; to illustrate the principle that, many times, groups arrive at
a better solution to a problem than individuals alone.
Participants: Minimum of 3 and maximum of 30 participants
Materials: Sheet of paper with indications
Time: About 15 minutes
Take the following steps: Read the instructions (attachment 1) to the
group.
First, individually each one of the participants chose the 6 people they
want to stay in the shelter (3 minutes).
The whole group is divided in groups of 5 and they are asked to come to
a consensus as to who gets to stay in the shelter. (12 minutes)
Reflect about:
How well did you listen to the others in your group?
Did you feel heard?
Did you feel you had the right answer?
What were the outcomes of consensus-seeking?
What was your experience in negotiating agreement?
What process was used to reach a consensus?

The Systemic Consensus Principle

The systemic consensus principle has been developed by Erich Visotschnig

and Siegfried Schrotta and is a decision making process for groups. It aims
at reaching sustainable and conflict free solutions.

The basic idea of the systemic consensus principle is to approach as close

as possible to the consensus by measuring the level of resistance of each
group member for each proposal. The decision will be the proposal with the
least total resistance, the so called group resistance.

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- The first step is for the members of the group
to “brainstorm“ and come up with as many
possible solutions as possible, without, at first,
judging them.

- Then the proposed solutions are evaluated and

judged by each person. Each person gives each
proposal from zero to ten “W“ points (W is for
Widerstand = Resistance). 0 points is complete
acceptance of the proposal, 10 points is the
maximum resistance to the proposal.

- The “W“ points are then added together to

calculate where there is the maximum and
minimum resistance to the proposals. This is the
so-called “group resistance“.

- The proposal with the minimum resistance is the proposal which comes
nearest to consensus.

Leadership and Leadership Styles

When working in a group, it is important to have a common goal around

which group members can unite. This is something on which all group
members can agree and which they all desire to work towards to. When
leaders find that they have particularly strong-willed group members who
seem to dominate the conversations, or several group members who do not
seem to get along, communication can often be the key to resolving the
conflict. While leadership styles may vary depending on the person and the
situation, it is always important for leaders to remember their role in the
group.

Practicing Leadership Compass

The Practicing Leadership Compass

offers additional skill development,
assists participants in higher level
group development, explores the
range of personal learning and
leadership styles, and helps group
members discover their strengths
and effective leadership practices.
Each individual has a leadership style that he/she prefers to use and to
follow. It is valuable to recognize that different situations call for
different leadership styles.

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North—Action
• Assertive, active, and decisive
• Likes to determine the course of events and be in control of professional relationships
• Quick to act; expresses a sense of urgency for others to act
• Enjoys challenges presented by difficult situations and people
• Thinks in terms of the bottom line
• Likes a quick pace and the fast track
• Perseveres; not stopped by hearing “No”; probes and presses to get at hidden
resistances
• Likes variety, novelty, and new projects
• Comfortable being in front of a room or crowd
• Value-oriented phrases include “Do it now!,” “I’ll do it!,” and “What’s the bottom line?”

West—Analytical
• Understands what information is needed to assist in decision-making
• Seen as practical, dependable, and thorough in task situations
• Helpful to others by providing planning and resources; comes through for the team
• Moves carefully and follows procedures and guidelines
• Uses data analysis and logic to make decisions
• Weighs all sides of an issue; balanced
• Introspective and self-analytical
• Careful; thoroughly examines people’s needs in situations
• Maximizes existing resources; gets the most out of what has been done in the past
• Skilled at finding fatal flaws in an idea or project
• Value-oriented word is “objective”

East—Vision
• Visionary who sees the big picture
• Generative and creative thinker; able to think outside the box
• Very idea-oriented; focuses on future thought
• Makes decisions by standing in the future
• Insight into mission and purpose
• Looks for overarching themes and ideas
• Adept at problem-solving
• Likes to experiment and explore
• Appreciates a lot of information
• Value-oriented words are “option”, “possibility,” and “imagine”

South—Empathy
• Understands how people need to receive information in order to act upon it
• Integrates others’ input in determining direction of what’s happening
• Value-driven regarding aspects of professional life
• Uses professional relationships to accomplish tasks; interaction is primary
• Supportive of colleagues and peers
• Displays a willingness to take others’ statements at face value
• Feeling-based; trusts own emotions and intuition as truth
• Receptive of others’ ideas; team player; builds on ideas of others; non-competitive
• Able to focus on the present moment
• Value-oriented words are “right” and “fair”

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 Practical exercise: “What direction are you?”
(Annex 4)

Objective: Provide a way of thinking about working with each other’s in

a group; Deepen the appreciation of everyone’s different work styles;
Understand the need for a variety of work styles; Seeking out areas of
growth or change.
Participants: Minimum of 2 and maximum of 30 participants
Materials: Paper and pen. Handouts on the four directions and
Leadership Compass
Time: About 40 minutes
Concept: Participants must Read each of the statements on the exercise
page., and place a check mark in the circle next to the statements that
apply to how you make choices and decisions at work. Each of these
statements will apply to all of us some of the time; we are interested in
knowing which of these statements represent you most of the time. Then,
participants must count the total number of check marks on each section
and place that number in the star shape on the right. The section with
the highest number in the star shape is your dominant decision-making
style.
Facilitator draws a wind rose on the floor, and ask participants to take
place according with the results of the exercise.
Debriefing: After the exercise, facilitator can explain better each type
of leadership and Reflect about understanding the need for a variety of
work styles and that there’s place for several roles when working in a
team; Seeking out areas of growth or change.

How to lead for Team Inclusion?

What are the ways to insure full All

participation/ inclusion/
contribution of team members?

How does the team members

insure the involvement of a passive Are Welcome
and uninterested team member?

Every group consist of different

individuals with different personalities, background and values. Some
group members are more active than others, some contribute more than
others, and some are more motivated than others. To ensure a viable and
effective team, the group must make sure that every team member
participates, contributes and feels as part of the team, by providing:

18 | Managing Peer to Peer Activities

• Motivation: is perhaps the most important factor
to ensure effective inclusion of team member.
The foundation of recognition and motivation is
that people need and want acceptance, approval MOTIVATION
and appreciation.

• Build Confidence: A team duty is to notice and SELF

take steps to improve the behaviour of each INCLUSION
member. The team should be able to identify
their strengths as a team.

• Ensure collaborative climate: the group's ability to effectively

collaborate, share data and insight in open and positive climate will affect
the degree of participation of its members. Non-judgmental attitude void
of team politics is an essential ingredient to building such climate in a
group. In addition, a team should be able to establish open and direct
relationships.

5. PROJECT DESIGN

To empower Senior volunteers in creating volunteer ideas and projects for

their community, we selected some tools that will help in the project design.
We will approach it in a simple version which we believe is more adequate
to our target group – the senior volunteers, although there are many more
tools that can be adapted.
There are 4 phases of implementing a Project:

19 | Managing Peer to Peer Activities

Needs Assessment

A “need” is a discrepancy or gap between “what is” and “what should be”,
between the “current conditions” and the “desired conditions”. A “needs
assessment” is a systematic set of procedures that are used to
determine needs, examine their nature and causes, and set priorities for
future action.
A properly planned project addresses the real needs of the beneficiaries and
is therefore based upon a correct and complete analysis of the existing
situation.
For this phase we will introduce the Tree Analysis and the SWOT Analysis
tools.

Planning

The Project Planning Phase involves creating a set of plans to help guide
the team through the implementation and reflection/ evaluation phases of
the project. The plans created during this phase will help to manage time,
cost, quality, change, risk and issues. This phase typically begins with
setting goals.
For this phase we will introduce S.M.A.R.T. Goals and Action Plan.

Implementation

The project takes shape during the implementation phase. This phase
involves the construction of the actual project result.
The project plan is put into motion and the work of the project is performed.

Reflection/Closure

The last remaining step is to conduct lessons-learned studies to examine

what went well and what didn’t, and what you can improve for the next
time.

Tree Analysis

The Tree Analysis is one participatory tool of mapping out main problems,
along with their causes and effects, supporting project planners to identify
clear goals and the strategy of how to achieve them. There are three stages
in this analytic process:

1) The identification of the negative aspects with their “causes and effects”
in a problem tree;
2) Inversion of the problems into objectives leading into an objective tree;
3) The decision of the scope of the project in an analysis of strategies.

20 | Managing Peer to Peer Activities

Step 1: Problem Analysis

The first step in developing the problem tree is

to identify the problem that you seek to
Consequence
overcome. It may be worth debating about the s
needs of your community. Ideally projects
should have a specific problem (e.g. saving
water inside the home) that they seek to
overcome if change is to occur.
Problem
The core problem is written down in the middle
of the paper, or on a sticky-note that is placed
in the middle of a wall. Cause

Once the core problem has been identified,

participants should consider what the direct causes and what are the
effects/consequences of the problem are. Each cause statement needs to
be written in negative terms.

The immediate causes to the problem are placed in a line below that of the
core problem. The immediate effect is placed above the problem. Any
further or subsequent effects are placed above the line of immediate effects.

Step 2: Objectives Analysis

A solution tree (also called objectives tree) is

developed by reversing the negative
Effects
statements that form the problem tree into
positive ones. For example, a cause (problem
tree) such as “lack of knowledge” would
become a means such as “increased
knowledge”. The objectives tree demonstrates
Vision
the means-end relationship between
objectives.
Solution
s
It is advisable to go through the solution tree
and check to see if all the statements are clear, and if there are any missing
steps between a means and an end. If so, you may need to revise both the
problem and solution trees by adding more statements.

Step 3: Analysis of Strategy

The final step is to select a preferred strategy for the intervention, is the
most challenging, as it involves synthesising a significant amount of
information and making a judgement about the best
implementation strategy to pursue.

21 | Managing Peer to Peer Activities

The solution tree may present a number of separate or linked interventions
to solve a problem. Depending on project funding, time, and relevance, a
planned intervention may not be able to tackle all the causes, it is important
to identify if some are more influential than others in solving a problem.

Once you have selected your preferred line of intervention, the core
problem/solution is your immediate objective or outcome. The branches
below are the activities that you need to undertake, and the branches above
become the longer-term outcomes.

Some questions you should think about during this process:

• Can/should we tackle all the problems identified?

• Should we select just a few?
• Which interventions are more likely to bring about the desired results?
• What would be more beneficial for the target groups?
• Are these interventions sustainable in a long-term?
• Are the financial means available?
• Do we have the technical capacity to implement the actions?

These and other questions, including environmental, social and economic

issues as well as policies and the legal framework, will help to rule-out those
strategies which cannot be covered in the project, and those which are
realistic and will offer the most benefits for those facing the problems.

SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis is a useful technique for understanding your Strengths and

Weaknesses, and for identifying both the Opportunities open to you and the
Threats you face.

22 | Managing Peer to Peer Activities

Strengths and Weaknesses: These are the internal factors

• Human resources - staff, volunteers, board members, target

population;
• Physical resources - your location, building, equipment;
• Financial - grants, funding agencies, other sources of income;
• Activities and procedures- programs you run, systems you employ;
• Past experiences - building blocks for learning and success, your
reputation in the community.

Opportunities and Threats: These are external factors stemming from

community or social forces.

• Future trends in your field or the culture;

• The economy - local, national, or international;
• Funding sources - foundations, donors, legislatures;
• Demographics - changes in the age, race, gender, culture of those you
serve or in your area;
• The physical environment (Is your building in a growing part of town? Is
the bus company cutting routes?);
• Legislation (Do new federal requirements make your job harder...or
easier?);
• Local, national, or international events.

S.M.A.R.T. Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Timely

This tool helps you to ensure that the goals have been thoroughly vetted.
It also provides a way to clearly understand the implications of the goal-
setting process.

Specific

Very often, when you examine a particular goal, you will find that it can be
broken down into separate, more specific goals. The first step in this process
is to ask the five 'W' questions:
• What: What do we want to accomplish?
• Why: Specific reasons for accomplishing
the goal.
• Who: Who is involved?
• Where: Identify a location.
• When: Identifies the timeframe.

23 | Managing Peer to Peer Activities

Measurable

The second term stresses the need for concrete

criteria for measuring progress toward the
attainment of the goal. The thought behind this
is that if a goal is not measurable, it is not
possible to know whether a team is making
progress towards successful completion.

Measuring progress will help a team stay on

track, reach its target dates, and experience the
sense of achievement that spurs it on to the
continued effort that is required to reach the
goal. A measurable goal will usually answer questions such as: How many?
How much? How will I know it’s accomplished?

Attainable or Achievable

There is little point in setting a goal that is either too difficult to achieve or
beyond your capabilities, as this will only serve to demotivate you and
destroy your self-confidence. The importance of being able to accomplish a
goal is equally vital when you are setting goals for others, as it is for
yourself.
When setting a goal you must use your knowledge and current skills as a
barometer for ensuring that the goal is 'attainable'. Setting yourself a goal
that is too easily fulfilled will leave you feeling cheated once it is attained.
When setting 'attainable' goals in the project you must also ensure that
sufficient resources are at your disposal and that your responsibilities can
accommodate this new requirement.

Relevant

Goals that are relevant will receive the needed support. A relevant goal can
answer 'yes' to these questions:
• Is it worth the cost and the resources required?
• Is this the right time to be doing it?
• Does it fit with our overall strategy?

Time Bound

It is essential that goals have a timeframe or target date. A commitment to

a deadline helps a team focus their efforts towards completion of the goal
and prevents goals from being overtaken by other, unrelated routine tasks
that may arise.

24 | Managing Peer to Peer Activities

Action Plan

An action plan, describes the way your project will meet its objectives,
through detailed action steps, that describe how and when these steps will
be taken. It will help to organize the project activities and responsibilities.
We present here a simple template, which can be adapted to the needs of
the team and to the project.

25 | Managing Peer to Peer Activities

6. WEBLIOGRAPHY

• http://www.nationalvoices.org.uk/publications/ourpublications/peer-
support
• http://www.ventureteambuilding.co.uk/forming-storming-norming-
performing/
• https://thousandinsights.wordpress.com/articles/on-
leadership/tuckmans-model-of-team-development-and-dynamics/
• http://www.teampedia.net/wiki/index.php?title=Leadership_Compass
• https://pt.scribd.com/document/319938350/Leadership-Compass-Self-
Assessment
• https://www.google.pt/#q=dinamica+de+grupo+de+gesto+de+conflitos
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer_support
• http://www.krasmancentre.com/cultureofrecovery/?page_id=19
• http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Img/291864/0084182.jpg
• http://www.performwell.org/index.php/identify-outcomes/10-
indicators/163-interpersonal-skills
• http://lifecoachbloggers.blogspot.pt/2016/01/Intrapersonal-vs-
interpersonal-relationship-skills-examples-list.html
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26970311

26 | Managing Peer to Peer Activities

7. ANNEXES

27 | Managing Peer to Peer Activities

ANNEX 1
ANNEX 2
 Role-Play Scenarios

Alex:
Your attitude: You work in the billing department and have to deal with Mel
on a day-to-day basis, but you find him/her impossible. Every time you need
some flexibility, the answer is no. Mel’s paperwork is sloppy, and invoices and
filing are backed up. What a jerk.
You need to bill your clients in a timely fashion, and that means processing
invoices by the cutoff time. Clients don’t care about company policy, and they
shouldn’t have to.

Your behaviors: Interrupt Mel as much as possible. Show your opinion that
Mel is a jerk in your nonverbal communication.

The facts: Clients need to get their invoices in specific time increments. The
billing department will not accept any invoice inquiries after 3:30 P .M. That
makes it impossible to help clients who call late in the day with queries about
invoices.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mel:
Your attitude: You work in the billing department and have to deal with Alex
on a day-to-day basis, but you find him/her impossible. You find Alex very
difficult to work with and consider him/her a nitpicker who obsesses on silly
details.
Invoices are always turned in after the cutoff time, and Alex makes impossible
demands. You don’t set the policy, you just follow it.

Your behaviors: Talk about your opinions and feelings without backing them
up with facts. Show your resentment of the way Alex treats you.

The facts: You cannot accept any invoice inquiries after 3:30 P .M. Closing
time in your department is 4:30 P .M, and accepting invoice inquiries after the
deadline would require costly overtime.
 Observer’s Worksheet for Role-Play Scenarios

INSTRUCTIONS:
Observe the role-play scenarios and answer the following questions about the
way the participants interacted. Your observations will help provide specific
feedback for participants.

1. How successful were the role players in identifying the real problem?

2. Comment on how listening behaviors made it easier (or more difficult)

to resolve the conflict.

3. How did nonverbal communication affect the role players’ ability to

resolve the conflict?

4. How do you think the interaction you observed would affect the working
relationship between the two people involved?

5. What advice do you have for the participants about resolving conflict?
 Resolving Conflict Checklist

❏ Ask questions to draw out the other side of the conflict.

❏ Listen without judging.

❏ Avoid interrupting, blaming, and arguing.

❏ Give periodic feedback to check understanding.

❏ Ask for feedback to check understanding of your viewpoint.

❏ Ask for commitment to working out a solution.

❏ Set goals, create an action plan, and follow up on your solution.

ANNEX 3
 Bomb Shelter Activity

READ THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH WITH YOUR GROUP:

You are members of a department in Washington D.C., which is in charge of

experimental stations in the far outposts of civilization. Suddenly the Third
World War breaks out. Places all across the globe are being destroyed. People
are heading for whatever fallout shelters are available. Your group receives a
desperate call from one of your experimental stations, asking for help. It
seems there are ten people that have shown up at this particular fallout
shelter. There is only enough space, air, food, and water for six people for a
period of three months – which is how long they estimate they can safely stay
down there. They realize that if they have to decide among themselves which
six should stay in the shelter, they are likely to become irrational and begin
fighting. So they have decided to call your department, and leave the decision
to you. They will abide by your decision. But each of you have to quickly get
ready to go down to your own fallout shelter. So all you have time for is to
get superficial descriptions of the ten people. Then you’ll have to go down to
your own shelter. Before you begin, I want to impress upon you one important
consideration. It is entirely possible that the six people you choose to stay in
the shelter might be the only six people left to start the human race over
again.

1. A 16 year old white girl with a questionable I.Q.; high school dropout;
pregnant
2. Policeman with a gun; thrown off the force for police brutality
3. A clergyman; 79 years old
4. A 36 year old female physician; known to be a confirmed racist
5. A 46 year old female singer; served 7 years for pushing narcotics; has
been out of jail for 3 months
6. A 20 year old black male militant; second year med student
7. A 15 year old Hispanic boy; honors student
8. A male architect; homosexual
9. A 26 year old male law student
10. The law student’s 25 year old wife; spent the last nine months in
a mental hospital; still heavily sedated; they refuse to be separated

You’re Choice Group choice

1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
ANNEX 4
 Leadership Compass: What direction are you?
Read through each of the 4 types, circling those statements that
most apply to you
Wich type has the most circules? ____________
NORTH: Action
o Like to be in control; comfortable in the lead
o Quick and to the point
o Enjoys challenges and newness
o Perseveres: not easily deterred
o Can grow defensive
o Can overlook details; logic and strategy
o Can produce hasty, incomplete work
o May disregard other´s feelings
o May take too much responsibility
o Value “Do it now!” “I’ll do it!”
o Thinks in terms of the “bottom line”
SOUTH: Empathy
o Understands others feelings and capabilities
o Heeds and integrates work and thoughts of
others
o Use relationships to progress
o Willingness to trust others
o Peace-loving, sympathetic, helpful
o Supportive and receptive
o Able to focus on current activities
o Non-competitive; likeable team player
o Can put too much emphasis on relationships
over goals
o May over compromise or have difficulty
saying “no”
o May internalize personal issues and take the
blame
o May become too focused on the now and
lose track of the long term
o Value words: “right” and “fair”
EAST: vision
o Sees the big pictures
o Creative and idea-oriented
o Understands mission and purpose
o Looks for main themes
o Great at solving problems
o Like to try new things
o May put too much emphasis on the future
and lose track time
o May burn out over time
o Free-spirited, unconventional
o May become easily frustrated, especially
when working on something they don´t
consider contributing to main goals
o Value words “option” and “possibility”
WEST: Analysis
o Understands and analyzes information well
o Practical, logical and thorough; notices
problems
o Resourceful and helpful
o Sees all sides of an issue
o Follows procedures and guidelines
o Uses data to make logical and analytical
decisions
o Focused, reserved self-analytical
o Examines needs
o Works well with existing resources: gets the
most out of what has been done in the past
o May get stuck with too much information to
analyze
o Can be suborn or indecisive
o Value words: “objective and “organized”
o May become aloof or uncaring of others