Ethical Considerations: GD

 Preparation- This calls for a closer look at our set of

values (for professional facilitators):
 What are our motivations for handling a certain
group?
 Are we genuinely interested in facilitating growth in
others or simply attaining a certain status and the
benefits that go with it?
 If asked to conduct training for the workers of a
company, where does our loyalty lie? With the
company interested in the increase of the workers’
productivity or with the workers themselves – to help
them become aware of their needs as well as of the
needs of others or both?
 Preparation (for neophyte facilitators):
 A paramount condition is the responsibility
to be aware not only of one’s strengths, but
also of one’s limitations: There is a need to
submit oneself to numerous experiences of
process analysis and administrative aspects
of a program. One must also move into
various experiences of co-facilitating before
taking on lead roles.
 Use of techniques – The design of the
learning modules and of the whole program
must respond directly to the perceived and
expressed needs of the group.
 It would be totally unethical and irresponsible to
put a group through a program simply because
the facilitator is expertly familiar with it or have
elegantly packaged it, without considering the
learning objectives expressed by the group.
 Conducting SLE’s
 Participants are encouraged to express their
feelings, thoughts, values and needs. As
facilitators, we are morally obliged to receive
these expressions in confidence.
 We may not, under any circumstances impose
our own set of beliefs on the participants.
 We may not edit, negate, ignore, or manipulate
data evoked from the participants in the course
of an SLE.
 The experiential learning cycle must not be
abridged, for this would shortchange the group
of a complete learning experience.
 Assessment of competency
 Awareness of the degree of our effectivity as
trainers is essential (e.g., use of a feedback
mechanism)
 We keep abreast of developments in our field by
reading and studying.

 The professional fee

 While the professional fee for the program
should be determined by the professionalism of
the team that designs and runs the program, a
2nd determining factor should be the ability of
the client group to pay the fee.
 Ongoing personal growth
 It is imperative that group facilitators pursue
personal growth since one of the most
important training components is
“humanness” or pagkatao. Our personhood
is on the frontline, transparently and
constantly making presentations to one
group after another. Hence, it is important
that we seize every opportunity to become
healthier, better-grounded, and more
nourishing personalities.