Facilitating Community

Assemblies or Meetings

PGI Jovelle Anne E. Justimbaste

Facilitating Community
Assemblies or Meetings
PGI Jovelle Anne E. Justimbaste
Facilitating Community Meetings

01 Introduction
04 Facilitating Discussions
and Decisions

02 Core Skills and Tools 05 Facilitating the Conclusion

03 Facilitating Opening
06 Dealing with Challenges
What is facilitation?
• The art and science of managing meetings and group
processes;
• It involves guiding meetings and groups while using a
specific set of skills and tools.

Who are the facilitators?

• In some CPGs, the role falls to the CPG co-chairs. In
other CPGs, outsiders facilitate meetings. In some
circumstances, the co-chairs may delegate facilitation to
a CPG committee chair or other CPG member.
 Using Core Skills and Tools
Ensure outcome-based meetings
Focus discussions on accomplishing
the objectives of the meeting Make everyone feel comfortable
and valued
Create an environment in which members
Ensure quality decisions value the potential contributions of those
Quality decisions are based on
with different perspectives.
agreed-upon criteria backed by
sound information
Core
Encourage participation
Skills Balance extremes so that
everyone has an equal
Guide the group opportunity to participate.
Guide the group to move along or
to stick to the topic.

Listen and observe Prevent and manage conflict

Keep your eyes and ears open Some conflict is inevitable and
and stay attuned to the group. even helpful to the process.
Using Core Skills and Tools

3 Ps Skills Tools
Make everyone feel ❑ Use body language
comfortable and valued ❑ Thank participants
❑ Encourage silent members
❑ Use open-ended questions
Encourage participation ❑ Divide into small groups
❑ Consult the group
People
❑ Use visual aides
❑ Use team-building activities
❑ Set ground rules
Prevent and manage conflict ❑ Search for agreement
❑ Use conflict to improve decisions
❑ Agree to disagree
 Using Core Skills and Tools
3 Ps Skills Tools
❑ Listen actively
Listen and observe
❑ Scan the room
❑ Delegate a timekeeper
Process ❑ Refer group back to objectives and
Guide the group agenda
❑ Stray from the agenda if necessary
❑ Use a parking lot
❑ Remind the group of deadlines
❑ Review criteria and supporting data
Ensure quality decisions ❑ Review decision-making process
❑ Poll group before major decisions
Product ❑ Review the decision
❑ Review objectives for agenda items
Ensure outcome-based
❑ Record decisions
meetings
❑ Develop an action plan
 Facilitating the Opening

Welcome Set the tone

Participants and pace Review
• Formally start • Help the group minutes
the meeting. develop ground • Allow adequate
• Welcome rules. time to review
everyone • Set the stage for and approve
officially. agreement. minutes.
• Use body • Clarify the role of • Address follow-
language. CPG members. up items.
Go over &
Introduce approve meeting
participants objectives and
and yourself agenda
• Post meeting
• Consider an
objectives.
icebreaker.
• Ask for input on
• Give precise
the objectives and
instructions.
agenda.
• Allow brief
• Point out any
announcements.
changes to the
• Check in.
agenda.
Facilitating Discussions and Decisions
Keep the Assess the Clarify Provide feedback Enforce
group on group’s confusing to the group ground
task concentration decisions when necessary rule
& engagement or appropriate

❑ Check personal biases

❑ Encourage ❑ Read the group’s ❑ Listen for ❑ Know the ground
❑ Be specific in
participation energy level unfamiliar terms rules
describing what you ❑ Create
❑ Listen and ❑ Check ❑ Restate the issue
observe
observe involvement before a decision nonthreatening
❑ Describe or probe the
❑ Guide the group ❑ Avoid mechanisms to
impact of what you
❑ Ensure quality presentations enforce the rules
observe ❑ Correct violations
decisions after lunch
❑ Ask for and summarize
❑ Give them a the first time –
suggestions.
break and as soon –
❑ Point out similarities
❑ Provide snacks they occur
between members’ ❑ Be fair and
statements
consistent in
❑ Use conflict to improve
enforcing rules
decisions
Facilitating Discussions and Decisions
❖ Keep the group on task

❑ For encouraging ❑ For listening and ❑ For guiding the ❑ For ensuring
participation observing group quality decisions

- Use open-ended - - Delegate a -

Be responsive Poll the group
questions - Scan the room timekeeper - Record decisions
- Encourage silent - Refer back to the
members meeting objectives
- Consult the group and agenda
- Probe for - Allot extra time if
agreement needed
- Thank members for - Postpone non-
their contributions agenda topics
- Post key points - Restate the
- Divide into small question
groups - Speed the group
up
- Slow the group
down
 Facilitating the Conclusions

Identify the Evaluate the Adjourn on a

next steps meeting positive note

• Complete an • Do a group • Thank members

action plan. evaluation. for their
• Visit your • Debrief the perseverance and
parking lot. meeting. hard work.
• Update the CPG • Recall agreement.
calendar. • Make it official.
 Dealing with Challenges

General guidelines
❑Always look for the positive.

❑Go easy.

❑Put prevention before intervention.

❑Look to the group for support.

❑Seek outside assistance.

❑Convene a retreat.
 Dealing with Challenges
❑ Call for courtesy.
o The conversations relate to the subject. ❑ Catch their eye.
o The conversations are personal.
o The members are bored because the
Side ❑
❑
Bring them into the discussion.
Walk towards the whisperers.
meeting is dragging on. Conversations ❑ Approach them during the break.
o They always do that. ❑ Confront them.

❑ Set ground rules on recognizing speakers.

o He feels compelled to share his ❑ Invite others to comment.
knowledge. ❑ Propose a time limit.
o He wants to make sure he conveyed Conversation ❑ Record key points.
❑
his points.
o He feels he is not being heard. domination ❑
Use a round-robin.
Establish a speaking order.
❑ Hear all first.

❑ Suggest brevity.
o She may be naturally wordy.
o She may want to make sure a point is Repeaters, parrots ❑
❑
Point to similar comments.
Thank the speaker.
conveyed.
o She may want to endorse a good point. & ramblers ❑ Demonstrate your
understanding.
 Dealing with Challenges
o Attackers may feel that they have been
❑ Enforce ground rules.
attacked and retaliate.
o Attackers may lack the skills or confidence
Verbal ❑ Use body language.
❑ Check in.
to make their point. Attackers ❑ Talk privately with the attackers.
o Attackers may be trying to distract the
group.

o The person may feel the speaker, or the

CPG, is not addressing an issue.
o The person may want to disrupt the
presentation.
o The person may dislike either the speaker or
the speaker’s point of view.
❑ Enforce ground rules.
Disruptive ❑ Schedule a Q&A.
❑ Refer to the agenda.
audience ❑ Give other options.

o They may not understand what is going on. ❑ Allow some silence.
o They may be tired or indifferent.
o They may be angry.
Absolute silence ❑ Acknowledge the situation.
❑ Take a break.
 Dealing with Challenges
o People may feel strongly about their positions. ❑ Emphasize agreement.
o Some may want to disrupt the process. Inability to reach ❑ Attempt a compromise.
o People may feel their perspectives have not
been adequately expressed or acknowledged.
consensus ❑ Predetermine a fallback decision-making
process.

o The person may not have been paying attention.

o The person may be trying to stall the process.
Revisiting ❑ Post decisions.
❑ Review decisions.
o The person may not accept the group’s decision. decisions

o The process itself may not be respectful of

diverse cultures. ❑ Use team-building activities.
o Some group members may be culturally ❑
incompetent.
Charges of being ❑
Consult the group.
Solicit feedback.
o Individuals may not feel part of the process.
o Individuals may not understand the decision-
culturally ❑ Acknowledge the concerns.
❑ Consider diversity training.
making process. incompetent ❑ Obtaining technical assistance
o Individuals may not feel that the process is fair. to improve your process.
o Individuals may be trying to disrupt the process
THANK YOU
FOR
LISTENING!