Working with Groups → Facilitation and running workshops

Facilitation and running workshops

Workshops can be used to analyse problems, develop plans of action, learn new skills, learn from experience, change behaviour and build teams.

Good facilitation skills maximise the benefits from running workshops. In preparing for a workshop you need to consider the following:

Focus on the outcomes

What will be gained from this workshop? Who is it aimed at? Are the objectives relevant to and agreed by key stakeholders?

Possible constraints

• Time:  How much time is needed to practice the skills or resolve the problem, balanced with how much time people have to attend, and costs of the event?
• Location:  Which location will enable all stakeholders to attend (including e.g. beneficiaries, women and minorities) to maximise participation?
• Learning culture:  What style of learning are participants used to?
• Language:  How to ensure active participation across different languages?

Administration

Good administration is essential for a successful event, including:

• Venue: ensuring right rooms, accommodation, meals, refreshments, equipment;
• Participants: publicity, joining instructions, their requirements (transport, meals, accommodation, interpretation, translation, special facilities for disabled), your meeting requirements (instructions, preparation, programme outlines)
• Facilitators and speakers: invitation, transport, materials, payment if appropriate, format of sessions, equipment and resources needed
• Materials: writing materials for participants; printing and collation of handouts etc, registration of participants, evaluation process.

Activities

Choosing varied and interesting exercises and activities that relate to the local context helps to achieve your objectives and maximises participation.  Effective ways include:

• Group work: mixing sizes, groupings, tasks
• Visual aids and other multi-media resources: increases learning, can overcome language and cultural barriers
• Open-ended questions: why, what, how?; encourages wider thinking
• Practising skills, field work: some people learn best from ‘doing’
• Action planning: encouraging clear actions following the workshop