Community Readiness for
Economic Development: Facilitating Group Processes
Table of Contents
- Does Your Group Have ...
- Facilitation Skills Self-Assessment
Does Your Group Have ...
- problems to solve?
- decisions to make?
- issues to identify?
- solutions to explore?
Undertaking a community economic development project.
Much of the work of the project will be done in groups, teams and
committees, etc. There is a difference between the processes used
for identifying priorities, making decisions and solving problems
in a group setting, and the way you do these things if you were
on your own, responsible to no one else and able to determine your
own future.
In the group situation, personalities come into play, along with
a wide variety of perspectives. Each person may have his or her
own opinion and idea about the project: what the priorities are;
what should be done; how it should be done; who should do it; etc.
How does a group get through all of that discussion and
make any progress?
The answer is in processes that work. Fortunately,
your group is not alone in taking on a complex project involving
different perspectives and choices. Community groups like yours
have worked through similar challenges, and a variety of tools and
techniques exist to make your job easier and less frustrating.
Facilitate means "to make easier". A
skilful facilitator pays attention to the process elements of the
group, and helps the discussion proceed to a conclusion by using
these tools and techniques. The result is a greater degree of buy-in
from individuals in the group, participation among more group members,
and people empowered to take charge.
Ideally, you want an external facilitator to join the group to
help it work through specific processes. Because that is not always
affordable or practical, you can turn to the leader or chairperson
to facilitate the discussion and various processes. This is appropriate
as long as the leader is not also needed as a group member. If this
is the case, then the roles could become blurred, and the facilitation
is not sufficiently neutral. An alternative is to have all members
develop their facilitation skills, and take turns managing meetings
and processes.
The good news is that facilitation skills can be learned and used
by anyone, and the tools needed to work through group processes
are within easy reach.
The Core Practices of a facilitator
include:
- staying neutral
- listening actively
- asking questions
- paraphrasing
- synthesizing ideas
- using appropriate language
- keeping discussions "on-track"
- offering clear summaries
- giving and receiving feedback to the group
Facilitation Skills Self-Assessment
The most important facilitation skills required to help the group
move effectively through a meeting are listed below. Have group
members rate their personal ability to facilitate discussion, and
then take a look at the group as a whole. Based on the findings,
the group will have a better understanding of how to proceed.
For example, if the group can rate each area with a "3"
or "4", then it is off to a good start, because the skills
it needs to get through many common situations are present. Ask
individuals in the group with high skill levels in certain areas
to facilitate that discussion when the need arises.
If your group lacks adequate facilitation skills, you might bring
in an outside facilitator to help you through the planning, decision-making
and problem-solving discussions.
Rank your group's current skill level using the 4-point scale below.
Table 1. Facilitation Skills Self-Assessment
|
Skill
|
Rating
1: No skill
2: Some skill
3: Good skill
4: Excellent skill
|
|
1. Skilled at active listening, paraphrasing, questioning
and summarizing key points
|
|
|
2. Able to manage time and maintain a good pace
|
|
|
3. Knowledge of and ability to use techniques for getting
active participation and generating ideas
|
|
|
4. Keep clear and accurate notes that reflect what participants
have said
|
|
|
5. Familiar with the basic tools of brainstorming, forcefield
analysis and decision grids
|
|
|
6. Skilled at achieving consensus and gaining closure
to a discussion
|
|
|
7. Able to ask good probing questions that challenge own
and others' assumptions in a non-threatening way
|
|
|
8. Able to stop the action and check on how things are
going
|
|
|
9. Able to deal with resistance and perspectives counter
to your own in a non-defensive manner
|
|
|
10. Able to manage conflict between participants and remain
composed
|
|
Brainstorming to Create Bigger and
Better Ideas
What is it?
- method that is free of criticism and judgment, creatively generating
a lot of ideas on any topic
What does it do?
- encourages open thinking when a group is stuck thinking "the
same old way"
- gets everyone involved and enthusiastic, and prevents domination
by a few people
- encourages people to explore new ideas and challenges traditional
thinking
- allows group members to build on each other's ideas without
fear of being corrected or challenged
- demonstrates that everyone has had a say, and helps people feel
they are an important part of the solution
How does it work?
1. Review rules of brainstorming
- as many ideas as possible in a short period of time
- no judging or evaluating of ideas until later
- build on the ideas of others
- be creative
- there are no bad ideas
- no debating
- everyone participates
- think in new ways – break away from "what we've always
done"
- keep a fast pace
2. State the question
- clarify the topic, making sure everyone understands the issue
or problem
- check to make sure everyone understands by asking one or two
people to paraphrase it
- record it on a flip chart or board
3. Allow thinking time
- give the group a few minutes of quiet before asking for ideas
4. Get the ideas
- each person, in turn, gives an idea
- no idea is criticized, ever!
- do not discuss ideas or elaborate on them
- keep it moving
- with each rotation around the group, anyone may pass at any
time
An alternative is to have people give their ideas spontaneously,
allowing members to offer ideas as they come to mind. There is higher
chance of the process being dominated by a few, but shy members
may not feel as anxious about having to participate.
5. Record the ideas on a flip chart
- write down all ideas as they're given, in big, visible letters
- use the words used by the member giving the idea — do not try
to interpret for them
6. Allow more time
- when people have run out of ideas, take a break for thinking
and reflection
- sometimes the best ideas come out in the next round
- total time is 5–20 minutes, depending on how complex the topic
is
7. Discuss each idea
- look at each one in detail, asking members who gave the idea
to clarify it so that it is well understood
- allow others to add to it so that it is fully developed
- combine similar ideas that say the same thing only worded differently
8. Agree on the final list of best ideas
Forcefield Analysis
What is it?
- a method of analyzing a situation by looking at all the forces
and factors affecting the issue
Why would you use it?
- to clarify the pros and cons so that everyone fully understands
the situation and can then make an informed decision
- encourages honest reflection on the real, underlying roots of
a problem and its solution
- to raise everything contributing to a complex issue or problem,
including those that support and those that work against a possible
solution
How does it work?
1. Identify the topic
- state the issue or problem (situation, topic or project, etc.)
2. Write a goal statement
- help the group state a goal it wants to achieve
- the goal must address the issue at hand
- it must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely
- write it down across the top of a flip chart
3. Brainstorm the forces at work
- on the left side, list the forces that are helping, or could
help, drive the group towards the goal
- on the right side, list the forces that are hindering the situation,
or could get in the way of reaching the goal
4. Remove the barriers
- the temptation is to add to the left side and strengthen the
resources or improve the things that are helping the situation,
BUT
- the best way to make progress is to reduce the barriers
- identify the barriers or hindrances, and make a decision about
the priority for immediate problem solving
Table 2. Forcefield Worksheet
Goal: ___________________________________________________________
|
Forces that help us reach the goal
|
Forces and barriers that hinder reaching the goal
|
|
Other words to help describe the forces:
- pros
- things we are doing well
- hopes
- best case scenario
- assets
- strengths
- positives
- opportunities
|
Other words to help describe the forces:
- cons
- things we could do better
- fears
- worst case scenario
- liabilities
- weaknesses
- negatives
- obstacles
|
Decision Grid
What is it?
- a table of the most critical factors to consider when making
a decision
Why would you use it?
- to bring more objectivity (rather than opinion, assumptions
and guesswork) to the process of making a group decision
- changes the process from being a debate based on members' feelings
to an objective process of judging each potential solution against
the same set of criteria
How does it work?
1. Identify how the solutions should be judged
- Just like judging at the grocery store what makes a good head
of lettuce (fresh, firm, big, etc.), you need to judge what makes
a good solution to the problem at hand
- Create a list of judgment criteria. For example, some of these
might apply:
- saves time
- saves money
- reduces stress
- is timely
- is easy to do
- is affordable
- is fast
- is a major improvement
- supports the overall plan
- is something we have control over
- represents the right sequence
- builds empowerment in the community
- will get support from other groups
- satisfies the needs of the community
- doesn't "rock the boat"
- is tangible, easy to show to others
2. Choose the top three to five judgment criteria
- from the list you have brainstormed, have group members choose
the top three to five criteria
- write them down along the top of a grid
- give each judgment criteria a value from 1 to 3, with higher
numbers going to the more important criteria
3. Evaluate each solution option
- list the options of potential solutions down the left side of
a grid
- look at each option in turn, considering it for each judgment
criteria
- have each member rate each
solution against the criteria as follows:
1 = does not meet the criteria
2 = somewhat meets the criteria
3 = good at meeting the criteria
4. Add up the scores
- for each option, total members' ratings for each criteria, then
average them
- multiply the averaged rating by its criteria importance value
- add the resulting numbers for the total score per option
Table 3. Decision Grid
Worksheet
| Potential Solutions |
Judgement Criteria (importance value)
|
Total per option
|
|
Saves money (x1)
|
is easy to do (x3)
|
is "doable" (x1)
|
is fast (x2)
|
|
Option 1
|
1,2,1,1 ÷ 4 =
1.25
1.25 x 1 = 1.25
|
1,1,1,1 ÷ 4 =
1.00
1.00 x 3 = 3.00 |
3,3,3,3 ÷ 4 =
3.00
3.00 x 1 = 3.00 |
1,1,1,1 ÷ 4 =
1.00
1.00 x 2 = 2.00 |
|
|
Option 2
|
2,2,2,1 ÷ 4 =
1.75
1.75 x 1 = 1.75 |
2,3,2,2 ÷ 4 =
2.25
2.25 x 3 = 6.75 |
1,2,1,1 ÷ 4 =
1.25
1.25 x 1 = 1.25 |
3,3,3,3 ÷ 4 =
3.00
3.00 x 2 = 6.00 |
|
|
Option 3
|
2,2,3,3 ÷ 4 = 2.50
2,50 x 1 = 2.50
|
2,3,3,3 ÷ 4 =
2.50
2.50 x 3 = 7.50 |
2,2,2,2 ÷ 4 =
2.00
2.00 x 1 = 2.00 |
2,2,2,3 ÷ 4 =
2.25
2.25 x 2 = 4.50 |
|
Sample illustrates a group of 4 people rating
3 potential solutions with 4 criteria
At this point, the group should look at the total scores for each
option. In the example above, Option 1 scored 9.25, Option 2 scored
15.75, and Option 3 scored 16.50. For some in the group, the fact
that Option 3 achieved the highest score would be enough to convince
them it must be the highest priority.
For others, the fact that Options 2 and 3 had similar scores will
cause some dismay, and there will have to be further discussion
and possibly a more refined set of criteria to distinguish them
even more.
If there is a large disagreement with the outcomes of Decision
Grid, then the group needs more discussion about their criteria
and the weight assigned to each. For example, after reflecting on
the scores in the example, the group may decide they didn't give
enough weight to the "saves money" criteria, which eventually
emerged as being more important than was originally thought. Additionally,
they may decide that another criteria (supports the overall plan)
should be in the grid because they all were thinking that some of
the ideas really didn't fit in with their vision of the project.
The process of weighting and scoring may have to be repeated, until
the group is comfortable with how it made its decision. In the end,
it is the group's responsibility to make a decision. A Decision
Grid facilitates that process by helping the group identify what's
important to them, and determine which options are most desirable.
A benefit of this approach is that they will be better able to explain
their decision to others.
Revised by Luna Ramkhalawansingh, Community Economic Development
Unit, OMAFRA, Guelph.
