The Art and Science of Participation

Dramatically Improve Your Ability to
Facilitate Groups Effectively

Offered annually in Toronto and Vancouver Canada as a public course for serious facilitators. Contact us for more information or if you wish to bring this course to your site.

Course description


This is an intensive six day program designed for people who are serious about working in a participatory manner. It will dramatically improve your ability to facilitate groups effectively in your organization and community.

This course includes:

  • Experience of classic applications of ICA’s basic methods
  • Extensive practice in designing consultations and meetings.
  • A deeper look at methods that increase participation and involvement
  • Discussion of your style, effectiveness, areas of strength and areas of improvement.
  • Ways to develop synthesis and form consensus in a group
  • One-on-one tutoring by highly skilled ICA facilitators.
  • An exploration of the theories behind ICA’s facilitation methods
  • Close interaction with people who are facing similar situation and challenges
  • A week of in depth learning seen through the lens of a facilitation project of your own
  • Opportunities to form collegial relationship with facilitators across Canada and the USA

Bring your own facilitation experiences, projects and questions for practice and feedback. This is very important, as we spend half the time focused on individual projects.

Course Agenda

  • Day 1
    • Participant Experience
    • Focused Conversation Method
    • Small Group Practice and Peer Feedback
  • Day 2
    • Life Dynamics
    • Consensus Workshop Method
    • Small Group Practice and Peer Feedback
  • Day 3
    • Foundations of ToP Methods
    • Complex Facilitation Design
    • Designing Complex Events Lab and
      Co-facilitating Practice
  • Day 4
    • Consensus Formation
    • Strategic Planning and Strategic Thinking
    • Designing Complex Events Lab and
      Co-facilitating Practice
  • Day 5
    • Environment for Participation
    • Charting Documents
    • Designing Complex Events Lab and
      Co-facilitating Practice
  • Day 6
    • Ethics and Values
    • Historical Scan
    • Evaluation and Celebration

Benefits:

After taking this six day interactive learning course you will be able to:

  • Deeply understand and practice the principles of facilitation
  • Understand how to design effective facilitated sessions every time
  • Know when to use a variety of effective facilitation tools
  • Explore and customize case studies for your future own use brought by participants in course practice sessions
  • Access long lasting peer relationships for future professional growth and mentoring

Who should take this course?

Community leaders and planners, educators, executive directors, community planners, private consultants, in-house facilitators, chairpersons and board members.

Prerequisites:

Group Facilitation Methods is required and Participatory Strategic Planning is highly recommended but not required.