“Group Facilitation Skills for Participatory Decision-Making”
April 22-25, 2008 at ILRI in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The Institutional Learning and Change Initiative (ILAC) is pleased to announce the
2008 schedule of training on
“Group Facilitation Skills for Participatory Decision-Making”
April 22-25, 2008 hosted by ILRI in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Strategic importance of facilitation skills
Facilitation skills are strategically important in the CGIAR because CGIAR staff are increasingly called upon to manage teams and participatory processes which involve people from diverse backgrounds, disciplines, nationalities and cultures. However, participatory processes pose many challenges for effective communication and decision making. This training will help to build essential knowledge, attitudes and skills for participatory decision making among CGIAR managers and team leaders.
The trainer
The training will be led by Dr. Sam Kaner, a leading expert on consensus decision-making and senior author of the book The Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making, which will be distributed to all participants. For more information visit Sam’s web site http://www.CommunityAtWork.com
Impressions from the first workshops
Participants in the first two workshops in 2005 found them to be extremely useful and many are already applying their new skills in their daily work. Many have also gone on to train others. Here are some comments from participants:
“The training workshop was extremely well designed. Extremely efficient interweaving of theory and practice and reflection.”
“It’s not often that you are allowed to practice what you are learning in such an interactive fashion… I hope many others get to attend such training.”
“The workshop exceeded my expectations because it went beyond the presentation of tools or techniques and presented these within a broad framework for group work and decision-making. This framework helps me understand and manage these processes much better.”
“This was exactly the type of training I was looking for to enhance my capacity as a leader.”
Workshop objectives
The training workshops aim to build capacity to facilitate meetings, teams and group decision-making processes. A hands-on practical approach enables participants to immediately apply what is learned to their day-to-day work. The following topics are covered:
Workshop objectives
The training workshops aim to build capacity to facilitate meetings, teams and group decision-making processes. A hands-on practical approach enables participants to immediately apply what is learned to their day-to-day work. The following topics are covered:
What facilitation is and why it is important
Facilitating meetings and teams
Managing conflicts and disagreements
Building consensus for decision making
Workshop costs
All fees for the trainer and materials are paid by the ILAC Initiative. Participants and their organizations are responsible for all costs related to travel, lodging and local expenses. Local logistical support is provided by the hosting centre. More details about logistics will be provided once the participant lists has been confirmed.
Who should attend?
Any CGIAR staff member with responsibility for coordinating participatory projects, networks or meetings is encouraged to attend. Participants must have an excellent command of English.
In order to ensure that participants have adequate opportunities to practice facilitation techniques, each training workshop is limited to 20 people, with a maximum of two nominees per centre.
Please confirm your interest by sending the names of your candidates and the rationale for their attendance as soon as possible, and no later than May 31, 2006. Please indicate which of the two courses you want to participate in.
Please send your nominations to Jamie Watts (j.watts@cgiar.org).
We look forward to seeing your centre
represented at one of these exciting workshops!