Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
10.4.2
Agenda
The agenda for a facilitation is usually set before the day(s), but often
it can be far better to do this at the start of the meeting. This means
that everyone has an input and so is not only able to include what is
important to them, but also buys into the process.
The first action must be to agree the headline - what is the desired
outcome of the facilitation? Agreement on that will dictate the agenda.
As with negotiation, it is the touch-point for everything that follows. It
is also interesting that an agenda set on the day by the participants very
often deals with what would otherwise have been Any Other Business
in a pre-set agenda! What is less important to some may be the key issue
to others.
10.4.3
Structure of the day
As with mediations, the day will open with everyone together. It is not
usual to have private sessions beforehand because this is rarely about
separate and distinct parties, but about a number of people all of whom
have opinions (often all different) about the issues being discussed. Part
of the objective of this first meeting will be to agree a strategy for the
day(s) and a timetable. There are likely to be working groups during the
day, but it is unusual for the mediator to have separate private meetings.
These may well happen if there is a gap between main meetings, but
they are rare on the day itself.
10.4.4
Open space
There is a form of facilitation called 'open space' that starts with a blank
canvas. This is a much freer form of facilitation where conversation
groups take place, on different topics, and people move from one to
another depending on what interests them. The outcomes of the con-
versations are fed back to a central position and the results typed up
and shared in a group plenary session. Although at times this process
appears to be chaotic, it is held together by the mediators/facilitators
who give the event structure and purpose and instil some calmness and
direction. Users of this form of facilitation maintain that much richer
outcomes result because people engage in the issues that really interest
them and feel able to speak more freely in what is generally a more
relaxed and informal forum.
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