Skip to main content

NC State Extension

Master Facilitation

en Español / em Português
Español

El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.

Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.


Português

Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.

Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.


English

English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.

Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.

Collapse ▲

Facilitative behaviors and skills are essential for anyone who wants to work collaboratively in groups and organizations (Kaner, 2007)

Facilitative behaviors are foundational to participatory decision-making and result in implementable decisions that lead to significant change. Yet, small groups, associations, organizations, and the public may require assistance other than technical expertise to enable them to work more effectively and support everyone to do their best thinking. That kind of assistance can be thought of in several ways. One is by developing facilitative behaviors that generate productive staff or advisory board meetings, or meetings in general. A second is securing a facilitator to provide the process assistance that a group requires to help problem-solve a project or an issue.

Given the increasing complexity of public issues in North Carolina, there is a need to ensure that our Extension professionals perform their facilitative and convening roles in a neutral and interdisciplinary manner. Groups, associations, organizations, and our public’s often require assistance from navigating a strategic or land use plan, to facilitating a budget discussion, to helping manage discussions on crucial issues such as health and nutrition or environmental and agricultural concerns.

The N.C. State Extension Facilitation program was designed 1) to build the capacity of a core team by developing their facilitative behaviors and skills, and expertise in meeting management and public issues facilitation, 2) continue to develop their capacity through advanced training in facilitation, and 3) provide multidisciplinary statewide essentials in facilitation training to a diverse audience while mentoring more novice facilitators in local, regional, and statewide projects.

N.C. State Extension Facilitator Team:

An inaugural cohort of 16 Extension professionals began the NC Facilitation program by completing 8 days of core instructional training. Following the core training, the cohort formed eight cross-county and in some cases cross-district instructional teams that developed 3-day training plans for broader extension involvement in a “Don’t Get By, Get Better” program. Marketed as in-service multidisciplinary opportunity, the program was designed to ensure extension personnel have the “people and meeting” skills to deliver innovative and relevant programs while assisting members of their counties and groups in facilitating organizational and public issues.

Offered in various locations throughout the state, the essential training was designed to reach agents, specialists, and county extension directors from all 100 counties in NC, over a six-month time period. Representing varied subject matter expertise, in between and following sessions, the 110 participants were asked to apply the skills learned by working with their peers in other counties to develop new approaches to process design and facilitation techniques, and consider new ways of modeling and teaching facilitative behavior or skills.

The NC Facilitation team was recognized at the 2015 JCEP (Joint Council for Extension Professionals) National Conference with the national team award for their work to begin the facilitation movement in N.C. Cooperative Extension.

NC State Extension Perspectives February 2014 Article about the N.C. Cooperative Extension Facilitation Team

Growing North Carolina Article.

In December 2017, eight members of the initial NC Facilitation team coordinated a three-day facilitation training for N.C. State Extension staff. Thirty-five N.C. Cooperative Extension staff participated in this revised facilitation training. Those completing have been added to the list of qualified facilitators for N.C. State Extension.

Facilitation Video:

To see a list of facilitators please visit Agent Resources

These facilitators have provided training and programming throughout the state. In 2019, an introduction to Facilitation Training was offered during Annual Extension Conference. Approx. 30 Extension professionals attended this introductory session. A full 3-day training was to be provided in the fall of 2020, however due to the pandemic this training was cancelled.

EXAMPLES OF TRAINING MATERIALS

RESOURCES

TOOLS & SUPPLIES

BOOKS AND GUIDES