Facilitating_difficult_issues

This is primarily for documenting practices in facilitating difficult discussions in a less than formal, academic, and one-time setting. There are lots of resources on more formal facilitation in standing groups or civic bodies.

• Define the scope:
  • What are the objectives?
  • Explain that some topics are off the table and why.

Protocols

• Priority queue
  • good for 20-50 people
  • people raise their hands
  • their position is pointed/counted out by the facilitator (e.g., “Sally is 1, Betty is 2, the person in the back in red is 3”).
  • queue might be shaped to favor perspectives not yet expressed or those who’ve not yet spoken.
• Note cards
  • good for 30+ people
  • at the start people are handed a note card
  • during Q&A note cards are passed forward and used for discussion

Resources

• Group facilitation primer