FACILITATION

The single most important ingredient for successful dialogues is the ability of the dialogue facilitator(s) to plan, facilitate, and evaluate the dialogue. Facilitators must have a clear idea of what they are hoping to accomplish and how they hope to engage other students. While some individuals have a natural ability to be good facilitators, others will have to work at it.
You may find it easier to co-facilitate these session, dividing up responsibilities between two, three, even four dialogue leaders to share in the planning, presentation and wrap-up. The tasks of facilitators are:

• Creating the Agenda – Mapping the Dialogue
• Introducing the Dialogue – Getting Started
• Framing the Topic – Establishing Issues and Objectives
• Launching the Dialogue – Introductory Activities
• Guiding the Dialogues – Keeping Discussion Rolling
• Wrapping up the Dialogue – Reviewing What’s Been Said
• Evaluating the Dialogue – How Did it Go?
• Action Steps – Creating a Follow-up Plan
• After the Dialogue – Press and Public Relations