|
International Association of
Facilitators
Foundational Facilitator Competencies
Background
The International
Association of Facilitators (IAF™) is the world-wide professional body established
to promote, support and advance the art and practice of professional facilitation
through methods exchange, professional growth, practical research and collegial
networking. In response to the needs of members and their customers,
IAF established the Professional Facilitator Certification Program.
The Professional Facilitator
Certification Program provides successful candidates with the professional
credential “Certified Professional Facilitator™” (CPF™), as signified by
a Certificate. This credential is the leading indicator that the facilitator
is competent in each of the basic facilitator competencies. This document,
Foundational Facilitator Competencies
© IAF™
2003, provides an overview
of the competency framework that is the basis of the CPF certification.
The competency framework
described in Foundational Facilitator
Competencies was developed over several years by IAF with the
support of IAF members and facilitators from all over the world. The
competencies reflected in the document and assessed in the Certification Process
form the basic set of skills, knowledge, and behaviors that facilitators must
have in order to be successful facilitating in a wide variety of environments.
Copies of this document are available free of charge from the IAF web site
(www.iaf-world.org) or from the
certification Program Administrator, at certify@iaf-world.org
For information regarding theory and practice, including methods
and outcomes associated with each of the competencies, see the IAF Handbook
of Facilitation, published by Jossey-Bass.
The Competencies
A.
Create Collaborative Client Relationships
1) Develop working partnerships
§
Clarify mutual
commitment
§
Develop consensus
on tasks, deliverables, roles & responsibilities
§
Demonstrate
collaborative values and processes such as in co-facilitation
2) Design and customize applications
to meet client needs
§
Analyze organizational
environment
§
Diagnose client
need
§
Create appropriate
designs to achieve intended outcomes
§
Predefine a
quality product & outcomes with client
3) Manage multi-session events
effectively
§
Contract
with client for scope and deliverables
§
Develop
event plan
§
Deliver
event successfully
§
Assess
/ evaluate client satisfaction at all stages of the event / project
B.
Plan Appropriate Group Processes
1) Select clear methods and
processes that
§
Foster open
participation with respect for client culture, norms and participant diversity
§
Engage the
participation of those with varied learning / thinking styles
§
Achieve a high
quality product / outcome that meets the client needs
2) Prepare time and space to
support group process
§
Arrange physical
space to support the purpose of the meeting
§
Plan effective
use of time
§
Provide effective
atmosphere and drama for sessions
C.
Create and Sustain a Participatory
Environment
1) Demonstrate effective participatory
and interpersonal communication skills
§
Apply a variety
of participatory processes
§
Demonstrate
effective verbal communication skills
§
Develop rapport
with participants
§
Practice active
listening
§
Demonstrate
ability to observe and provide feedback to participants
2) Honor and recognize diversity,
ensuring inclusiveness
§
Create opportunities
for participants to benefit from the diversity of the group
§
Cultivate cultural
awareness and sensitivity
3) Manage group conflict
§
Help individuals
identify and review underlying assumptions
§
Recognize conflict
and its role within group learning / maturity
§
Provide a safe
environment for conflict to surface
§
Manage disruptive group behavior
§
Support the
group through resolution of conflict
4) Evoke group creativity
§
Draw out participants
of all learning/thinking styles
§
Encourage creative
thinking
§
Accept all
ideas
§
Use approaches
that best fit needs and abilities of the group
§
Stimulate and
tap group energy
D.
Guide Group to Appropriate and
Useful Outcomes
1) Guide the group with clear
methods and processes
§
Establish clear
context for the session
§
Actively listen,
question and summarize to elicit the sense of the group
§
Recognize tangents
and redirect to the task
§
Manage small
and large group process
2) Facilitate group self-awareness
about its task
§
Vary the pace
of activities according to needs of group
§
Identify information
the group needs, and draw out data and insight from the group
§
Help the group
synthesize patterns, trends, root causes, frameworks for action
§
Assist the
group in reflection on its experience
3) Guide the group to consensus
and desired outcomes
§
Use a variety
of approaches to achieve group consensus
§
Use a variety
of approaches to meet group objectives
§
Adapt processes
to changing situations and needs of the group
§
Assess and
communicate group progress
§
Foster task
completion
E.
Build and Maintain Professional
Knowledge
1) Maintain a base of knowledge
§
Knowledgeable
in management, organizational systems and development, group development,
psychology, and conflict resolution
§
Understand
dynamics of change
§
Understand
learning/ thinking theory
2) Know a range of facilitation
methods
§
Understand
problem solving and decision-making models
§
Understand
a variety of group methods and techniques
§
Know consequences
of misuse of group methods
§
Distinguish
process from task and content
§
Learn new processes,
methods, & models in support of client’s changing/emerging needs
3) Maintain professional standing
§
Engage in ongoing
study / learning related to our field
§
Continuously
gain awareness of new information in our profession
§
Practice reflection
and learning
§
Build personal
industry knowledge and networks
§
Maintain certification
F.
Model Positive Professional Attitude
1) Practice self-assessment
and self-awareness
§
Reflect on
behavior and results
§
Maintain congruence
between actions and personal and professional values
§
Modify personal behavior / style to
reflect the needs of the group
§
Cultivate understanding
of one’s own values and their potential impact on work with clients
2) Act with integrity
§
Demonstrate
a belief in the group and its possibilities
§
Approach situations
with authenticity and a positive attitude
§
Describe situations
as facilitator sees them and inquire into different views
§
Model professional
boundaries and ethics (as described in ethics and values statement)
3) Trust group potential and
model neutrality
§
Honor the wisdom
of the group
§
Encourage trust
in the capacity and experience of others
§
Vigilant to
minimize influence on group outcomes
§
Maintain an
objective, non-defensive, non-judgmental stance
|
