Facilitator

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Contents 1 Definitions 1.1 Training facilitators 2 Skills 3 References

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 Definitions

• "An individual who enables groups and organizations to work more effectively; to collaborate and achieve synergy.
  She or he is a 'content neutral' party who by not taking sides or
  expressing or advocating a point of view during the meeting, can
  advocate for fair, open, and inclusive procedures to accomplish the
  group's work" - Doyle[1]

• "One who contributes structure and process to
  interactions so groups are able to function effectively and make
  high-quality decisions. A helper and enabler whose goal is to support
  others as they achieve exceptional performance" - Bens[2]

• "The facilitator's job is to support everyone to do their best thinking and practice.
  To do this, the facilitator encourages full participation, promotes
  mutual understanding and cultivates shared responsibility. By supporting
  everyone to do their best thinking, a facilitator enables group members
  to search for inclusive solutions and build sustainable agreements" -
  Kaner[3]

Training facilitators

Training facilitators are used in adult education.
These facilitators are not always subject experts, and attempt to draw
on the existing knowledge of the participant, and to then facilitate
access to training where gaps in knowledge are identified and agreed on.
Training facilitators focus on the foundations of adult education:
establish existing knowledge, build on it and keep it relevant. The role
is different from a trainer with subject expertise. Such a person will
take a more leading role and take a group through an agenda designed to
transmit a body of knowledge or a set of skills to be acquired.

Skills

The basic skills of a facilitator are about following good meeting
practices: timekeeping, following an agreed-upon agenda, and keeping a
clear record. The higher-order skills involve watching the group and its
individuals in light of group dynamics.
In addition, facilitators also need a variety of listening skills
including ability to paraphrase; stack a conversation; draw people out;
balance participation; and make space for more reticent group members
(Kaner, et al., 1996). It is critical to the facilitator's role to have
the knowledge and skill to be able to intervene in a way that adds to
the group's creativity rather than taking away from it.

A successful facilitator embodies respect for others and a watchful awareness of the many layers of reality in a human group.

In the event that a consensus cannot be reached then the facilitator
would assist the group in understanding the differences that divide it.