Facilitation Assistance

About

As the largest
university-based local
government training,
advisory, and research
organization in the United
States, the School of
Government serves more
than 12,000 public officials
each year.

Browse by Role

The School provides
content and resources for a
wide array of local
government and judicial
officials in North Carolina.

Select your role to explore
all related content.

Browse by Topic

The School provides content
and resources on a wide array
of topics in local government
and judicial administration in
North Carolina.

Select a topic to explore all
related content.

Courses

The School of Government
offers up to 200 courses,
workshops, webinars, and
professional conferences
each year.

Publications

The School of Government
publishes essential books,
manuals, reports, articles,
bulletins, and other print and
online content related to state
and local government.

Blogs

Faculty write for a number
of School of Government
blogs providing timely
updates on emerging issues.

Resources

The School of Government
offers information and
services related to a wide
range of topics relevant to
government and judicial
officials—in-person and on a
variety of platforms.

Blog Posts

Timely updates on emerging issues

Centers and Services

Specialized training/research hubs and consulting services

Frequently Asked Questions

Aggregated answers to common questions on a variety of topics

Knapp Library

Print and online materials and research expertise

Legal Summaries

Brief descriptions of legal cases, bills, or legislative activity

Listservs

Information exchanges for peers and faculty experts

Microsites

In-depth or aggregated content for local government and judicial officials

Tools and Apps

Online and mobile tools for employees on-the-go

Master of Public
Administration Program

The UNC MPA program prepares public service leaders. The program is offered in two formats: on-campus and online.

For more information, visit sog.unc.edu/mpa.

Giving

The School of Government depends on private and public support for fulfilling its mission. Your gift will make a lasting impact on the quality of government and civic participation in North Carolina.

Knapp Library

The Joseph Palmer Knapp Library houses a large collection of material on state and local government, public administration, and management to support the School's instructional and research programs and the educational mission of the Master of Public Administration program. Reference and research services are available to all residents of North Carolina, and additional assistance is available to state and local government personnel, both elected and appointed.

"The facilitator's main task is to help the group improve its effectiveness by improving its process."

--Roger Schwarz, The Skilled Facilitator

What a Facilitator Can Do

Individual experiences will vary, depending on situational dynamics, but the most common cited benefits of facilitation are to:

Help the group decide on objectives and agree on a process
Set a realistic agenda to meet those objectives
Establish roles for members
Keep the group on track
Openly and constructively discuss dynamics affecting the group's effectiveness
Assist with logistics

Essential Characteristics of Facilitator

The nature of the relationship you develop with a facilitator for a single event (one to two day annual retreat) is different than if you are contracting for longer term assistance (helping the group develop self-management skills). For either situation, however, it is essential that you choose someone that is:

Acceptable to all group members
Substantively neutral (unless you are specifically seeking content or process expertise)
No decision-making authority

Clarifying the Work

Basic assumptions and values
Use of ground rules or discussion guidelines
What the facilitator will and will not do
Experience and training
Cost
Deliverables (e.g., meeting notes or summary)

All of this should be documented in a simple contract, letter of agreement or memorandum of understanding so there is a written record of your mutual expectations.

Finding a Facilitator

School of Government faculty and professional staff are available for limited retreat facilitation, depending on the nature of the retreat and their other commitments. Since the School receives more requests than we can meet, we often refer people seeking a facilitator to individuals trained by the School as facilitators and to other professionals.
Western Carolina University - Local Government Training Program -
https://www.wcu.edu/engage/regional-development/local-government-training-program-lgtp/index.aspx
Councils of Government in NC – http://www.ncregions.org/
UNC system universities – Ask for the government and/or community service contact for the university
Triangle Organization Development Network http://todnnc.org/