Elected Board Retreats
Faculty and Staff Facilitators
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. If you call the School of Government to request assistance with facilitation, be prepared to respond with the information contained in the Retreat Intake Form.
Cost of Retreat Facilitation
The School tries to be an affordable option for local governments, using a sliding scale for daily facilitation charges that ranges from $2,000 to $2,300 (depending on a jurisdiction’s size and/or tier classification). The daily rate applies to planning and preparation time, on-site facilitation, and follow-up documentation. Reimbursement for travel and supplies is expected, too.
Municipalities: Counties:
Population SOG Rate Category
Under 3,000 $2,000 Tier 1
3,001-20,000 $2,100 Tier 2
20,001-70,000 $2,200 Tier 3
Over 70,000 $2,300
Out of State variable
Each retreat request is treated as unique and varies depending on what the work requires (e.g., individual pre-retreat interviews or number of days on-site) so providing a standard rate for retreats is not possible. One additional day of work is commonly required for planning the agenda, then preparing the follow-up notes. A one day retreat is likely to result in charges for two days of facilitator effort. We keep our rates for North Carolina local governments as low as possible. Rates for out of state work may be higher.
All of this is required to be documented in a letter of agreement, ideally in place at least three weeks in advance of the retreat.
For more information or to request a facilitator for your retreat, please contact Lydian Altman at Lydian@sog.unc.edu or 919-962-0103.