Skip to content Skip to cookie consent
Skip to content

This material was published more than 15 years ago and may not fully reflect current knowledge and understanding.

Articles

Skills checklist

Key questions to ask yourself each time you lead a small group discussion to help you develop as a facilitator

2004 Available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese

Footsteps magazine issues on a wooden desk.

From: Facilitation skills – Footsteps 60

How to facilitate participatory learning effectively

Ask yourself these questions each time you lead a small group discussion. It will help you to assess the development of your skills in facilitation. Write down your answers and compare them over time.

  • Did I use icebreakers or energisers to help people relax?
  • Did I make sure everyone understood the questions and if necessary reword them?
  • Was I uncomfortable with silence while people thought about the answers?
  • How did I deal with someone who talked for a long time?
  • Did I listen to everyone's responses?
  • How did I encourage quiet people to join in the discussion?
  • Did I make use of role play?
  • How did I deal with someone who always answered the questions before anyone else had a chance to speak?
  • How did I encourage useful points to be discussed further?
  • How did I cope when I didn't under-stand the answers?
  • How did I cope when I felt people's views were unhelpful?
  • How did I handle differences of opinion?
  • Did I bring the discussion to a satisfactory conclusion?
    How could I do this better?
     

 

Share this resource

If you found this resource useful, please share it with others so they can benefit too.

Subscribe to Footsteps magazine

A free digital and print magazine for community development workers. Covering a diverse range of topics, it is published three times a year.

Sign up now - Subscribe to Footsteps magazine