Training and facilitation services

Real Options provides both training and facilitation services. We have managed and facilitated workshops with a wide variety of groups including Catchment Management Authorities and Landcare groups, State and Local Government, senior managers, tertiary institutions and Deliberative Polls. We have a particular interest and skills in:

• strategic and action planning
• strategic questioning
• community participation in policy development

During 2002-3 Graeme took time out from Real Options and worked as the National Education and Training Manager with the Commonwealth Government’s Green Corps program. In this position he used and developed his skills in many areas, particularly in balancing informal learning with accredited training.

We use both informal and formal methods and will tailor the content and delivery of training, or the methods of facilitation to meet your needs. Some of our recent work includes:

Facilitation

Meg and Graeme have both facilitated at the Australian Citizens Parliament, held in Canberra from 6 – 9 February. One hundred and fifty people, randomly selected from across Australia, spent four days discussing and deliberating on our democracy and how it could be improved.

Deliberation is about suspending your judgement on an issue, or putting your opinion to one side, and being curious about the views and opinions of others. It’s easy but it’s not simple – it’s not always how we do things, but within a professionally managed event these ordinary Australians showed it can be done. Working with these people and being part of a team of 25 facilitators from around Australia was also personally rewarding and professionally enhancing.

For more information click here www.citizensparliament.org.au/

Graeme worked with the Shoalhaven Community Cancer Network to develop and facilitate a number of community engagement workshops in the Shoalhaven. These were aimed at developing and providing the best service and support to people with cancer, their carers, family and friends while more broadly engaging the community.

In the last couple of years Graeme has facilitated a number of community consultations and public meetings relation to local government planning and development issues.

Facilitation skills training

Introductory Facilitation Skills Workshop

Looking for a better way of running a meeting, increased participation and creativity with a greater sense of purpose and commitment?

Facilitation is about making something easier. A group facilitator helps a group do its best work ­– listening, understanding and making good decisions – focussing on processes, not content

This is a full day workshop offered from time to time at various locations. The workshop can be delivered in stages (such as two half days) if required.

The workshop can also be delivered in-house if preferred and tailored to meet the specific needs of an organisation or community.

To read about this workshop please click here

Focussed and Strategic Questioning Workshop

This participatory workshop is an introduction to two important questioning techniques – Focussed Discussion Method and Strategic Questioning. These methods can be used anywhere that improved decision-making is needed. They work in individual conversations and group discussions, including focus groups, interviews, facilitated events, training and coaching. These are non-threatening and personally supportive processes that help people move from an ill-informed opinion to a well considered judgement. Watch the lights come on.

Last November Graeme presented a trial of this workshop at the Australian Facilitators Network conference in Bathurst NSW. The feedback from this professional and supportively critical audience was extremely positive and the workshop has been further refined.

To read about the Focused and Strategic Questioning Workshop please click here

Participatory Decision Making in Voluntary Groups

This half day participatory workshop is based on a premise that members of voluntary groups want to be involved in decisions that affect them – but to varying degrees. The workshop covers a range of simple, easy to use cooperative decision making methods, including:

• PNU – Positive, Negative, Uncertain (well suited to internal group situations)
• SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (both internal and external situations)
• ORID – Objective, Reflective, Interpretive, Decisional (assessing information or a group activity)

The workshop also introduces basic methods of managing conflict – which often comes to the surface when decisions are being made. The workshop has been presented to Shoalhaven City Bushcare coordinators and is appropriate for any voluntary situation.

For more information contact Graeme or Meg at Real Options.

Group support

On behalf of Shoalhaven City Council we provide qualified and experienced Support Workers to assist Bushcare groups to develop and implement their action plans on a regular basis. The Support Workers we engage have the appropriate technical skills and skills in working with voluntary groups.

Stay on Your Feet WA: Falls prevention for older Australians

During 2003 – 2004 Real Options worked with the West Australian Department of Health to rewrite a community training guide, The Stay on Your Feet Action Guide. We were also responsible for the recruitment, training and support of 70 community facilitators across Western Australia to facilitate groups on falls prevention for older people using the guide.

Developing community dialogue

A one day workshop for managers, project officers, community group leaders and others interested in using dialogue to develop social capital, improve group trust and purpose or enjoy exploring new ideas. This highly participatory workshop includes skills and techniques in facilitation and project planning.

Facilitating a learning circle

A half day workshop for managers, project officers, community group leaders and others interested in organising and facilitating small group discussions and learning circle programs. This workshop provides opportunity for practice, dealing with difficult issues and identifying opportunities and barriers for learning circle groups.

Developing learning circle or discussion programs

We work with you to develop learning circle resources and programs on issues of concern to your organisation. This can be provided in-house for a single organisation or in a workshop for various groups with specific interests. Real Options has extensive experience in developing learning circle programs, some of which are available free of charge in the publications on this web page.