Facilitator Development Programme

Background and who should attend

Using UIMPROVE Facilitators in projects and meetings, and for the control and improvement of processes dramatically improves productivity and effectiveness. Training Facilitators creates a strategic resource that can be allocated in line with the organisation's priorities. It takes just one project that delivers a better outcome, on-time and on-budget to create a return on the investment. Every other improvement and benefit is a bonus.

The Facilitator Development Programme teaches participants the UIMPROVE approach to organisational improvement and provides them with the knowledge and skills to facilitate this. The UIC has been training people for this role in a wide variety of industries and organisations since 1992 and the programme is always being refined and improved based on the practical experience of those we train.

This is a 9 day programme spread over 3 x 3 day modules. The period between each module should be around 2 months allowing participants to gain experience of using what they have learned in the intervening time. It is ideal if Facilitators can be allocated to assignments both before and during the programme. Modules 2 and 3 incorporate review and planning of these.

The role of Facilitator is usually a part-time activity, taken on in addition to the day job. The Facilitator Development Programme is specifically designed for people who will have to take up a formal Facilitator role in meetings or projects.

This programme will not only provide your organisation with a highly capable facilitation resource, it will also dramatically accelerate the rate and efficiency of improvement. Additionally, you will develop 12 people who are structured in their thinking, highly capable of improvement and get a good grasp of the cross-functional nature and complexities of the organisation through the assignments they carry out.

Queensland Government Department of Transport and Main Roads, Information Technology Branch - Facilitator Development Programme, October 2019		West Midlands Trains - Facilitator Development Programme, September 2019		Thirteen - Facilitator Development Programme, April 2018

What are the benefits of having a pool of Facilitators in an organisation?

Strategy

•	The resource can be aligned with organisational strategy and focused where the greatest need/return is
•	Demonstrates top management commitment to improvement

The rate of improvement

•	Creates a 'critical mass' for improvement
•	Increases organisational capacity and the rate of improvement
•	Builds on and supports the work done through other UIMPROVE training courses
•	An internal resource is better for continuity and follow up

Developing the organisation

•	Taps into and develops the talent in the organisation
•	Promotes organisational learning
•	Allows more people to be directly involved in improvement
•	The skills are developed and retained within the organisation
•	Ensures a more structured approach to projects
•	Provides a consistent approach to and a common language for improvement
•	Improves meetings

Developing individuals

•	Gives individuals a broader view of the organisation through involvement in projects
•	Increases job satisfaction
•	Today's Facilitators are tomorrow's senior managers and directors

Costs

•	Costs less than external provision
•	The cost of training is soon recouped in the benefits the resource brings to the organisation

TransLink - Facilitator Refresher Training, April 2018		TransLink - Facilitator Development Programme, February 2018		We are Aspire and One Manchester - joint Facilitator Development Programme, January 2018

What your Facilitators will be able to do

Facilitate Annual Project Planning

•	Convert organisational strategy into departmental or team objectives
•	Identify and prioritise the projects to be done over the next 12 months
•	Produce a departmental or team plan
•	Scope and produce a remit for each resulting project

Facilitate project teams

•	Identify and follow a project methodology
•	Break the project down into component tasks and produce a project plan
•	Use tools and techniques
•	Ensure balanced participation

Facilitate a Project Kick-Start

•	Obtain a wide range of involvement at the outset
•	Use a structured approach, tools and techniques to ensure balanced participation
•	Carry out scoping and initial planning
•	Save time
•	Increase understanding, alignment and commitment from those involved

Facilitate a Project Refocus

•	For projects that have stalled, had a change of leader or reached an important junction
•	Obtain a wide range of involvement
•	Use a structured approach and tools and techniques to ensure balanced participation

Facilitate a Process Planning Event

•	Use a structured approach and analytical tools (specifically an Ishikawa Diagram and Deployment Flowchart) to plan a new process

Facilitate a Process Analysis Event

•	Use a structured approach and analytical tools (specifically an Ishikawa Diagram and Deployment Flowchart) to understand and analyse an existing process

Facilitate a Customer Involvement Event

•	This is very similar in format to a Project Kick-Start, the difference being that the participants are customers

Facilitate a Project Update

•	Reconvenes the group from the Project Kick-Start to report on progress, present findings and proposals, obtain their feedback and input

Facilitate a Project Refocus

•	For projects that have stalled, had a change of leader or reached an important junction
•	Obtain a wide range of involvement
•	Use a structured approach and tools and techniques to ensure balanced participation

Facilitate Piloting and Implementation Events

•	For projects that have reached the stage where proposals first need to be tested, then incorporated into routine operation

Facilitate a Project Review

•	Use a structured approach and tools and techniques to review and learn lessons from a completed project

Facilitate meetings (regular, e.g. a Team Meeting, or one-off)

•	Help plan the agenda
•	Use tools and techniques
•	Ensure balanced contribution
•	Review

This might be a regular commitment or a one-off piece of work.

Facilitate Systems Events

A Systems Event is for a management team (leader and Direct Reports) and enables them to work on controlling routine operation by:

•	Identifying the systems and processes for which they are responsible
•	Defining the aims of the systems and purposes of the processes

Facilitate a Routine Operation Review

Also aimed at management teams, the purpose is to take an annual look at the big picture of how all systems and key processes are performing, whether resourcing is right and whether any interventions are needed.

Blackpool Transport - Facilitator Development Programme, September 2017		Queensland Government Department of Transport and Main Roads, Information Technology Branch - Facilitator Development Programme, November 2016		Weaver Vale Housing Trust - Facilitator Development Programme, October 2016

A brief overview of the programme

Module 1 - focus on organisational improvement and projects

•	Understanding the role - what is facilitation, what is a Facilitator?
•	Background to the ideas - a brief history of improvement in organisations
•	Key Concepts - ideas that underpin the approach
•	Tools for Planning and Organising
•	Introduction to projects
•	The UIMPROVE Projects Framework
•	Annual Project Planning
•	Project Kick-Starts

Module 2 - focus on meetings and additional assignments

•	Review session - what people have applied since last time
•	Effective meetings
•	Techniques for Productive Meetings - Getting the Basics Right - Getting Information Across - Getting Things Done
•	Making interventions in meetings
•	Tools for Evaluation and Decision-Making
•	Project Events continued - Customer Involvement Event - Project Update - Project Refocus - Project Review
•	Facilitating throughout the life of a project
•	How to do Real Work in meetings - Putting structure to a topic
•	Planning for forthcoming assignments

Module 3 - focus on piloting and implementation, controlling and improving routine operation

•	Review session - what people have applied since last time
•	Introduction to processes
•	How to control a process
•	Routine Operation Events: System Events, Routine Operation Review
•	How to improve a process
•	Tools for Analysis
•	Project Events concluded - Process Planning Event - Process Analysis Event
•	Piloting and implementation of projects - The Piloting and Implementation Methodologies - Piloting and Implementation Events
•	Planning for forthcoming assignments
•	Review of the programme

One Manchester - Facilitator Development Programme, November 2015		Broadland Housing Group - Facilitator Development Programme, November 2014		TransLink - Facilitator Network Meeting, July 2013

Downloads

Click here for the Facilitator Development Programme Briefing Note.

Click here for the How to Select Facilitators Briefing Note.