How to facilitate participatory, contextualized and impactful events

This Facilitation Handbook is intended to be used as a resource for planning participatory, contextualized and high-quality events. The fundamental facilitation skills and activities in this handbook are applicable in a variety of events, such as meetings, team-building retreats, skills-building workshops, design workshops and large forums.

Over the years many of Pact’s staff and partners have requested support in developing their facilitation skills; developing agendas, facilitation activities, and event materials; and understanding how specific facilitation activities can be used in a variety of forums and for multiple purposes. Therefore, this handbook is designed to support skills development by providing an overview of fundamental facilitation skills, facilitation tips, and many activities organized by categories commonly used in international development. Additionally, because Pact is widely known for its capacity development and event facilitation practices, the global capacity development team wanted to document the organization’s facilitation best practices and most used facilitation activities. While much of the material throughout this handbook is a direct reflection of Pact’s participatory approach to facilitation, additional external and internal facilitation resources are referenced.

Facilitators hold many different titles, and thus this handbook is designed to be used by anyone who is asked to serve as a facilitator. This handbook provides a solid foundation and guidance for both new and experienced facilitators. It can be used in its entirety to train facilitators in the fundamental skills needed, or it can be used as a reference document for facilitators looking for new ideas or a refresher in a specific technique.