Event design and facilitation

Why or when might you need a professional facilitator?

Sometimes it’s useful to have an external person to support your meetings, workshops or events, to enable you to have conversations that you don’t usually have – and it could be for a range of reasons. They might be tricky topics that will require careful navigation. They might be strategic conversations for which you need to step out of day-to-day operational thinking. They might gather together a number of people and stakeholders who haven’t worked together before. And/or you might need to convene the meeting but be mindful of power relationships, and not want to be the ones setting the agenda and steering the discussions.

I like to design and facilitate sessions that are:

• Welcoming: being attentive to people’s experience from the moment we send the invitations
• Inclusive and accessible: ensuring everyone who wants to, can take part fully
• Comfortable and safe: creating the conditions for people to show up and speak up
• Different and interesting: sessions that are imaginative and support creative thinking
• Participative: inviting people to engage, and co-create their experience (you get out what you put in)
• Relational: focused on connection, and building trust, understanding and relationships

What I actually do when I say “I design and facilitate”:

To start off I work with you to understand the context, participants and purpose, along with the desired outputs (tangible) and outcomes (intangible). This enables me to put together a structure and resources, using the most appropriate facilitation tools and methods, that will enable you to have the conversations that need to be had, in the time that you’ve got. I am sensitive to your audiences and to what will take them out of ‘business as usual’ to have more connected and creative conversations, but not so far out as to put them off! I will think of details including room layout and durations of breaks, table sizes and breakout spaces… and I will make sure the vibe is right for the outcomes and outputs that you need to achieve. I can advise on content for your pre- and post-event communications, so they set the tone, create interest, and are consistent with the session itself. I design for in-person, online, or hybrid spaces; while the same principles (of inclusion and enabling connection) apply, I select the relevant techniques that will be most effective in that environment.

On the day, I brief attendees about each activity and invite feedback and reflections. I also care for all the participants, monitor everyone’s wellbeing and engagement, deal with the unexpected, and defuse any friction to keep the group(s) moving through the flow of the event with respect, good humour and a steady hand.

I can facilitate up to 60 people solo (online or in person) if I’ve designed the session, and I can bring in trusted colleagues for hybrid delivery or larger events.

Want to see some examples of sessions I have designed and facilitated? Click to reveal!

• internal reflection and development, senior leadership strategy, corporate planning sessions
  e.g. how can our organisation consider existing knowledge and imagine new solutions to operational, strategic, or sector challenges? (Natural Resources Wales, Cynon Taf Housing, Tai Pawb)
  e.g. how can our teams communicate and collaborate better around a process we participate in at different stages? (Community Housing Cymru)
  e.g. how can we refresh our governance framework to better reflect our evolving understanding of our organisation and of the context we operate in? (Dyfi Biosphere Reserve)

• network stocktake and future planning
  e.g. how can our network celebrate what we’ve achieved, and prioritise future developments to inform funding applications? (Kirklees KiNETIC Disability Network, UK Future Earth Early Career Research Practitioners Network)

• cross-sector co-creation workshops, policy development
  e.g. how can stakeholder organisations connect and work together to address complex challenges, like responding to climate change, or addressing social and economic inequality? (Natural Resources Wales, AHRC Creative Communities Programme)
  e.g. how can we enable stakeholders from across the sector to rapidly generate draft policy ideas? (social care event hosted by Cartrefi Cymru Cooperative, Gwent Advocacy Strategy)

• public engagement and community conversations
  e.g. how can our local councillors listen to residents and show we’re taking on board a variety of viewpoints to inform a sensitive decision? (Brecon Town Council)
  e.g. engagement of children and young people in formal Welsh Government consultations (draft suicide and self-harm prevention strategy)

• co-design and co-production workshops
  e.g. how can we develop and test ideas together with our service users, to address challenges that affect our service and their lives? (GISDA supporting young people at risk of homelessness, PAVS and Hafal Crossroads supporting people with dementia and their carers, Pembrokeshire Housing Association supporting 55+ residents in sheltered accommodation)
  e.g. how can we co-create a staff housing policy that meets the needs of staff and the needs of the organisation in the context of financial and climate change pressures? (Atlantic College)

• shared learning sessions
  e.g. how can we enable our members to connect, share their learning and experience, and link up with statutory teams? (Kirklees Community Champions Network, Co-production Network for Wales members)
  e.g. how can we create a space for public and civil servants to network, reflect on their roles and hear about innovative ways of working? (One Team Gov in Wales)

Want to see some nice things people have said about my work? Click to reveal!

• “It was received extremely well and the feedback about how we sought the views of the community about such an emotive subject were positive. The online discussion forum (on Zoom) provided an excellent opportunity for community engagement. You facilitated the meeting with professionalism, skill and charisma, and ensured that the event was respectful and productive at all times. Thank you very much indeed for your help and hard work in making it such a success.”– Brecon Town Council Mayor
• “It feels like something special is happening in the space you have facilitated. Thank you so much for helping us.”– Kirklees Community Champions Network
• “Thanks so much for all your hard work and enthusiasm on our behalf to get the workshops organised and delivered so smoothly. It’s been a very inspiring series. The balance between organised and informal worked really well! The sessions were expertly facilitated and a joy to participate in, it’s been something I’ve looked forward to each week. I loved the clarity of the emails, both before the event and the summaries to keep track of actions afterwards. The format and approach to these seminars, in particular your facilitation, has been fun, valuable, and the essential ingredient. The format that you’ve demonstrated has been really effective and novel, I feel I’ve learned a lot about engagement methods just from participating, so huge thanks. Absolute pleasure to work with you, and hope I will do again!” – UK Future Earth, Early Career Research Practitioners Network (various participants)
• “Thanks so much for yesterday! Everyone is raving about you and how much they liked your approach! :)” – Tai Pawb
• “Noreen’s preparation was evident, as was her enthusiasm to get the best out of all participants during the day. She also introduced us to new techniques that helped us debate and discuss key issues in an inclusive way. Noreen displayed a highly coordinated approach, tempered with the flexibility to further explore issues of importance to those participating – which is sometimes key, even if it challenges the set agenda somewhat.” – Tai Pawb
• “I just wanted to thank you for doing such a great job of chairing the Public Services Boards (PSBs) Shared Learning Event for us. Your extensive knowledge and understanding of PSBs really helped to focus delegates’ minds.”– Welsh Government
• “I think your thinking on your feet has been very impressive today. We diverted off script and timetable quite early and we still ended up with a fairly clear sense of purpose which does reflect pretty well on the facilitation.” – eNGO Network
• “We wanted to hold a consultation event that included as many stakeholders as possible and you helped us design a fantastic function; your design meetings for the event were excellent, your advice and guidance invaluable and your facilitation on the day ensured we gathered the information we wanted.” – Gwent Regional Partnership Board