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Download
course overview in pdf
“The training gave
me the confidence to trust the overall power of groups, and
my skills in how to get the best out of them. It is readily
accessible, and I have used it extensively since attending
the course” – Donna Green, Models
of Care Co-ordinator, Barnsley Drug & Alcohol Action Team
“The PSP courses
attracted delegates from different countries, cultures and
work background. It was testing and ultimately very rewarding”
- Matt Swain, FB Development
"The course demonstrated
that the method works and can really stimulate the engagement
of those involved. It increased my confidence in the methods
and in my ability to employ them successfully" -
Michiel Lenstra, Arthritis Care
Who this course is for
Group Facilitation
Methods is a pre-requisite for
this course, and Action
Planning is recommended.
The course is suitable for all those who want to be able
to involve people more effectively in planning and implementing
medium to long-term strategies together, including team leaders
and managers within organisations, those working with Boards,
management teams, partnerships and external stakeholders,
youth and community workers and independent facilitators.
Questions this course answers
"How can I enable my group to come to a common vision
for their future? How can I help them make their vision happen
by creatively addressing the root causes of the challenges
that are blocking them, rather than focus simply on fire-fighting
and problem-solving? How can I ensure a real sense of ownership,
so that for once their plan actually happens?”
The course presents a structured long-range planning process
which incorporates the Consensus
Workshop method for building consensus, the Focused
Conversation method for effective group communication
and an implementation process for turning ideas into productive
action and concrete accomplishments.
Those with more experience of facilitation, strategic planning
or our approach may
need no further support to apply the process effectively in
their own situations, and for others the course serves as
a powerful, experiential introduction to the process.
What you will gain
By the end of the course, you will
- have enhanced your capacity for creative strategy building
by exploring and understanding the four stages and the flow
of the Participatory Strategic Planning process, and the
four associated types of thinking – visionary, contradictional,
strategic and practical
- be able to identify when and how to use the Participatory
Strategic Planning process
- have consolidated your understanding of the Focused
Conversation and Consensus
Workshop methods and gained confidence to use and adapt
them
- have further developed your links with others to promote
future collaboration and support in the use of the methods.
Participatory Strategic Planning
is a 4-stage process, each stage involving a specially tailored
Consensus Workshop
process. The four stages are:
Practical Vision - what the group would like to
see in place in 3-5 years’ time, often preceded by
a visualisation exercise.- Underlying Contradictions - the obstacles
or issues that are preventing that vision from happening,
and which must be dealt with in order to move forward
- Strategic Directions - innovative courses
of action that the group can take to deal with the underlying
contradictions and move it toward realising its vision.
- Implementation Plan - a set of practical
actions that will start the group’s journey from where
it is to where it wants to be. A clear outline of what is
to be done, why, how, when and by whom.
Download Participatory
Strategic Planning Method overview (pdf)
Download a case
study (pdf) of how this method was used in community planning
in North London
This method has been featured in publications including Involve’s
'People
and Participation: how to put citizens at the heart of decision
making', the New Economics Foundation’s 'Participation
Works! 21 techniques of community participation for the 21st
century', Bunker & Alban’s 'Large
Group Interventions: Engaging the Whole System for Rapid Change',
Holman & Devane’s 'The
Change Handbook: the definitive resource on today's best methods
for engaging whole systems', and Deutsch, Morton
and Coleman’s “The
Handbook of Conflict Resolution Theory and Practice”.
Learning style
The course presents the process in a practical and participatory
way, enabling the group to experience the complete strategic
planning process during the course. Each of the four workshops
is first demonstrated, using a scenario with which participants
can identify without having to role-play.
These demonstrations also offer a few opportunities for participants
to facilitate parts of the sessions themselves, with coaching
from the trainers. After each workshop, the process is analysed
and discussed. Finally, participants plan how they can apply
the process in their own situations.
It is scheduled directly after Group
Facilitation Methods Refresher to allow from one to three
days of training at once.
What do participants say about this course?
80% of PSP participants in the year to March 2007 rated
this course 8/10 or higher.
Comments from participants’ end-of-course evaluations
included:
- an in-depth look at advanced use of ToP group facilitation
methods for strategic planning
- provides a great tool to enliven your team and involve
them in making commitments to deliver benefits for your
organisation – I really enjoyed the course
- an insightful and inspiring course that opens new doors
in facilitating groups
- great fun with lots of practical knowledge, facilitated
by skilled and friendly facilitators
- hard work, but definitely worth it
- great value and a real learning curve
- this is the best two days you could spend on learning
to plan strategically for maximum impact
Check course dates and book online now.
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