Facilitation

Facilitating public deliberations is different from traditional facilitation of workshops and public meetings.

In deliberative processes participants are usually inexperienced in participating in consultative processes and come along with an open mind. It is important that they are supported to develop critical thinking skills and are provided with information from various perspectives on the issues they are being asked to consider.

Whereas public consultation processes focus on allowing individuals to present their point of view to decision-makers, deliberative processes aim to support the group to develop, as far as possible, a consensus view on behalf of the community.

Nivek from Deliberately Engaging is producing a new podcast series on the art of facilitating public deliberations that is moderated by Professor Lyn Carson and developed in partnership with the newDemocracy Foundation. On this podcast we talk with practitioners, advocates and academics about the history of pubic deliberations and the various approaches to facilitating them.