Results-focused Project Design and Management » Tools

Visual Facilitators…New Kids on your Block

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:27:00 +0000

Have you ever attended conferences that have lots of: (a) boring Powerpoint presenters; (b) brainstorming but too little documentation; or (c) actions but flat and text-heavy post-conference reports? Well, it’s time to bring-in the Visual Facilitator (VF)!

VFs are the new kids on the block who can work closely with the main conference facilitators like you. They draw and use symbols, images and words to capture the group conversations. They use visual facilitation techniques to build the knowledge, experience and capacity of groups and enable them to reach their desired outcomes. Their results are captivating visual record of the group’s memory about what happened.

Visual facilitation is now part of your facilitation arsenal. It outlines group processes and agendas, captures conversation themes and content, and highlights forward steps and actions. Like it or not, VFs can creatively use flip charts, brown papers on a wall, whiteboards, transparencies, templates and more recently, iPads to do the drawings. They capture ideas, engage participants, clarify the important conversation themes and (more importantly!), illustrate the decisions made. Harvard thought that VFs are here to stay!

VFs understand the power of visuals for boosting group engagement. They use symbols and images that are appealing, powerful, engaging and creatively represent the concepts covered by the group. In short, VFs benefits can be summed up in three words beginning with the letter “i”, VFs can: (a) integrate, (b) include (everyone), and (c) inspire.

Here’s a brief explanation.

Your Move. Why not consider inviting a VF in your next facilitation engagement. In the meantime, you can learn more (or even become a VF) by:

(1) Buy and read a book.

(2) Attend a 7-part YouTube e-Learning course.

(3) Join the International Forum of Visual Practitioners.

(4) Attend the Melbourne IAF Building Capacity through Facilitation for Oceania Conference in March.

M&E Systems & Your Cellphones

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:20:35 +0000

You guessed it! Project management is discovering more and more uses of the power of the ever present cellphones. Like the internet, cellphones reached the remote rural areas much faster than refrigerators, TV, radio and even electricity did.

Now monitoring and evaluation (M&E) has invaded the cellphone space and is now gaining traction among development facilitators. They are joining the bandwagon for cost effectiveness and the fun of using a technology for the usually tiring and boring ME chores. In this method, the beneficiary-respondents use GMS-enabled phones as point of interest (POI) input devices that feed to a central data server via a database template for aggregation, visualization and even re-dissemination of the processed data over the internet. PMUs can do the four simple steps: (a) create an account, (b) download and install a software, (c) collect location data and (d) upload, and view and analyze over the web portal. The process is simple, paperless, and guarantees real time data monitoring. It allows for instantaneous response and actions from the field.

POIMapper® is one such system. PoiMapper is a mobile POI data collection and sharing solution. It is suitable for development projects focusing on: health, education, agriculture, forestry, mining, governance, land use management, climate change, disaster management and for commercial applications like installation and maintenance of telecommunications equipment. It is offered with a complete cost-effective SaaS (software-as-service) model and is provided by Pajat Management and global partners, who also provide related services such as training, on-site support and organization/sector-specific customization.

With Plan International, POIMapper has three installations: Thailand, India and Kenya. You can download a full description in this site.

For a limited time, individuals and organizations can avail of a free POIMapper installation starting here.

Development, iPad and You!

admin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 03:41:02 +0000

The internet revolution continue to influence the speed and directions of development. Last year saw its potentials in starting and sustaining deep transformations, not only in organizations but in countries as well. It affected everyone including the way we do our development practice. Last year, IPad gradually move-in to our domains. Not only did we see iPad’s with our participants, but other facilitators as well. As an information collection point, the iPad can be a powerful space for disseminating (and reporting) development results. The World Bank is a case in point. Since it began as a thick, analytical, data-full and graphics intensive publication in 1978, WB’s World Development Report (WDR) moved from print to PDFs to web 2.0 channels. The new edition is about gender equality. It argues that gender equality is a core development issue and departs from the contemporary view of expanding freedoms equally for men and women. Before iPad, the WDR readers’ internet experience consisted of multiple channels (text, video, galleries, slideshows, downloads, etc.) and use of interactive elements like commentaries, discussion, chats and telephony. This year, WB aims to make reading analytical reports even more accessible, fun, intimate, and truly engaging experience.

In this edition, WB is offering the WDR 2012 as a free iPad application (called WDR 2012 App for iPad). It allows you to easily find the analysis, data, and policy recommendations of the report by key message, region, topic, and dozens of keywords such as “employment opportunities,” “property rights,” “infant mortality,” and “domestic violence.” It has more materials than any printed version can handle. Moreover, it has social sharing and “favorites” features. Released last December 05, 2011, the App can be downloaded from the AppStore on your iPad or web. More information is available here. In case you’re wondering, it is not available for iPhone 4s just yet! But could soon be! Is this the beginning of a new reporting trend? Write us!

New on Facilitate Proceedings

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:22:49 +0000

Do you manage global teams that need to bridge not only distance and time zones but cultural backgrounds? Have you heard buzz about the latest Forbes Insight study on the case for in-person business meetings? Do you think it’s feasible to collaborate on the selection of an organization’s next CEO without ever meeting face to face?

Find answers and stimulating commentary on these and other topics in September’s issue of FacilitateProceedings:

We’ve gotten lots of great reviews from our latest white paper about the 8 design principles for creating interactive webinars that keep participants on the edge of their seats and away from their emails. Download it here: Designing Interactive Webinars.

Stories and Facilitation

admin — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 09:59:27 +0000

There has been a recent revival in the interest and fascination of change makers, leaders and facilitators on the potency of stories as a tool for inquiry and transformative change. More and more evidence from projects, organizations and communities show its potentials for situation and stakeholder analysis. Since we were young, we have always been fascinated, inspired, and moved by stories. Stories of various genre simply recount events that happened to you or someone else you know, or even stories from other sources such as movies, books or plays.

An effective story is surprising, emotional but most importantly it must be credible. In organizations, stories are the texts, spoken or written, as well as visual (problem trees, mindmaps, asset maps, etc.) that usually involve a plot of different interconnected events, binding different characters together about a project, organization or community.

In his paper on Why some Leaders Inspire Action while Others are Mostly Forgettable (download here), Shawn Callahan of Annecdote.com shared four reasons on the importance of stories in organizations. Stories: (a) convey emotion effectively, and emotion plus a strong idea can be persuasive, we can feel and remember them and eventually, our emotions inspire us to take action; (b) are concrete and have the ability to transport us imaginatively to a place where we can visualise the events being recounted; (c)are memorable: we are up to 22 times more likely to remember a story than a set of disconnected facts (such as presentation dot-points); and (4) represent a pull strategy, unlike the push strategy used when we argue in a more traditional way. Stories engage the listener, pulling them into the story to participate in the conversation, rather than telling them what to think.

Professor Brian Sturm presents storytelling as a way of organizing information, conveying emotions, and building community. A model of storytelling as altered state of consciousness (the story trance) is presented that inlcudes 16 portals to altered states. Three stories are told to illustrate the theoretical model: Truth and Story; What happens when you really listen; and The stone cutter. Storytelling ethics and the need for trust and truth are discussed in this 45 minute video.

In a Pecha kucha way, Shawn showed us how stories can handle even highly complex and chaotic situations requiring leadership and development champions.

Isn’t it time that we start collecting, sharing and exchanging stories?

Webinars for Facilitators

admin — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 01:25:54 +0000

What is it? A webinar is a web conference, a web-cast, live meeting or a web seminar. It began as a one-way (partticipants are passive) and has now evolve in two-way communication system. Participants in different locations “login” to the meeting host via their computers and watch the meeting on their screens. It can consist simply of a PowerPoint presentation. Or a podcast. Or streaming video. Or a nice and engaging combination together with a facilitator who manages the learning and communications process. Indeed, the texty web message boards and forums of yesteryears have now seamlessly converged with other technologies like telephony, podcasting, streaming videos, chats, twitter, etc. Depending on the host, webinars can allow extra features like having a participant hide from the others attending the same seminar. Simply, they have become more accessible to normals like you an me. Here are two infobytes that can open the webinar opportunity for you.

To do good in Webinars, Julia Young of Facilitate Proceeding dished out five great tips for those amongst us wanting to become better web presenters and facilitators. The original five included: (a) design your agenda with a distracted participant in mind, (b) give out slides in advance – review briefly and then start asking provocative questions, (c) skip the video – prepare for a good dialogue between a moderator and expert, (d) don’t compromise the interactive learning portion of your workshop, and (e) look for ways to engage your participants before and after. Get more on her site. She has just expanded the list with additional 15 more tips. We found two that are worth noting, even if you are not an online presenter. These are: (a) think like a facilitator and not a speaker or presenter and (b) develop virtual platform skills. Continue reading. She has also invited visitors to join her webinars, perhaps a good way to usher you in to this opportunity for facilitators.

Can we now mount webinars on the web? The answer is a resounding yes. And perhaps even much sooner than you think. Gone are the days when we needed a well equipped studio, a lighting crew, sound engineers and Hollywood editors, and so on. Now, a laptop (most of them comes with cameras too), a free software, and a host site could do the trick. Will the learning and enablement take time? You can invest one to two months spread over a year depending on your spare time. Yes it is easier said than done. However, if you have the patience, talent, and motivation, here are three baby steps to get you started. Now! First, get to know streaming technology. This site is a good intro and visit others too. Second, download a free software, play a bit and learn to use it. Third, rehearse! Recall Julia’s tips. Now continue practicing doing your own webinars. This could be just another opportunity for online facilitators, waiting to be tapped.

Facilitators: From Good to Fabulous!

admin — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:24:35 +0000

What makes great facilitators tick? In this post, three specialists offered their views. Everyone has the common notion that a facilitator’s role is to serve as a catalyst, creating the conditions and motivation that will allow productive group dynamics to unfold, and helping the participants shape and reach a consensus decision. Facilitation 101 tell us that good facilitators require: (a) careful observation, (b) active listening skills, (c) a good sense of timing, (d) sensitivity to, and an understanding of, group dynamics, and (e) courage to allow the group to move into any area, regardless of personal comfort level. So, how do you move from good to fabulous?

Michael Wilkinson of Leadership Strategies, Inc. recommends seven key skill areas. These are the ability to: (a) establish and maintain a high energy level, (b) formulate effective starting questions that drives the group to respond, (c) accept and summarize responses, (d) record the gists of what were said, (e) effectively carry the group through the process, (f) can demonstrate how to stay neutral, and (g) design and roll-out customized processes unique to the event. You can read the full article here.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ellen Weber from Brain Business points to the five faces of effective facilitators. These are: (a) curiosity and openness, (b) blind to people’s diverse characters, (c) ability to set the atmosphere and maintain it, (d) encouraging and stimulating, and (e) well organized. More details on her article can be found here. Note that the links offer more explanations.

Finally, Julie Grass of Momentum Group offered these tips for fabulous facilitators: (a) Never underestimate the power of AHA, (b) understand the audience and tune in, (c) mix-up, (d) humour, laughter and creativity; and (e) plan ahead and synch with the group. She outline these in her paper called Some Facilitators are Great and Some are Horrid. How do you rate with the above competencies?
Photo courtesy of Wordle.net.

Pecha Kucha: Presentations where Less is More!

admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:38:48 +0000

Ever wondered how to present your DMF to pressed-for-time executives, project managers and stakeholders? These days, they are no longer easily impressed with Powerpoint as they used to. In fact, many are turned-off seeing yet another Powerpoint slides with the standard templates. They don’t like long and boring lectures either. Enter micro lectures via Petcha Kucha.

Petcha Kutcha (pronounced pet-chach-ka) is the Japanese word for “chatter”. It is a presentation format in which content can be easily, efficiently and informally shown, usually at a public event called for that purpose. In this format, the presenter shows 20 images for 20 seconds apiece; exactly for 6 minutes and 40 seconds. It forces one to be concise, creative and compelling. How do we do it?

Originally devised by Architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham who sought to give young designers a venue to meet, network, show their work and to attract people to their experimental event space. They devised a format that kept presentations very concise to stimulate and sustain audience attention and increase the number of presenters within the course of one night. A typical Pecha Kucha Night hosts eight to 14 presenters. This video shows how it works!

Now, there are Pecha Kucha nights in 80 cities in the world. In Munich, Brussels, Melbourne, San Francisco, Glasgow, Eindhoven, Jakarta and Manila.

Why not Pecha Kutcha in development? Why not Petcha Kucha in your next meeting? Can you use it in presenting your next project’s DMF to the beneficiaries? We like to hear your stories!

A Project Managers’ Song

admin — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 03:11:55 +0000

I was directed by a friend to this video site on the net. I knew the song from yesteryears…but I have never heard it sang this way before. It is a wonderful song sang by less than famous singers and musicians who are sending us the the message of peace, solidarity and hope during this most difficult times.

It is a composite audio/video of song whereby additional tracks were laid in by different singers and musicians from different places around the world. The finished product is tremendous! The song itself is that classic standard “Stand By Me” released in 1955 by The Staple Singers and released again in 1961 by the Drifters. This composite version is a real toe tapper.

Interestingly, “stand by me” could be a song by a project manager to solicit more commitment, ownership and teamwork. I will try and show it at the end of every project development workshop that I will conduct. Lots of hhhuuggssss

Ed Canela

Click to watch….

Training of Facilitators in Hue, Vietnam Completed

admin — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:50:35 +0000

Another Training of Facilitators in Results-focused Project Design and Management has been conducted at the Pilgrimage Village Hotel in Hue, Vietnam. The event ran from 12-20 May and was attended by a good mix of international participants from different backgrounds. The group, composed of individuals from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Laos, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Singapore, and a host of project managers from the Vietnam government, has finally completed the nine-day training workshop which included sessions on the project design tools and facilitation inputs.