Module 1.3. Participatory Methods

Community mobilisation isn’t a one-time ‘launch’, but rather an ongoing process in support of meaningful participation. Locally Led Action for Climate, Peace and Security relies on inclusive, collaborative approaches at every stage of the project cycle – requiring good facilitation.

Module 1.3 presents strategies for coordinating group activities and discussions. Guidance is provided regarding:

Because participation is so integral to locally led action, these approaches will be useful throughout the LLACPS process. But bear in mind that every community, every facilitator and every event are different: No one tool will always be appropriate to every setting. Project managers should familiarise themselves with a range of techniques and know where to find additional ideas, so they are prepared to facilitate in a variety of situations and can regularly offer fresh approaches.

This module will help users:

• facilitate participatory approaches to project management in a variety of contexts
• set the tone for productive collaboration through expectation and conflict management
• explore a range of teambuilding and group engagement activities

WHAT IS FACILITATION?

Facilitation is the art of supporting people through a collective process or conversation. It can happen in a group of 3 or 3,000. It usually involves two phases: Design and Delivery. Design involves gaining clarity on the purpose of the process or meeting, thinking through who will participate in it and matching facilitation methods to the purpose and group. Delivery is what happens when the participants and facilitator come together and use those methods to deliberate and/or act. Both phases can be conducted by a facilitating individual or a team.

WHY INVEST IN FACILITATION?

Facilitation is a powerful tool because it brings attention and intention to all the various aspects of how people come together. Getting clear on the purpose for gathering, understanding the needs of participants and designing or delivering an experience tailored to that unique circumstance allows for greater trust and more effective work.  Emphasising inclusive participation in facilitation strategies puts people at the centre, recognising that it is the participants of a project who hold the expertise and capacity to identify solutions and make things happen.

WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES FOR FACILITATION?

The limits of facilitation revolve around both design and delivery challenges. Facilitators might fail to understand the participants well, resulting in a design that doesn’t meet the needs of the group or their purpose for gathering. Alternatively, facilitators could design the perfect activity, but fail to deliver it in a way that is clear or workable for participants.

The facilitator’s personality and delivery style will affect how participants feel during an activity and what the results are. While good design and delivery can somewhat control for this, there will still be relational elements – and some participants may simply not like a particular delivery style. Having multiple facilitators on a project team can help appeal to a diversity of participants – but careful coordination amongst the team is essential.

Lastly, it’s important to acknowledge that facilitators may abuse the power of their position, advancing their own agenda as opposed to one for the collective good – and this may happen intentionally or unintentionally. The immediate integration of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning processes can help by creating early warning signs for any concerns.

WHAT IS EXPECTATION MANAGEMENT?

Expectation management is an important step at the start of a locally led action project. After the individuals and groups that will be involved have been identified, it’s necessary to transparently communicate with them about what the process will include and what the project might accomplish. It is just as important to be clear about what is unlikely to happen and what isn’t in the project remit, as to highlight what is.

Expectation management is about ensuring that participants have a clear understanding of what the project will entail and what they will get out of being involved. It involves acknowledging the potential costs and intended benefits of a project, without building up hopes that can’t be realised. “Underpromise, overdeliver” is a common mantra for effective expectation management.

At the start of community mobilisation, expectation management should involve delivering information regarding an initiative while also creating space for feedback from participants in order to co-create and improve the intended process. 

WHY INVEST IN EXPECTATION MANAGEMENT?

Expectation management is useful because it brings participants into the process from the beginning, creating a shared understanding of the project’s overall intention, goals and rationale. Sharing this information from the beginning helps build a connection, creates space for people to decide how or whether they want to participate and establishes a common foundation for further action. It also supports conflict management by making explicit the reality that a locally led action process cannot address all of the issues for a community, that participation may not translate directly to financial compensation and that the nature of the collective participatory process means that an individual actor’s vision may not be fully implemented.

WHAT ARE SOME TECHNIQUES FOR EXPECTATION MANAGEMENT?

Expectation management involves (1) open communication, (2) realistic goals and (3) participant engagement. It should not be viewed as a one-way transfer of information, but rather as a dialogue in which both facilitator and participant share their understandings and assumptions in order to refine each other’s expectations and the overall structure of the process.

Given this, expectation management often works best in one-on-one or small group conversations that focus on relationship-building. Rather than gathering a large group of people, giving a presentation and holding a brief Q&A, it is helpful to meet each group for a bespoke conversation. This will allow a projector manager or facilitator to connect with the diversity of actors, share their ideas and gain an understanding of what concerns or individual goals the various actors might have. Feedback from these small group discussions can inform the Design and Delivery of facilitation guiding the rest of the project.

Facilitations should pay particular attention to societal norms, community needs and power dynamics before scheduling meetings with potential participants. If, for example, a facilitator holds a much greater degree of power than a particular individual, it may be more appropriate to suggest a small group meeting and/or to ensure the discussion takes place in a location that is culturally appropriate and feels safe to the individual.

WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES FOR EXPECTATION MANAGEMENT?

Even if a facilitator is fully transparent about the project’s structure and likely outcomes, participants may not fully adjust their own expectations; it is also possible that they may not openly acknowledge (even to themselves) their assumptions and goals. Poor or incomplete expectation management may lead to frustration, distrust and non-engagement; in some cases, this might go so far as an actor spoiling the project or instigating destructive forms of conflict.

WHAT ARE ICEBREAKERS?

Icebreakers are a form of introductions that seek to tackle initial awkwardness or distance by engaging attendees in an easy “get to know you” exercise. Some common icebreaker styles are: (1) putting participants in pairs to speak to one another, (2) going around a circle with a light question or prompt, and (3) playing an easy-to-follow game that gets participants moving and laughing together.

WHY USE ICEBREAKERS?

Icebreaker introductions are a friendly, embodied way of “breaking the ice” that can exist between individuals in a newly-formed group. The “ice” can be a hesitation to speak up, a feeling of intimidation about being in a group setting or simply a lack of willingness to engage with others. Icebreakers are most often used when not all members of a group know one another, but they can also be useful to set the tone at a start of an activity even if everyone knows each other, especially if there is a feeling of nervousness or standoffishness amongst the group. 

WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES FOR ICEBREAKERS?

As with any facilitation technique, some participants may find icebreaker introductions outside of their comfort zone, particularly if silly or fun. Many people are used to (and may prefer) engaging in professional settings without humor, games or movement. This might be the result of previous settings they’ve worked in or cultural hierarchies they exist in, and it’s important to recognise this. That doesn’t mean that icebreakers can’t still be useful – and what one participant doesn’t enjoy, another might really like. It is okay if not all participants find an icebreaker introduction ‘fun’: As a facilitator, you should honour a diversity of participants by creating a variety of activity and conversation styles throughout a meeting or event. The potential downsides of icebreakers can be minimised by keeping them brief but high-impact, so they are memorable but do not require any particular participant to sit in discomfort for an overly long period. 

WHAT ARE ENERGISERS?

An energiser is a short activity that can be introduced at virtually any point during an event, activity or meeting to infuse energy in a group. Groups and individuals may lose energy from prolonged social interaction, repeated mental exertion or sitting in the same position for too long.

Energisers are usually 2-15 minutes long, and generally involve physical movement, which need not be strenuous. Energisers may be built into the planned agenda of an event, or conducted spontaneously in response to lagging energy.

WHY USE ENERGISERS?

Bringing groups together requires a lot of coordination, and there will frequently be scheduling and logistical constraints. It is not uncommon that a meeting’s agenda becomes overly full, as a project manager tries to accomplish as much as possible during a rare moment when everyone is available. This attempt at efficiency can become counterproductive, though, when the group is too strained to meaningfully engage. The primary purpose of an energiser is to enable the group to more enthusiastically and successfully complete subsequent activities – and it is important to remember, as a facilitator, that taking time can essentially make time. Diverting the group toward a seemingly unrelated energy can improve focus, comradery and creativity, resulting in greater efficiency and productivity during the rest of the session.

WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES FOR ENERGISERS?

Energisers won’t always work. A group may be so tired that they do not understand the instructions, refuse to engage in the activity or are not more apparently energised at the end of it. Facilitators should be upfront about the intended goals of the activity, recognise when it hasn’t worked and open the floor to feedback.

When energisers don’t work, a facilitator might rearrange the order of planned activities (shifting to an agenda item that requires less social energy and/or mental focus) or give the group an extended break. In some cases, ending early – even without completing everything on the schedule – will be the right thing to do. Pushing a group that is at its limits is unlikely to result in meaningful outcomes, and may inadvertently foster tensions.

WHAT IS CONFLICT MANAGEMENT?

Conflict management is a set of approaches for addressing tensions within a group. Locally Led Action for Climate, Peace and Security projects will often be working in conflict-affected contexts experiencing or recovering from organised forms of armed violence. LLACPS interventions might thus engage more broadscale forms of conflict management. But regardless of the broader context, facilitators of participatory processes are likely to encounter more ‘everyday’ forms of conflict (i.e., non-violent disputes between members of a team). This type of conflict is not inevitably “bad” or harmful (it can, in fact, be a useful “window of opportunity”), but it often indicates misalignment.

Conflict can stem from many aspects of shared work and life, including disagreement about the best way to approach something, diverging values or opinions, miscommunication, misallocation of time or other resources, personal tensions between individuals and violations of social norms or formal policies.

Conflict management is the process by which facilitators effectively handle disputes to minimise negative outcomes and, ideally, create positive results.

WHY INVEST IN CONFLICT MANAGEMENT?

Through effective conflict management, facilitators can prevent disagreements and tensions from becoming destructive while recentring a group toward their shared purpose. Conflict management provides a way to productively navigate everyday tensions without damaging a group, its members or its activities.

Rather than shying away from non-violent conflict or pretending disagreements don’t exist, conflict management provides a structured, open platform for discussion that encourages active listening from everyone involved. By identifying and addressing the source of a dispute, group coherence and trust can be maintained and even strengthened, supporting its members as well as its external goals.

WHAT ARE SOME TECHNIQUES FOR CONFLICT MANAGEMENT?

Conflict management approaches vary. Some techniques aim to prevent conflict (which is not the same as sidestepping it if/when it does arise!); others create ways to productively address an existing conflict. One of the most common, easy and effective measures for prevention is collaboratively creating group norms: a list of rules for how the group will engage and work together. These norms might include actions such as (1) only one person speaks at once, with hands raised to indicate interest in speaking, (2) explicitly acknowledging the power dynamics in the room; and (3) assuming best intentions. It’s important that these norms are established by the entire group together, so that the norms can be called upon if tensions arise.

Another strategy for conflict management emphasises the careful planning of the participatory processes themselves. For example, if a Locally Led Action for Climate, Peace and Security team regularly meets at the same time as another activity is scheduled or must happen, participants are effectively being asked to choose between them. This can lead to feelings of exclusion or assumptions of favouritism.

Inclusive participation is one of the most effective tools in conflict management: Though having diverse perspectives and experiences in the room may make differences of opinion and diverging values more likely, the relationship building and collaboration that has taken place will mean that the facilitator and group members are more equipped to productively engage with disputes as they arise.

Conflict sensitivity and inclusion, just like participation, require additional time and resources – but they will make interventions more impactful and long-lasting, and will help achieve the fundamental goal of sustainable peace. The Toolbox on Addressing Climate-related Security Risks: Conflict Sensitivity for Climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Livelihoods includes question checklists to help facilitators and project managers consider whether inclusivity and conflict sensitivity have been adequately integrated in planning processes. Not all of the questions will be relevant to every project, but they provide entry points for discussion and review.

Questions for inclusivity

• Have you conducted a gender and social inclusion analysis?
• How do different identity markers and related power dynamics shape or influence the ways in which people are included or excluded from decision-making in community/region (e.g. gender, race, ethnicity, religion, citizenship, age, caste, ability)?
• Have you considered the daily and seasonal schedules of different groups of women, men, girls, and boys, and designed your project interventions in a way that enables the inclusion of all groups (e.g. setting appropriate meeting times)?
• Have you considered community norms that may exclude certain groups from full participation in project activities (e.g. taboos for women or men, childcare needs, time availability)?
• Have you considered who the most marginalised women, girls, men and boys in the community are and why?
• What social and economic programmes are available to different groups in the community?
• Who does and does not have access or control over productive resources and why?
• Which groups have the lowest and the highest levels of public representation and why?
• What laws, policies and organisational practices limit the opportunities of different groups?
• What opportunities facilitate the advancement of different groups?
• What initiatives would address the needs of the most marginalised or discriminated groups in society?

Questions for conflict sensitivity

• Has a conflict analysis been conducted (at the local and national level)? Does it include an assessment of underlying conflict factors and power dynamics as well as a stakeholder analysis? How has the design of the project been informed by this analysis?
• Have you considered whether and how project activities could make conflict worse, or spark conflict within or between communities? If so, how will risks be managed and monitored?
• Have you considered how your project would respond if there were to be an increase in conflict within or close to the project sites?
• Have you identified specific challenges faced by men and women, young people, boys and girls?
• Have you identified any underlying values and attitudes relating to gender that may be responsible for driving gender inequalities? How might these affect your project, and how might your project affect these values and attitudes?
• How have the project beneficiaries and partners been selected? Has this been informed by the conflict analysis (e.g., accounting for any divisions along ethnic, political or social lines)? Were clear criteria for participant selection developed with the local communities (including both direct beneficiaries and surrounding communities)?
• Are communities involved in decision-making and planning around the programme design, implementation and monitoring? What feedback and accountability mechanisms have been built into the programme implementation plans?
• Does your M&E framework reflect the ways in which the project interacts with conflict dynamics? Does it capture the effects that the project will have on conflict, and impacts that the conflict dynamics could have on the intervention?
• Do budgets include provision for updating the conflict analysis and building capacity of staff, partners or community members in conflict and gender sensitivity?

WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES FOR CONFLICT MANAGEMENT?

Internal team disputes will each resolve in a unique way. Things might essentially ‘revert’ to the way things were after a low-level conflict is addressed. Someone might leave the project. In particularly unfortunate circumstances, a project might fully come to an end. In more ideal situations, people will learn about themselves, build trust and move forward together toward a better next step.

But while good facilitation can do a lot to nudge conflict toward a productive outcome, sometimes all the good mediation in the world will not be able to meet the desires of a particular participant or address a systemic issue. Facilitators are not infallible, and participation will not always be the idyllic vision it can sound like in a report. Acknowledging individual and group limitations, and taking time to learn together after a dispute, is important. Even if a particular team conflict results in fracture or project dismantling, there is still an opportunity to debrief with at least some of the group and carry lessons into future projects and collaborations.

WHAT IS TEAMBUILDING?

Teambuilding refers to activities that help build trust, appreciation and communication between members of a team. They might be conducted explicitly or implicitly; for instance, a facilitator might lead an activity intended to better understand group members’ various communication styles and tell the team to intentionally pay attention and learn from one another, or simply carry out the activity and allow that learning to emerge organically (often with a more explicit reflection afterward).

Teambuilding activities can range in length and level of frivolity or seriousness, but generally do not result in tangible outputs. Sessions where a particular end result is expected or necessary should not be framed to participants as ‘teambuilding’. For example, “planning an event” is not a teambuilding exercise – but a brainstorming exercise designing an entirely hypothetical ‘dream’ event in order to learn more about each other and encourage creativity could be.

WHY INVEST IN TEAMBUILDING?

Teambuilding can help a group of people who work together, whether formal colleagues or individuals from different groups, understand each other better. Participants can learn how the people around them communicate, listen, think, act and feel, which will in turn support more meaningful collaboration. Teambuilding can also build trust between individuals in a light-hearted setting, making it easier to coordinate their efforts while implementing a project under “real-world” constraints. 

WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES FOR TEAMBUILDING?

Some groups of people simply may not work well together. Teambuilding may fall flat if the individuals in the group do not like one another, do not trust the process or have no willingness to meaningfully engage. If tensions exist across the group, particularly due to power structures, teambuilding is likely to fail unless those tensions are previously addressed, ideally through conflict management. 

It is also important to consider cultural norms and personal preferences when planning teambuilding activities. For instance, ‘trust falls’ are an oft-cited teambuilding activity, but it may not be appropriate to expect participants to be comfortable touching each other or engaging in overly physical activity in a mixed group setting. Respecting these wishes and designing activities that everyone will feel comfortable participating in is an important component of inclusive, conflict-sensitive facilitation.