RMI: Facilitation 101 Course

By invitation only. Reach out to Emily White, emilywhite@RMI.org, for more information.

Over the past ten years, RMI has built extensive experience in structuring collaborative projects and in facilitating diverse groups, through initiatives like eLab Accelerator, Charged Initiative, and Mobility Innovation Lab. In this Facilitation 101 course, RMI shares our approach to facilitation in hopes that it will benefit other organizations. Our approach is informed by extensive experience working with and learning from Reos Partners, who have decades of working knowledge from high-stakes contexts around the world.

The course focuses on the skills to:

• Design strategic collaborative interventions that depart from business as usual;
• Structure collaborative convenings that support relationships;
• Incorporate a wider range of voices into decision-making; and
• Facilitate meetings and interactions across diverse stakeholders.

Who should consider the training

• Individuals working with a wide range of stakeholders with divergent perspectives
• Individuals interested in learning frameworks to support new kinds of collaboration
• Managers responsible for planning and facilitating collaborative projects and meetings
• Leaders setting the vision for ambitious work for their teams or others

Learning goals

Over the course of our two days together, we will

• Introduce the basic principles behind collaborative convening on complex problems, based on RMI’s approach to facilitation;
• Learn several foundational facilitation tools and formats; and
• Build facilitation skills through practice in small groups, with individualized coaching.

Expectations for participation

This is a two-day, in-person immersive training. Training modules are cumulative and build on themselves, over the course of our time together. Therefore, we request that attendees commit their time and attention to participating fully on both days. The schedule will include breakfast, lunch, and other breaks in the mornings and afternoons where participants are welcome to connect with their computers and phones as needed.