Understanding Facilitation: Theory & Principles

The use of facilitation is changing. Not only is the use of facilitation now prevalent in a far broader range of settings than ever before but the concepts and practices of facilitation are being honed too. This essential introduction to the development and practice of facilitation is the ideal handbook for anyone interested in the topic. Offering everything you need to be able to understand and develop your facilitation skills the book provides a critical synthesis of established and current theory.

Written by a well-respected international expert in the field the book marries rigorous academic research with real world examples from a wide variety of commercial and not-for-profit organisations of all sizes. Ideal for managers, trainers, educators, staff developers, social workers and community workers it provides detailed information on a broad range of topics including:

• The emergence of facilitation
• Definitions and metaphors used in facilitation
• Models of facilitation
• Cross-cultural issues
• Uses of technology for facilitators, and
• Ethics, and professionalising facilitation.

About the Author

Dr Christine Hogan is a professional facilitator, educator, consultant and author. She is committed to helping people to learn how to facilitate and to enhance innovations in facilitation through reflective practice, networking and research.

Christine is an international consultant based in Australia. Her extensive consultancy work in Australia and Asia focuses on personal, organisational and community development. She has worked in Nepal, Mongolia Malaysia and has spent the past three years working in the Lao People`s Democratic Republic. Previously, Christine was a Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Development in the School of Management, Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Western Australia for thirteen years. She coordinated Graduate Human Resource Development Programmes and taught in the areas of Facilitation and Group Processes Skills, Conflict Resolution and Cross-cultural Communication.

Christine is also author of Understanding Facilitation: Theory and Principles (Kogan Page) a companion to this book which focuses on the theoretical background to facilitation. She has also published Facilitating Empowerment: A Handbook for Facilitators, Trainers and Individuals, Kogan Page, and Facilitating Learning: Practical Strategies for College and University, Eruditions. Melbourne.