Facilitation Groundwork – revisiting foundations
NEXT DATES 6-11.4.2025.
LOCATION Croatia, Rabac
Inspired and informed by the IAF competency framework and professional standards for Certified Professional Facilitators, this training will help you expand your toolbox, sharpen your tools, level up your skills and fill your heart with inspiration and passion for mastery in this work and the opportunities it brings for impact.
Who is it for?
This is the programme for trainers, facilitators, team and project leaders, scrum masters, team coaches and others looking for comprehensive training in facilitation skills, and seasoned practitioners wanting to revisit foundations.
It is planned an international programme, held in English.
Why should you join?
Have you ever experienced a meeting that lasted longer that it was planned for? A workshop that got hijacked by conflict and heated emotions?
A decision-making workshop that led to no decision, rather to more confusion? A planning session that ended up with confusion and no clarity in next steps needed to take?
If you are in a business that relies on collaboration – conversations are your critical tool.
Meetings. Strategy workshops. Brainstorming sessions. Training events.
People. Diversity in perspective, goals, motivation, attitudes, communication styles.
Effective facilitation skills have become crucial to create the space for meaningful discussion, empowerment and collaborative decision making within today’s fast paced, resource poor and complex organisational environments. “Business as usual” meeting strategies are no longer appropriate to generate solutions to complex problems involving multiple stakeholders and competing interests.
Social research consistently proves that people are more committed to the ideas and plans that they have participated in creating. Collaborative groups with equal participation among all group members (rather than a few subject matter experts dominating) produce better results. The reason? Such groups consider multiple perspectives, and generate more creative and effective results.
Skilled facilitators are effective leaders, capable of not only designing and leading focused, positive, and productive meetings. They foster creativity, enable ownership and alignment to new directions, and help build the commitment required for successful implementation of ideas and solutions.
Strengthen your core as a facilitator by revisiting foundations.
Your work as a facilitator starts long before you greet your participants in the room.
And often continues after they left.
During the Facilitation Groundwork training we will walk through all off the three stages of your event – the before, the during and the after of your gathering.
BEFORE
Exploring the need
Contracting outcomes
Inviting participants
Designing the process
Preparing the venue
DURING
Welcoming participants – facilitating arrival, contracting outcomes, and guiding principles
Inviting participation
Facilitating and harvesting the process
Being a process guardian
AFTER
Reflection
Evaluation
Follow-up activities
In case of series of events – facilitating the in-betweens
The key elements of the programme
Being a facilitator is about helping people be in the conversation. Think together. Make meaning together. Create ideas, find solutions, make decisions, and learn together.
It is about context, purpose, people, and process. About knowledge, skills, and tools.
There is craft and there is art. There is a relationship, there is a process, there are tools & methods, and there is the magic of you – the unique, authentic expression of who you are as a facilitator.
During our six days together, we will touch base on all.
Understanding the role of a facilitator:
- The context – why do we need facilitation?
- Key definitions and distinctions – what facilitation is and what it isn’t.
- When should you and when should you not take the role of a facilitator?
What we need to know about people and conversations that matter:
- A bit about human nature and who we become in collaboration
- Essentials of group dynamics
Process design:
We design for harvest – what are the outcomes you are aiming for?
- The divergence/emergence/convergence diamond as a map
- Planning the flow of interactions throughout the process
- Types of interactions and how do you choose what, when, for how long …
Methods and tools for:
- opening / facilitating arrival; closing / facilitating commitment and accountability for next steps on departure
- exploring / un-packing a problem; creating ideas
- sense-making; decision-making
- dealing with disagreement and heated emotions in the group
- working with post-its, templates, visual aids
- art and associative tools as helpers (photos, clay, lego-bricks, color/paint)
The magic of you – who are you as a facilitator
- your presence
- your energy, your body, your voice
- your YOU (the unique, authentic superpowers of being YOU)
Bringing it home – working on Your projects
- Reflecting on what and how you can use in your upcoming projects
- Planning, practising and improving own facilitation projects
Trainers
Programme will be held by Adrijana Strnad, CPF and Miljenka Plazonić Bogdan.
We both have a passion for the potential of the groups and learning. With more than 20 years of experience in facilitation and training, we invite you to a learning journey where we will share the art and craft of facilitation with you!
More about us you can find on the team page!
For any questions around the content of the programme please contact us!
How will we work - our training approach
- Experiential, affirmative, interactive, practical
- Opportunity to work on your own projects – design your process, training exercise, meeting or workshop flow.
- Trainer-led facilitation grounded in group coaching and training principles.
- Conceptual knowledge promptly applied in practice.
- Loads of immediate feedback – you will be both loved & hugged and challenged to step into the next level of you.
IAF Core Competencies we rely on
A bit about IAF, what it stands for and why do we rely on the IAF framework?
The International Association of Facilitators (IAF) is a participatory organisation with members in more than 65 countries. As a professional association, it sets internationally accepted industry standards, provides accreditation, supports a community of practice, advocates and educates on the power of facilitation and embraces the diversity of facilitators.
The IAF Core Competencies framework was developed over several years by the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) with the support of its members and facilitators from all over the world. Tested over time, the six competencies form the basic set of skills, knowledge, and behaviours that facilitators must have, to be successful facilitating in a wide variety of environments.
Our program follows and promotes the IAF competency framework, and it will help you deepen your understanding of them.
It is a standard that we, as professional facilitators and members of IAF, hold ourselves accountable to and promote in our work.
Creating Collaborative Client Relationships
Facilitators need to build trust and establish strong relationships with clients in order to effectively understand their needs and goals. This competency involves establishing rapport with clients, understanding their expectations, and setting clear boundaries and agreements for the facilitation process.
Planning Appropriate Group Processes
Facilitators need to have a clear understanding of group dynamics and be able to design and implement appropriate processes that are tailored to the needs and goals of the group. This competency involves selecting appropriate methods and tools, designing agendas and activities, and creating an environment that supports group participation and engagement.
Creating and Sustaining a Participatory Environment
Facilitators need to create a safe and inclusive environment that encourages all participants to contribute and engage in the facilitation process. This competency involves creating ground rules, managing group dynamics, and using techniques to encourage participation and engagement.
Guiding Group to Appropriate and Useful Outcomes
Facilitators need to guide the group towards outcomes that are relevant, meaningful, and actionable. This competency involves using questioning and feedback techniques, facilitating decision-making processes, and ensuring that the group achieves its objectives.
Building and Maintaining Professional Knowledge
Facilitators need to stay up-to-date with the latest facilitation techniques, tools, and methods, and continuously improve their skills and knowledge. This competency involves attending training and development programs, staying informed about best practices in facilitation, and seeking feedback from clients and colleagues.
Pricing and registration
Program price
3500 EUR all-inclusive:
- 6 days training journey, on-site from Sunday to Friday
- Workshop Etui by Neuland filled with facilitation tools
- Accommodation (single use of rooms)
- Food and drinks with group meals and breaks
- Transportation from Zagreb to location (spacy and cosy minibus)
- Materials for participants – handbook and learning sheets
- 3h online follow-up session
25% VAT to be added to the listed price.
UPCOMING DATES IN 2025:
6-11.4.2025. – Croatia, Valamar Sanfior**** Hotel Rabac, with transportation from Zagreb provided
The number of participants is limited and can be from 8 to 12.
DISCOUNT OPTIONS
We encourage you to come with mates! For the second and any following person registering as a team, we offer a 30% discount on the program price. This can be a member of the same organization or a friend or colleague not within the same organization. This offer is time-limited: for dates in April 2025 it is valid for registrations and payment of 20% of the program fee by 30.1.2025.
AOPL Croatia Alumni - participants of the AOPL or AOH training held in Croatia- have 10% personal price discount! Claim it by adding a remark "AOH/AOPL alumni" in comments in registration form.
For all logistical questions, offers and payments, you can reach to our support at office.cplcroatia@gmail.com
Training is organised in partnership with SMINKO d.o.o.
CPL Terms of Service and Privacy Policy apply for all registrations, as presented in the registration form.
Location
The location of the programme supports vivid interchange of indoor and outdoor activities for a week long programme. Depending on the date of the training, location will change, but generally it is up to 3 hours drive from Zagreb, with transportation from Zagreb provided.
Training in April 2025 will be held at the Istrian seaside in Hotel Valamar Sanfior in Rabac. The beautiful hotel and surroundings offer a lot of inspiring space inside and outside for our work, comfortable accommodation and privacy for each participant. The hotel offers many options to relax and enjoy after-work hours as well.
All photos of the location are part of their promo materials, all rights reserved.
What participants say about the training:
“I felt like the training was just 4 hours long, not 6 days! Pausing to consider each step and question before, during, and after facilitating the workshop was my preciousss. Adrijana, Miljenka, Tihana— their positive vibes, support, and knowledge, along with the group’s energy, took us to another dimension. It felt like I was in the perfect place, at the perfect time, with the perfect people, and everything was as easy, easy like Sunday morning. I hope this is just the beginning.”
– Josipa
“Facilitation as a process is more about guiding, less about leading. If applied in a good manner it can significantly improve group efficiency. I liked the practical work, good balance between work and free time, trainers and participants that contributed to my learning journey a lot.”
– Dubravka
“The training offered a perfect mix of heartfelt laughter, deep connection, and focused collaboration. It deepened my understanding of facilitation and strengthened the tools I need to create inclusive and engaging spaces for teams to work together effectively. The opportunity to reflect, learn, and practice in such a supportive group added incredible value to my professional growth.”
– Katarina
“This workshop has provided me with not only facilitation tools but also shaped the facilitator part of my personality. It’s a perfect combination of learning by experiencing and learning by doing. Miljenka and Adrijana, the excellent co-leaders, guided us through the process with ease and valuable insight. I highly recommend this workshop to anyone who wants to grow as facilitator and trainer.”
– Otilia
Ready to learn?
You are warmly invited to join us on a unique learning journey!
You would like to join? Find dates that fit your schedule!
Register for dates in 2025:
6-11.4.2025. Valamar Sanfior Hotel & Casa, Rabac, Croatia
