How do you facilitate consensus workshops online without a StickyWall?

Ever wondered how to approach a Consensus Workshop online without the help of paper, markers and a StickyWall? Do you find it more difficult to read the mood in the room when facilitating a virtual Focused Conversation?

Over the past few years our team has been hard at work, exploring, testing and perfecting different tools, techniques and platforms for making ToP work as powerfully in a virtual environment as it does face to face.

However, whilst we have been busy delivering our new online Group Facilitation Methods course to participants new to ToP, we wondered how we could support our previous 25 years worth of ToP graduates to deliver the methods virtually. We have therefore worked to condense our learning into a 5 hour course, designed especially for graduates of our Group Facilitation Methods face to face course.

The course is run over 1 full day in 2 x 2.5 hour sessions.

Who is this course for?

Designed for those who have taken ICA’s Group Facilitation Methods course in a face to face environment, the course will support those who are already confident in delivering the Focused Conversation and Consensus Workshop methods in person, move the methods online. It is also ideal for anyone who needs a refresher of the ToP methods without having to attend the full Group Facilitation Methods course again.

What you will gain

By the end of the course, you will

  • Have gained multiple tools and tips for facilitating groups in an online environment
  • Have considered ways we can maintain our values of participation and inclusivity while facilitating virtually
  • Learnt and experienced how to run consensus workshops virtually using different platforms
  • Understand how to adapt workshops for groups of differing technical abilities
  • More than 50 years of ICA experience in community development, consensus-building, and participation
  • Have built links with others to promote future collaboration and support in the use of the method
  • Be able to use our different  online consensus workshop and other virtual templates (these can purchased as optional extras with your booking or separately on our StickyWalls page).

Learning style

The course presents the tools in a practical and participatory way. Each tool is demonstrated as it would be used online and participants will develop first hand experience of how it feels to be a part of an online ToP workshop. There will be space for reflection and a chance for participants’ to share own experiences of online facilitation and meetings. Participants will develop their understanding of what is involved in making ToP work online and gain tools for maintaining high levels of participation during online ToP workshops

What do participants say about this course?

Comments from participants’ end-of-course evaluations included:

  • Seeing online workshops for the first time was brilliant and I enjoyed the useful general tips around effective online interaction
  • The course was extremely practical
  • Being able to see the tools used and how the face to face techniques can be transferred online was invaluable
  • I saw aspects of online whiteboarding I wasn’t even aware of
  • Full of useful hints and tips for running workshops online
  • Appreciated being shown the wide variety of tips and tricks to make facilitation with online whiteboards more effective
  • It was great working on the online whiteboard, seeing the templates used and being lead through each, step by step

Please visit our course calendar to see upcoming dates and locations for this course and make a booking.  Alternatively, contact us to enquire about a tailored in-house course for your organisation.