Lack of commuication and the need for more transparency has been a common theme among citizens statewide and reflected in several media outlets throughout the Commonwealth.  Extension agents can play an integral role in facilitating discussions among stakeholders and decision makers.  However, many agent expressed the need learn how to facilitate discussions or practice facilitation skills prior to hosting events.   To meet address the need a statewide facilitation training was replicated in the Western part of the state.   Thirteen agents gathered for a day of facilitation training at the Cooperative Extension Office in McCracken County in September. Dan Kahl and Lori Garkovich, Extension Community and Leadership Development/CEDIK faculty, and Jennifer Bridge, Meade County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences Education, led this one-day training to help extension agents develop and improve their facilitation skills when working with community teams.   The workshop content focused on core facilitation practices that support full participation, meaningful involvement, and effective group progress. The workshop allowed facilitation practice so participants could learn, test and improve important facilitation skills.

The ability to effectively facilitate meetings is a skill set important to all Cooperative Extension agents. The agents identified many situations when they lead formal facilitation activities and times when they facilitate informally as a member of the group.  Agents shared they are frequently called upon in their work to facilitate committees, farmers’ markets, boards, and councils. External audiences include Chambers of Commerce, organizational strategic planning, city and county action teams, school groups, businesses and community organizational meetings. The workshop explored the similarities, differences and skills required to facilitate in differing scenarios.

Based on pre and post workshop self-assessments, all participants rated higher confidence levels in their facilitation skills after the program. Over 90% of the participants indicated growth in

• Familiarity with the core process tools used to structure participative group discussions-91%
• Understanding the difference between decision-making tools, knowing when to use each-91%

In addition, while some members of the group had many years of experience, more than 70% of the participants also indicated growth in the following areas:

• Knowing how to ask good questions that challenge assumptions in a nonthreatening way- 82%
• Skilled at using feedback to involve clients to interpret their own data and identify actions- 82%
• Understanding the concepts, values, and beliefs underpinning facilitation- 73%

The core facilitation skills imparted through this workshop will support the ongoing effectiveness of UK Cooperative Extension to convene groups and mobilize meaningful change in communities across the Commonwealth.