You might find bringing together a team of people with a facilitator an effective way to work through this framework. The benefits of a facilitated workshop are that it supports more complete and different ways of thinking. A facilitator can help to challenge the team’s assumptions and promote discussion on the opportunities and threats.

Aim of the workshop: To bring together different teams or organisations to develop a strategy or management plan focused on creating a resilient system.

Role of the facilitator: The ideal facilitator is someone who can prompt conversation, engage the group with different ideas and promote consideration of factors outside the status quo. To support open discussion this responsibility is often best placed with someone who does not hold a position of authority. As the facilitator you may want to learn more about resilience ahead of the workshop; there is recommended resilience reading at the end of this document. In larger groups, the facilitator may need support from one or two others.

Requirements

Time: Workshops last 2-6 hours. Previous participants have found that an initial 3-hour workshop with an additional follow-up session lasting 1 hour a few weeks later to reconvene and review agreed actions, can be effective.

Participants: It is best to get a wide range of participants involved. This could be across a team or organisation (e.g. budget holders, managers and ground staff) or could be across several organisations who are stakeholders. Participants should have the opportunity to read through this framework beforehand and be encouraged to bring relevant information with them.

Materials: A whiteboard or flip chart paper, note paper and any previous information on your area of interest (for example previous strategy or forecasted threats).

The Facilitator’s guide is also available to download.