Training innovation facilitators
Facilitation Academy
How we got started
Within UWV, the Dutch Government organization for employment, social medical affairs and benefits, the demand for skilled (innovation) facilitators significantly increased in recent years.
They were looking to train a group of 15 employees to become facilitators. We were asked to design and deliver a program that increased the skills of this team to a level that they could independently and confidently facilitate (innovation) workshops and could help teams that were actively solving business challenges.
Our approach
We fully partnered with UWV in this program. Meaning that we collaborated from start to finish. What did this look like?
Design & Campaign and Selection
The program needed to be designed to fit the specific needs of UWV. While we were still designing, a campaign was set up to find facilitators across the whole organization of 22.000 employees. UWV took the lead in making a selection of participants.
Program set-up
We started our Design Process with the end in mind: Facilitators should be able to continue after the training program is finished. Therefore, apart from the selection of participants, we focussed on building a facilitator community right from the start. We designed 4 modules, each containing elements of 1) Train, 2) Observe 3) Do and 4) Reflect.
The Results
The modules:
Module 1: Facilitating like a Pro.
This 2 day module was all about learning the facilitation basics and hygiene. What to do before, during, and after a session to make an impact with teams. Although some of the participants were more skilled that others, for all this was a true foundational module.
After this module, there were homework exercises and the start of intervision took place
Module 2: Design Thinking as the Foundation for Designing & Facilitating.
With facilitation basics down, this module focuses for 2 full days on accelerating innovation through the design of an effective innovation workshop. Design thinking serves as the foundation to design and facilitate.
After this module, the participants could choose between designing and facilitating a 1-2 hour innovation workshops in the organization or being an observer at a half a day innovation workshop by us followed by a reflection session.
Module 3: Success & Personal Style.
"Wherever you do, there you are." Jon Kabat-Zinn
Besides knowledge of design thinking and providing structure within a workshop, the success of leading a team also comes down to the facilitator as a person. This module was about the facilitator's influence on team collaboration, group dynamics, and interventions. As well as facilitator self-care and self-love.
After this module, it was time to fully emerge into the world of innovation facilitation. Part of the group observed and lightly facilitated (parts of) a Design Sprint. Others fully facilitated teams during Design Sprints.
Module 4: Open agenda + celebration
The facilitators designed the agenda themselves based on topics they wanted to dive into deeper. Key topics that stood out were dealing with assumptions and dealing with resistance. Of course, we ended with proper celebration and the start of a community. Attention to each other was a large reason for the program's success.
After this module each facilitator had full access to all materials, they had insights in their key strenghts and key points to keep practicing and they were ready to help teams in the organization.
The impact…
In december 2023: 14 Innovation facilitators trained, ready to rock.
Key take aways
Besides the opportunities provided within the training program, make sure participants are able to practice* on the job. The more they practice, the more you grow.
Setting up intervision after the end of the program to encourage continuous reflection and growth.
The 8 month period gave the participants the opportunity to learn and reflect.
Creating a library of tips, tricks, AI prompts and truly helps the participants in their onward journey.
*We could offer participants options to practice as we were designing and facilitating more programs within UWV:
Online Training Innovation (4x 2 hours, Design thinking basics and tools to apply in your work to solve challenges)
Design Sprint Week (10 teams, 1 week)
Design Sprint Month (5 teams 1 month), extra focus on customer research and iterations
The team makes the magic
We couldn't do this alone.
Part of the Innovation Program
We partnered with UWV's innovation team. Although we were in the lead of the program, we were always aligning, adjusting and in working together. The time investment from the participants was large so the innovation team was needed to align with stakeholders in the organization.
There were not two, but three experienced facilitators*
Also, we didn't design and deliver this ourselves, apart from Robert & Margriet, it was Robert Vos (Tell William) that was part of the team.
*We partner with other experienced and passionate agencies when delivering programs that are 'too big'. It's a win-win: a company gets not 1 expertise and way of working, but two. We only work with fun and professional people and this way we keep growing and the company gets its results delivered by small agencies working at scale.
