Why is content visualisation important, and what makes it successful? Learn how to create an effective hierarchy in your visualisations: explore the key elements and some principles for creating powerful materials. Introduction to visual thinking methods and activities and their value in facilitating dialogue amongst stakeholders.

Activity 14.1 Drafting out the main points of a facilitator script

*Note: You may need to download the instruction and activity form from here.

Facilitators often rely on a script to run participatory activities. A script is a document containing the schedule of the session, the details of each activity, and notes about the role of the facilitator or other people at each step.

Let us keep working on the same project brief provided in Exercise 1. As per the instructions of Exercise 1, at some point in the process, you have included an activity-based session.

You will now draft out the main points of the facilitator’s script for this session.

First, write down the following:

• Overall session duration

• Overall expected number of participants

• Distribution of roles in your team (think about whether you will need to hire any specific person to support you and assign roles to help with data collection)

• Session set-up (online, in-person, hybrid): note down if the session requires specific technologies or types of space

Then, reflect on the activities you will run. As you do so, ask yourself what your stakeholders will expect and whether you believe that they will all be familiar with the content and methods or whether you will need to onboard some of them. Also, think about whether there may be conflicting interests between stakeholders and what strategies you will adopt to address them.

List the activities with their respective duration and describe them, indicating whether they will be carried out individually or in groups.

Note down in the table on the next page which materials and tools will be needed to execute them and what the facilitator or other team members will need to be doing at that time.

Reading 14.1

Sibbet, D. (2001, May). A graphic facilitation retrospective. In Adapted from presentation at the International Association of Facilitators The Art and Mastery of Facilitation–Navigating the Future IAF Conference (pp. 16-20). 

Article is downloadable from here.

Video 1

Ayoa. (2022, May 13). How to Mind Map with Chris Griffiths. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od6_SP9YIG0