Lead Facilitator Masterclass

DELIBERATIVE FACILITATION TRAINING

Building the next generation of deliberative facilitators, in partnership with We Do Democracy

Quality deliberation depends on quality facilitation. We offer facilitators and practitioners the space, tools, and connections to develop the skills and shared standards the field needs.

The program is composed of three levels. Picture the path to becoming a lead deliberative facilitator as a ladder. We offer training at every step.

> Design and Facilitate Participation

For participants working in participation, community organizing, or stakeholder involvement who are new to deliberative democracy and want to enter the field.

> Deliberative Facilitator

For facilitators with basic deliberative knowledge and some experience in assembly teams as co-facilitators, table moderators, or project team members.

> Lead Facilitator

For experienced professional facilitators with deep knowledge of citizens’ assemblies, ready to take the overall responsibility for designing and leading a deliberative process.

The competence model

The curriculum is structured around the six competence domains of the Competence Model for Lead Deliberative Facilitators. It sets out what we believe a lead facilitator needs to know and be able to do.

Read the full competence model

UPCOMING TRAININGS

Lead Facilitator Masterclass

September 14 – 16, Demokrati Garage, Copenhagen

Who this edition is for

This edition is built for people who have substantial general facilitation training or have worked inside deliberative project teams and are comfortable in a room with people. It is not an introduction. It is a step-change for practitioners ready to take responsibility for the integrity of a full deliberative process.

If you are already leading processes, this is a place to sharpen judgment against peers who do the same work, pressure-test your own practice against a shared reference, and contribute to defining the craft as it institutionalizes across Europe. The cohort is small by design.

A learning journey, not a workshop

You cannot become a lead facilitator in a single weekend. The program is built as a four-phase journey across September, mixing intensive in-person practice with peer support and real-world application.

> Online onboarding: September 1, 16:00-17:30 CEST. Introduction to the program, the team and the other participants. We will set the learning goals and provide the prep materials.

> HomeworkReading, Listening, Reflecting, Case-prep

> Three-day masterclass in Copenhagen: September 14-16. Hands-on labs covering macro and micro design, knowledge curation, group dynamics, leading the team, voting and editor groups, and the practice of “spotting” a lead facilitator in the room.

> Online group follow-up: September 28, 16:00-17:30 CEST. Reflect on application, surface obstacles, deepen the cohort.

> Mentorship and assembly observation – ongoing. Pair with experienced practitioners and observe live assemblies to bridge training and practice.

The training itself follows a 30/50/20 principle: 30% listening, 50% doing, 20% reflecting.

After participating in the training, you will:

Be able to design a citizen’s assembly from start to finish

• Have a thorough understanding of the role and required skills
• Be able to design a team, a program, and a run-sheet
• Have a rich toolkit to use during deliberation
• Understand the principles of and be ready to design a learning journey for assembly members
• Have practiced facilitation skills like managing dysfunctions, mediation, leading large-scale dialogue, deliberation, and voting
• Receive feedback from an international facilitator trainer team to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses
• Be part of an international community of practice for deliberative facilitators

During the application, we’ll ask you about current skills, knowledge, and experience, so we can adapt the curriculum to the cohort’s needs and expectations.

How we teach

• Hands-on and helpful
• Exemplary
• Interactive and fun
• 30% listening, 50% doing, 20% reflecting
• Drawing on the experience from the deliberative field
• Empowering and community-building

Masterclass Program

Day 1

• Purpose, learning principles and expectations
• Deliberative facilitation – positioning it within the field
• Design and facilitation starting points
• The lead facilitator role – and me
• Design dimensions and methodology
• Macro-design – stages and activities
• Laboratory 1: How to build a macro design from the remit and work with the commissioning authority.

Day 2

• Check-in and focus
• Well-designed learning and curriculum- examples and guiding principles
• Micro-design – basic design, guidelines and knowledge curation
• Laboratory 2: Moving from macro- to micro-design
• Gallery: Micro-design elements
• Laboratory 3: Micro-design and team roles
• How to spot a lead facilitator in the room & mindset
• Tour of Demokrati Garage and dinner

Day 3

• Check-in and reflections
• Leading dialog, debate and deliberation – practice
• Mediation and handling dysfunctions
• Group dynamics and large-scale – practice
• Leading the team – table facilitators/project team
• You are the most important instrument – practice
• Decisionmaking and finalization
• ME time – time to digest and get practical
• Wrap-up and info on post-program activities

Speakers

Lead Instructors

• Zakia Elvang, Executive Director, We Do Democracy Denmark
• Jacob Birkenhäger, Advisor, Germany

Presentations from

• Yves Dejaeghere, Executive Director, FIDE – Europe, Belgium
• Kelly McBride, Director of Capacity Building and Standards, Involve, UK

Apply

Pricing

All prices at VAT excl.

We want this training to be a genuine on-ramp, not a gate.

• Standard seat: €2,000

Pair discount – 20% off the second seat when you sign up with a colleague from the same organization or project

• Reduced seat: €1,000 for small organizations without the means to pay the full rate. Up to one-third of seats in each edition are reserved at this rate.

How to apply

Deadline: June 25

Seats are limited, and we want to make sure each participant is at the right rung of the ladder. To apply, fill out a short form sharing your facilitation background, your deliberative experience, and which competence domains you most want to develop. We review applications on a rolling basis.

Apply now

Not the right level – or not the right time? Future editions will cover earlier rungs of the ladder: introductions to deliberation and to deliberative facilitation.

Register your interest by sending an email to klara@wedodemocracy.dk and we’ll let you know when they open.