Facilitator Assessment - Strenghths and
Gaps

My current skills strengths include:

• offline workshop and meeting facilitation. Some of my personl qualities include
  accepting of others, caring, empathetic, · flexibility, open to self-growth, awareness of quiet participants
• skilled in adult learning principles , communication styles, group facilitation, listening, asking questions, encourage communication, observation and writing

Areas I need further development (hands on) include:

Linear and threaded conferencing

• Wikis
• Internet file management - FTP and Telnet (have theory but lack hands-on)
• Audio and video files (hands-on)

Purpose/Outcome

To see all the ASARECA group members (including NARS representatives) participate actively in the online facilitation workshop and are equipped with skills to help them to better coordinate activities of their respective networks

Does it have a mission or a vision that you can communicate to potential members?

ASARECA has a mission and vision; the different networks within ASARECA have their respective missions and visions and the NARS have their respective missions and visions

Are the benefits measurable and visible to members and potential members?

Yes and no – some are measurable and other benefits are hard to measure. There will be better coordination, information and knowledge exchange and sharing, savings on communication costs, better planning, participatory decision making
Is the outcome determined by the organizer? Group members? Both?
I think it should be determined by the organizer but the perspectives of group members should be considered.

If the group is part of a larger organization, is it consistent with organizational goals and culture?

Yes they all share the same goal. Not sure about culture. There is a common organisational culture but it tends to vary beyond the Secretariat. There are about 15 different ASARECA coordinators with their specific goals, values, styles and all work with different teams.

Is the group's purpose something that can only be done/accomplished online? Will it replace something offline? Or is it some combination?

I believe it can be accomplished online or offline. Both platforms provide an opportunity for discussions, agreement and endorsement. Work schedules may however limit participation of some members hence consensus may be not 100% if done online only. A bit of offline discussions could be done where necessary

Target Audience

Leaders and gatekeepers of ASARECA and NARS - ASARECA CEO, coordinators, national liaison contacts, steering committee members

What is the gender, professional, linguistic, cultural make up of the group?

Male and female (fewer); diverse professions – agricultural and information related; diverse cultural backgrounds – representing different networks

How motivated are your participants to participate?

Very motivated – the skills will enhance their capacity to better coordinate their networks and overcome challenges faced using other communication channels such as telephone.

Do they have adequate computer equipment and Internet access to have a satisfactory experience on your system?

I think most of them do but I appreciate that the countries are at different levels of development and ICT infrastructure. The participants are from varied backgrounds, levels, ages, professions. Some have more Internet skills than others and others have more experience with computer equipment and software than others. Some face more challenges than others - server down, power outages, backbone down, poor connectivity, cost of being online etc.

Do you want your community to be public or private? If private, what determines eligibility?

Private – selection and registration

What is the ideal size for your group?

20 – 30 representing all the ASARECA member countries (may be 2 from each network so one can backstop the other when facilitating their respective network Dgroup)

Where might you find potential participants?

CEO, Network coordinators, network members and national representatives

How might you communicate with your participants to market your online interaction space?

Meetings, workshops, newsletter, e-mail, letters, telephone, web site

Are you building from an existing pool of participants? Or drawing in new people?

Existing pool

Type of Member Interactions. What kinds of discussions/interactions do you want to foster?

Online facilitation - Are they more like ongoing discussions or question & answer?
Notes, exercises, discussions, questions and answers , focused on online facilitation

Are they started by you or by the members?

Introduced by the facilitator with input from members

Time Frame - How long do you want the online interaction to last?

One month with a possibility for extension to address any challenges or troubleshooting that may arise

Guidelines, Rules and Governance

Patience, respect for one another, short brief and concise messages, active participation. These will be more general and casual

How will you communicate this to your members?

e-mail shared to all members, resources on the Dgroup space, phone

Welcome to my Blog!

I have found it the process very exciting!