Certified Process Facilitator (CPF) (including: STRAP Planning, Policies and Procedures Creation)

Process facilitation is used with boards of directors, teams, committees, sports teams, work groups or any group/team of people who need to enhance or establish a productive and effective working relationship where decision making and process flow are crucial to the charges of the members. Process facilitation is an excellent pre-cursor to budget planning, STRAP (structured analysis programs,) creating of policies and procedures, etc.

Key components of process facilitation:

1. Create Collaborative Client/Team Relationships

A. Develop working partnerships
  • Clarify mutual commitment
  • Develop consensus on tasks, deliverables, roles & responsibilities
  • Demonstrate collaborative values and processes
B. Design and customize applications to meet client needs
  • Analyze organizational environment
  • Diagnose clients' needs/wants
  • Create appropriate initiatives to achieve intended outcomes
  • Predefine intended outcomes/expectations with client
C. Plan appropriate group processes based on clients'/participants' challenges and desired outcome
  • Evaluate client satisfaction at all stages of the project
2. Select Clear Methods and Processes
  • Foster open participation with respect to client culture, norms and participant diversity
  • Engage the participation of those with varied learning/thinking styles
  • Achieve a high quality product/outcome that meets the client needs
A. Prepare time and space to support group process
  • Arrange physical space to support the purpose of the meeting
  • Plan effective use of time
  • Provide effective atmosphere and drama for sessions
B. Create and Effective Participatory and Interpersonal Communication Skills
  • Apply a variety of participatory processes
  • Demonstrate effective verbal communication skills
  • Develop rapport with participants
  • Practice active listening
  • Demonstrate ability to observe and provide feedback to participants
3. Honor and Recognize Diversity, Ensuring Inclusiveness
  • Encourage positive regard for the experience and perception of all participants
  • Create a climate of safety and trust
  • Create opportunities for participants to benefit from the diversity of the group
  • Cultivate cultural awareness and sensitivity
4. Manage Group Conflict
  • Help individuals identify and review underlying assumptions
  • Recognize conflict and its role within group learning/maturity
  • Provide a safe environment for conflict to surface
  • Manage disruptive group behavior
  • Support the group through resolution of conflict
5. Evoke Group Creativity
  • Draw out participants of all learning and thinking styles
  • Encourage creative thinking
  • Acknowledge all ideas
  • Use approaches that best fit needs and abilities of the group
  • Stimulate and tap group energy
6. Guide Group to Appropriate and Useful Outcomes Through the use of Clearly Defined Methods and Processes

A. Guide the group:
  • Establish clear context for the session, with all participants, prior to the session through the use of questionnaires and personal, confidential, interviews
  • Actively listen, question and summarize to elicit the sense of the group
  • Recognize tangents and redirect to the task
  • Manage small and large group process
B. Facilitate group self-awareness about its task
  • Vary the pace of activities according to needs of group
  • Identify information the group needs and draw out data and insight from the group
  • Help the group synthesize patterns, trends, root causes, frameworks for action
  • Assist the group in reflection on its experience
C. Guide the group to consensus and desired outcomes
  • Use a variety of approaches to achieve group consensus
  • Use a variety of approaches to meet group objectives
  • Adapt processes to changing situations and needs of the group
  • Assess and communicate group progress
  • Foster task completion
D. Build and maintain professional knowledge

7. Maintain a base of knowledge
  • Knowledgeable in management, organizational systems and development, group development, psychology and conflict resolution
  • Understand dynamics of change
  • Understand learning and thinking theory
A. Know a range of facilitation methods
  • Understand problem solving and decision-making models
  • Understand a variety of group methods and techniques
  • Know consequences of misuse of group methods
  • Distinguish process from task and content
  • Learn new processes, methods and models in support of client's changing/emerging needs
8. Maintain Professional Standing
  • Engage in ongoing study/learning related to our field
  • Continuously gain awareness of new information in our profession
  • Practice reflection and learning
  • Build personal industry knowledge and networks
  • Maintain certification
9. Model Positive Professional Attitude

A. Practice self-assessment and self-awareness
  • Reflect on behavior and results
  • Maintain congruence between actions and personal/professional values
  • Modify personal behavior/style to reflect the needs of the group
  • Cultivate understanding of one's own values and their potential impact on work with clients
B. Act with integrity
  • Demonstrate a belief in the group and its possibilities
  • Approach situations with authenticity and a positive attitude
  • Describe situations as facilitator sees them and inquire into different views
  • Model professional boundaries and ethics (as described in ethics and values statement)
10. Trust Group Potential and Model Neutrality
  • Honor the wisdom of the group
  • Encourage trust in the capacity and experience of others
  • Vigilant to minimize influence on group outcomes
  • Maintain an objective, non-defensive, non-judgmental stance



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Marylyn B. Schwartz, CSP
Phone: 203-798-8031 · Fax: 203-798-7403
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