Facilitation for Public Process or Environmental Issues is not simply a matter of walking into the room and facilitating a meeting.  In order for such a process to be successful, a number of steps must occur:

Assessment

• Identify the groups' goal and/or the scope of issues and/or problem(s)
• Determine who must be included in the process for it to work
• Determine what resources are necessary to support the process
• Assess the parties' readiness to collaborate
  

Process Design

• Determine meeting schedules
• Work with the logistics
• Gain agreement on how decisions will be made (i.e., consensus, voting or other methods of decision making)

  Meeting Facilitation 

• Work with participants to identify all of the goals, issues, and/or problem(s)
• Assist in developing a common understanding of the issues
• Elicit and understand the interests of all parties
• Provide opportunity for critical information to be brought into the process
• Identify options for solutions
• Test out options to create viable solutions
• Help participants create a workable agreement
  

Evaluation and Follow-Up

• Follow-up to determine how well the agreement is being implemented
• Provide evaluation of process as necessary