Checklist: Do I need an (external) facilitator?

Number of participants:

6 or less participants.

6 - 20 participants.

21 - 60 participants.

Over 60 participants.

Background of the participants:

Same group or organization, background, culture, department, and/or function.

Same group or organization, different background, departments and/or function.

Most particpants are from the same group or organization with some from outside the organization.

The participants are from various organizations, groups and/or opponents.

Commonality among the participants:

Comparable education, status, background, the praticipants know each other.

Comparable education, status, background, the participants know each other somewhat.

Differences in education, status or background. The participants hardly know each other.

The participants have generation, status, language and/or cultural differences. They don't know each other.

Relative position of the participants:

The participants have common interest.

The participants have additional interests (e.g. in a chain).

The particpants have conflicting interests (competitors) and/or approximately equal power.

The participants have conflicting interests and unequal power relations.

Time pressure of the underlying question:

It concerns an emergency: the situation is acute, the results are needed within two days to weeks.

There is a time pressure: showing results necessary within weeks to months.

The question has a scope of some month until a year.

The question has a long term scope: policy, innovation, exploring results needed over a year or more.

Complexity or frequency of the meeting:

It concerns little complicated, clear, routinely or a weekly meeting.

It concersn some complexity or a monthly meeting.

It concerns a meeting for complicated questions or there are some uncertainties or it concerns an annual meeting, Congress, Conference.

It concerns a complex question, or one-off or unique meeting: E.g. Strategy session, Project Start-Up, project evaluation.

Risk concerning the result of the meeting:

Ther eare no or little risks. The result are known and feasible.

There are some risks. The results are unclear or difficult to achieve.

The meeting is risky. The results are unclear and the feasibility is unclear.

The meeting has high (prejudice) risks. There are (severe) negative consequences with no results.

Spending versus income of the meeting:

For the meeting are only internal costs or fixed costs.

For the meeting are some additional expenses, marginal effect on income.

Expensive: to participants, speakers, space. Potentially big effect on income.

Investment: Return on Investment is important.