Deliberation Training
As an essential component of healthy democratic practices, deliberation offers a way for citizens to become involved in public decision-making. To engage in the difficult work of maintaining a democracy, participants in deliberation forums require the skills of those individuals who have familiarity with, and training in, moderating such forums. WIPPS periodically offers training sessions for moderators. These workshops employ and advocate best practices from the National Issues Forum and are conducted by WIPPS staff trained in these practices and the teaching of these practices.
Who is moderator training for?
Community leaders are often called on to organize, facilitate, and assess community forums on issues critical to local communities. The WIPPS workshops equip participants with skills necessary to serve as important leaders in the future direction of their communities. People who serve in leadership and/or facilitator capacities in any venues are welcome to attend the training sessions. These leader/facilitators come from many backgrounds and represent many organizations, including (but not limited to):
- Not-for profits
- Educational institutions
- Community agencies
- Governance groups
- Service organizations
To date, WIPPS has trained nearly 50 facilitators and continues to offer ongoing training opportunities. Although the training is not free, deliberative skills are not proprietary (and involve many of the same techniques as other forms of facilitation). The skills learned are life-long and can be used in multiple settings, professionally and personally. WIPPS’s long term goal is to create a network of practitioners in deliberation and to encourage sharing of best practices and research.
For more information on upcoming moderator training workshops, contact: john.greenwood@uwc.edu