About the Post Graduate Diploma in Facilitation

At Roffey Park, our learning approach to the Post Graduate Diploma in Facilitation mirrors the developing skill of the facilitator: equipping people to take responsibility for their own development. In this programme we take learning facilitators on a journey as far as they need in order to then take responsibility for their own further steps.

You may be looking to develop your capacity to deal constructively 'in the moment' with complex team dynamics, communications challenges, diversity, different levels of hierarchy and organisational power, challenging emotional undercurrents and even conflict. You may want a better handle on the 'moments of truth' in organisational change and development, when good facilitation can shift the dynamics that hold complex and chronic resistance in place. This diploma programme will take you to a deeper level of understanding required for these skills to emerge.

All elements of the programme will provide a mix of tutor led inputs, facilitated discovery, learning and skills practice and feedback. As well as feedback received on assessed items of work, participants will be required to practice their facilitation skills and receive feedback from their peers and tutor facilitator as part of self-managed learning. 

What does self-managed learning involve?

There are several components to self-managed learning. In the context of the PG Dip this involves stages where you - 

• initially review where you are now: what your current role and skills are, how they relate to the organisation and what has shaped you to this time (the position paper)  
• the production and delivery of your individual syllabus for the remainder of the programme (the development agreement which includes a skills development, research assignment and dissertation)
• a review of your overall learning journey including the process of learning (the linking document).

The other key components of self-managed learning and PG Dip are the processes and learning sets and community of which you are part. So you will be actively involved in designing your own modules for the PG Dip cohort of which you are a member. In your set, you will be involved in agreeing standards, planning, assessing and critiquing your own and others’ work. 

What does working in a set involve?

The learning set is a vital component of the programme.  You will be working in a set of up to 6 people plus a Set Adviser – a member of Roffey Park’s tutorial staff. Normally, you stay in the same set over the whole of the programme. The set meets 6 times during the programme at a venue agreed by the set. The set’s role is to provide a forum for support or challenge where set members

• agree standards
• discuss and agree their learning objectives
• assess each others work
• explore issues around their learning, both in terms of content, and the experience of working together.  

What is the time commitment?

Over the 15-18 month period there is a 2 day introductory event, 2 core modules, 2 further 2 day modules tailored to your needs and a final 3 day event. There will also be 5 learning sets throughout the 15-18 months. It is a significant commitment overall, especially as most participants continue to work full –time.