Public meeting facilitation

Our approach to facilitation is rooted in the knowledge that seeking out input results in better decision-making.

Whether you are building your internal team's capacity for success or rallying a group of residents together to solve a problem, you need a tightly facilitated and inclusive process to ensure diverse voices are heard, issues receive the right amount of attention, and consensus is reached. Our team offers experience and methods to facilitate whatever gathering of stakeholders you need to find a shared solution.

What we do

We are often called upon to facilitate public meetings, board workshops, or advisory groups. We’ve found that these interactive, facilitated processes can help an organization manage single-issue viewpoints, cultivate relationships, and increase the value of the decision-making process.

These groups can serve as an early warning system for issues, options, or opportunities that can be addressed thoughtfully and proactively.

Using a facilitator to help conduct business can be particularly important when:

The issue the group is providing recommendations on is technical and complex
The organization has a defined schedule that must be met
The organization has a strong interest in having a workgroup produce a recommendation that is useful to its governing body
There is a risk of potential conflict

Raftelis’ facilitators set the agenda based on the group’s consensus, establish a clear context for all deliberations, create an environment where all parties feel comfortable, listen actively, evoke the group's creativity, ask appropriate questions, and assess progress. Above all, the facilitator’s role is to ensure that decisions are made when necessary to keep the workgroup moving forward and to ensure the meeting process and outcomes are effective.

Our process

We bring structure and neutrality to your most complex engagements, balancing the need for open expression with the discipline of a strict agenda. Our facilitators expertly manage group dynamics, navigating conflict and single-issue viewpoints, to ensure that diverse voices are heard while keeping the conversation moving toward a concrete, consensus-based outcome.