UNSW Handbook Course - Foundation of Facilitation

Foundation of Facilitation - LAWS8077


	Faculty: Faculty of Law
	School: Faculty of Law
	Course Outline: See below
	Campus: Kensington Campus
	Career: Postgraduate
	Units of Credit: 6
	EFTSL: 0.12500 (more info)
	Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 2
	Enrolment Requirements:
	Pre-requisite: Academic Program must be 9200 or 9210 or 9230 or 5740 or 9235 or 5235 or 9231 or 5231 or 9220 or 5750.
	CSS Contribution Charge:Band 3 (more info)
	Tuition Fee:See Tuition Fee Schedule
	Further Information: See Class Timetable

Description

In a multi-dimensional society there is a need for groups to work together to deliver projects. These groups either need to build consensus for their decisions or vote by a majority. Examples include leadership committees, investigations and Boards. These groups are generally led by a facilitator in the role of chairperson or in some other capacity. The role and expectations of the facilitator varies between groups and projects, and the skills required vary accordingly. This course provides an exploration of the different contexts within which facilitation is used and an examination of the theoretical constructs. It is designed to provide students with an opportunity to have a greater insight into how dispute resolution skills can be applied in the broader community.

LLM Specialisations

Corporate and Commercial Law
Corporate, Commercial and Taxation Law
Dispute Resolution

Recommended Prior Knowledge

none

Main Topics

An overview of facilitation, what are the cultural underpinnings and groups- how do they work and what is important to understand when working with a group or being part of a group.
Boards, committees, the role of the chair, and the decision making process.
Psychological ‘Type” and groups; how do groups work, how are individuals types (such as MBTI) exhibited in a group environment and the implications for change management, and adult learning principals.
The application of facilitation in managing disputes in an Aboriginal context. An exploration of land based disputes and cultural paradigms.
Conflict and groups- from bullying in schools to sentencing circles the application of transformative justice and appropriate dispute resolution.

Course Aims

The aims of the course are to ensure that you are familiar with the central principles of:

Group decision making;
How group dynamics work;
The overlay of group decision making in a workplace setting and how this interfaces with the legal framework;
The way Boards operate; and
The way stakeholders can be identified and the strategies to empower them to make good group decisions.

Learning Outcomes

Consistent with the aims of the course as above, the learning outcomes expected on the completion of this course include:

Familiarity with the areas in our society where groups need to operate together to make decisions and changes;
A greater understanding of the challenges of regulation in these environments;
An appreciation of the range of tools, techniques and competencies that are needed for a group to operate effectively; and
An appreciation of where the need to use facilitation to fine tune and ensure the law is operating effectively in areas where groups are working for an outcome.

Assessment

Class participation (30%)
Outline of Essay (10%)
Essay (60%)

Course Texts

Recommended Reading

Christine Hogan, Understanding Facilitation: Theory and Principles (2002, Kogan Page Publishers)

Sandy Schumann (ed) The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation. Best Practices from the Leading Organizations in Facilitation (2005, Jossey Bass)

Additional Information

The next course to build directly on these skills is LAWS8981 Mastering Facilitation, a workshop for those who want practical hands on experience with facilitation.