Introduction

Breakout Session Objectives

We are aiming to facilitate:

Shared understanding(s) of the topic to be discussed (aim for coherence, not consensus);
Exploration of implications and opportunities from different perspectives – e.g. experiences, opportunities, barriers, etc; (what’s the current state? What could be?)
Identification of practical actions that might make things better - e.g. ideas, next steps on how to make it happen. What can each of us do? What might we do together? How to bring it back to the contexts we’re working in?
Have fun! First and foremost, we’re trying to enable connections, great discussions and provide everyone the chance to share their perspectives and ideas.

There are a variety of ways to facilitate discussions, e.g. across a spectrum of very structured to unstructured, enabling divergent and convergent thinking, etc. This guide is meant to do just that. It’s not meant to be prescriptive.
We want to consider and facilitate for a variety of participant preferences and styles, to the extent possible, e.g. extroverts and introverts.
Less is more.There’s only so much we can do in a 45-55 minute breakout session. Our efforts will enable connections, creativity, knowledge sharing, and can inform practical action.
We want to capture and share the learning. Share session notes following the event.

There are two sections below:

First time facilitating? Or maybe it’s been a while? - this section includes three options for facilitating a breakout session.
More experienced at facilitating or feeling adventurous? - bring and apply your skills at the breakout sessions keeping in mind the objectives above.