>I am looking at several highly experienced facilitators who
>seem to fall into two distinct groups. The first group has
>extensive knowledge of the field our organization will be
>working in, and come from well established
>consulting organizations that dominate the market -- not
>exactly in this new field, but in a somewhat related field.
I would label the two roles you describe as facilitator and consultant. A
consultant is one who provides expertise in an area, usually some "content or
knowledge" area, but in some cases could be a process consultant.
A facilitator is one that provides structures to support a group to
accomplish a task or learn something. The facilitator assumes the knowledge
for a good decision lies within the membership of the group, or at least that
the group has the capacity to find and learn the necessary knowledge for that
decision.
A consultant is usually viewed as someone who has what the group doesn't have
- the knowledge.
One option - is to identify a facilitator to take the group through the
necesary converations that will lead to a decision -- including the
involvement a consultant to work with the group on developing the needed
knowledge.
Some thoughts,
David Wilkinson
School Improvement Specialist
Des Moines Public Schools
Davidwilk@aol.com
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