A major sea change is taking place around our world. From rural villages to global corporations, people want to participate in making choices that affect their lives. We want our efforts to make a difference in the world.

Changing expectations are morphing the hierarchical triangle into a circle. New, facilitative approaches to leadership are emerging. Leaders of the future will foster authentic participation.

ToP facilitation can help you build
a culture of participation

ToP facilitators work in over 30 nations

ToP facilitators work with communities, agencies,
organizations, government and companies

Over 1000 ToP facilitators are active around the world

Facilitative Leadership

A new style of facilitative leadership is emerging with understanding of group processes and facilitation skills as core competencies.

Facilitation is about "making it easy"
'facile' in Latin - 'to make easy.' Facilitators help people work together, get results and grow as groups.

The group focuses on the "what" - the content, concerns, issues and ideas. The group applies its knowledge and expertise to develop solutions.

Facilitators focus on the "how" by guiding the group in discussion, problem-solving and planning.

Facilitators are professionally neutral. Like orchestra conductors, they elicit the best from the individual players , but they do not play an instrument.

ToP Facilitation

Over the past 40 years of work in communities, organizations and classrooms, The Institute of Cultural Affairs - ICA, has responded to this need by developing a suite of methods that enable groups to maximize meaningfully engagment. Through practical action research and applied learning, ICA has created practical tools that enable groups to think and plan together effectively. ICA’s ToP programs and methods are used by nonprofit organizations, government agencies, businesses, professional associations and communities around the world.

These methods, Technology of Participation - ToP, have been developed to help groups think, talk and work together. They  provide group facilitators with structured methods. This approach enables people to actively create and participate in the changes that affect them - in their own lives, in their groups, teams and organisations, and in their communities and societies.

ToP methods enable participation all the way from the initial brainstorm to the final statement of consensus. This approach to group work helps people work together and develop team spirit. ToP facilitators use collaborative methods to spark creative solutions and breakthrough strategies. Through surfacing diverse perspectives and using questions to guide an open inquiry, groups are able to form ideas,

ToP methods engage participants in ways that lead to genuine commitment. When people contribute their own ideas, they make a commitment to them in ways they do not when ideas are handed to them. The emphasis is on realistic plans which ensure the strategies, plans and decisions are implemented.

ToP facilitation enables people to review and reflect on their experience to deepen organizational knowledge.ToP methods enable groups to focus on an often neglected part of the cycle that build new insight into the organization's operating memory.