Facilitating Group Model Building to Construct a Joint Systems Understanding

About

The course will focus on developing facilitator skills to guide a (stakeholder) group toward a shared model of a complex problem, using the Group Model Building methodology. We will focus on hands-on development of facilitator skills through practice based on a complex systems approach, as well as reflection on this practice

Course leader

Dr. Merel van der Wal and Prof. Etiënne Rouwette

Target group

Advanced Bachelor, Master, PhD, Post-graduate, Postdoc, Professional.

Because learning how to facilitate a group is best done through practice and reflection, we ask of participants that they are willing to practice with group members and to reflect on this. We will do our best to guarantee a safe learning environment, and expect participants to contribute to that as well.

Course aim

1. You will have knowledge and understanding on Group Model Building and its application
- You know about the fundamentals of Group model building (GMB): what it is, why it is used and how GMB sessions are conducted.
- You are familiar with the idea of data and knowledge sources for SD models and knowledge elicitation from these sources.
- You know why and how Group model building (GMB) is used in socially complex problem situations.  
- You are familiar with a range of ‘scripts’ for GMB as well as methods that can be used in combination with GMB, and how these are used to facilitate interventions in complex problems with social conflict, in which power differences play a role    
- You are able to reflect on the issue whether Group model building is an appropriate method for a given problem/situation.

2. You will be able to communicate through simple system models
- You are familiar with possible presentations of results from Group model building sessions, both in written form and orally, to stakeholders, interested academics, and clients.

3. You will be able to apply knowledge and reflection through facilitation of Group Model Building with a group of peers
- You are able to design an effective intervention based on the system dynamics methodology
- You are able to facilitate, report and evaluate a GMB session with participants.
- You are able to reflect on the group dynamics and your facilitation

Fee info