Key considerations (3 minutes)

Protocols should be in place to ensure the chosen facilitators are right for the role, and the role is right for them. This includes:

• Values and ethics – Having a clear policy or framework that project partners, facilitators and participants agree to will increase the accountability and establish ways of working. Similarly, you should make legal considerations regarding data protection and health & safety.
• Communication channels – establish how you will communicate with and support your facilitators and ensure it is clear who reports to who. This includes the responsibility of reporting between participants and project teams/facilitators.
• Data processing – who is responsible for processing the data gathered by participants and what are time requirements for this?
• Why should they participate – who is your target audience and why is your project a good fit for them? This will help to streamline recruitment and increase the likelihood of accessing audiences who want to contribute.
  
• What are your requirements – what is the expected time commitment, what are your expectations, how will you be inclusive and promote diversity and what are some of the key skills you would like your facilitators to have and/or learn?
  
• Level of participation – consider whether you will operate a top-down or bottom-up approach to facilitation and whether facilitators will be involved in multiple stages of the project, such as design or dissemination, sampling strategy and methods. This is critical to ensure bidirectional information flow.
  
• Engagement – establish boundaries and a framework of engagement. Points of contact and regular communication channels are imperative and it should be clear who the responsibility falls upon for managing facilitators and participants. Safeguarding protocols should be detailed and rigorous, considering social, emotional, mental and pastoral components.