Foundational Facilitation
Course Description
Transform your ability to lead impactful meetings and guide collaborative decision-making with this intensive two-day facilitation skills workshop. Whether you’re navigating complex stakeholder discussions, leading project teams, or facilitating public engagement sessions, this training will equip you with immediately applicable tools and techniques. Led by Maggie Chumbley, founder of Lead Groups Better Inc. and an expert in public sector facilitation, participants will master essential facilitation skills while building confidence to handle all kinds of group dynamics. Leave with a robust toolkit of proven strategies ready to elevate your next meeting and gain a reputation for productivity, engagement and navigating tough challenges.
Instructor: Maggie Chumbley
Dates: October 29-30, 2025
Location: Ecotrust Building, Portland, Oregon
Pricing: $640
Recent Participant Testimonials:
- “Maggie’s facilitation training left each of our diverse team members with things to try right away to improve their meetings.” – WDFW
- “Our team immediately began using some of the facilitation structures to build our regular quarterly meeting and improve its focus and effectiveness. There’s a renewed sense of energy around solving problems together.” – WDFW
- “This training increased my confidence and provided me with a new approach to structuring meetings. We are getting more active participation from meeting participants, and our meetings transformed from one-way conversations to purpose-driven, structured agenda topics that result in better outcomes faster.” – King County
Course objective and anticipated skill transfer
- Increased Confidence and Proficiency: Participants will gain skills to design and lead sessions across a range of contexts, adapting to both collaborative and challenging group settings
- Expanded Toolkit: Access to a variety of facilitation techniques and structures, ready for immediate application
- Enhanced Group Leadership: Develop the ability to navigate group interactions gracefully, including managing difficulty and fostering productive communication
Material to be covered
- Foundational Facilitation Skills: Tools for facilitating everything from regular meetings to complex, strategic sessions
- Crafting Purpose, Clarity, and Agenda Design: Techniques for clarifying purpose and objectives, and preparing participants for effective engagement
- Facilitator Best Practices: Guidelines for impactful introductions, clear instructions, and managing group interactions
- Strategic Facilitation Tools (Liberating Structures): Practical tools to transform group engagement, with 5-6 techniques participants can use right away
- Adaptive Strategy for Complex Systems: Approaches for navigating dynamic environments with adaptable strategies and systems thinking
- Managing Group Dynamics: Building skills to navigate group interactions gracefully, including managing difficulty and fostering productive communication
Target audience and recommended prerequisites
River restoration professionals, project managers, team leads, and practitioners who regularly engage in project facilitation, stakeholder meetings, public engagement, or collaborative planning sessions. No prior facilitation experience required – suitable for both beginners seeking foundational skills and experienced facilitators looking to expand their toolkit.
Recommended pre-short-course reading and/or web sites
- Nine Emerging and Connected Organizational and Leadership Principles
- The Stacey Matrix -What do we mean by complexity?
- Liberating Structures Repertoire (website, *app) Alternative engagement patterns that we’ll practice. *Putting this app on your device before is really helpful
Logistics and FAQs
- What is the cancellation policy for this course?
Short course registrations can be cancelled by the participants.
Refunds will be issued according to this schedule:
➡️ 30 days or more in advance: Full refund (minus processing fees)
➡️ 15-30 days in advance: 50% refund (minus processing fees)
➡️ Within 15 days of the course: Substitutions allowed, but no refund
Registration cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to shortcourse@rrnw.org
RRNW will issue full refunds to all participants if the course is cancelled by RRNW
- Will refreshments be served?
Coffee and light breakfast will be available starting at 8:30 am
- What is the schedule or class times?
➡️ Oct 29 9am-4pm (Wednesday)
➡️ Oct 30 9am-4pm (Thursday)
Instructor Bio
Maggie Chumbly
Maggie Chumbley is an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation. She brings over a decade of experience in facilitation, training, and coaching across public and private sectors. She incorporates systems thinking and complexity science into her approach to create engaging and results-driven experiences.