Target Audience
Typical delegates include Business Analysts, Project Managers, Managers from various disciplines, Administrative Staff, Personnel and Management Consultants.

The course has wide appeal. Delegates may be drawn from many different levels and experience, and from any area of the business. The skills developed are of especial value for delegates whose responsibilities include facilitating workshops and the understanding and solution of business problems, especially those requiring creative and different solutions.

The skills and techniques developed are core life skills, and are equally applicable in the solution of ‘hard’ problems requiring logical reasoning and deductive techniques, such as planning, business administration, reporting, business analysis, or software testing.

Course Delivery
This course combines instructor-led seminars and group work built around a comprehensive case study, enabling participants to practice the tools and techniques covered. Group work stimulates participation and discussion. Throughout the course, delegates are encouraged to share their own personal experiences and concerns.

Practical exercises, both theoretical and “real life”, ensure that the knowledge gained is both transferred and instilled.

Numerous ready-to-use templates, both hard- and soft-copy (using standard Microsoft applications) help to transfer the knowledge to the workplace.

Course Objectives
After completing the course, you will:

• Have a better understanding of the principles of communication
• Be better placed to understand different responses from people and how to gain most benefit from your interactions with them
• Understand the importance of fact finding and analysis in problem solving, and be able to distinguish, evaluate and summarise relevant information
• Have improved your skills in facilitating meetings or workshops
• Have gained insight into individual and group behaviours and how to channel different types of behaviour effectively

Benefits Resulting from the Course

• Delegates will develop the skill and confidence to effectively facilitate business meetings and workshops
• Delegates will learn how to function effectively in business meetings and facilitated workshops

Course Delivery
The learning experience comprises a mixture of instructor-led theory, with a high degree of practical exercises and small group discussions so that delegates can apply the lessons and techniques learned. Throughout the course, delegates are encouraged to share their own personal experiences and concerns. Theoretical material covers the principles of communication, as well as tools and techniques for using these in the business environment. Practical exercises will ensure that the knowledge gained is both transferred and instilled.

Course Assessment
To complete the course, delegates are required to

• Attend the full course
• Actively participate in the exercises and discussion
• Be assessed by the course facilitator and course delegates during the course exercises and role play sessions

Course Pre-requisite
Successful past candidates have been drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. We do not exclude any delegate who is strongly motivated to do the course, so there are no strict pre-requisites. Those delegates with at least two years of business experience, including attending and possibly running facilitated workshops, derive most value from this workshop.

Costs and Terms
The cost of this course is available on request. Discounts apply for large numbers or in-house courses. Course fees cover tuition, materials, notes and catering. All fees are payable in advance and interest is levied on overdue accounts. Please refer to the standard terms and conditions on the course confirmation form.

Course Venue
Public training is conducted at FTI’s premises in Cape Town and Johannesburg. In addition, we rent temporary external venues in other areas as we need them. Most in-house courses are held on company premises and we will provide assistance regarding venue requirements to ensure the quality of our course is not compromised.

Course Accreditation
Faculty Training Institute was an Approved Education & Training Provider with the ISETT SETA, having received this approval in January 2003. FTI is currently in the process of applying for full accreditation, which depends on the future structure of SAQA and the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). FTI is also actively engaged with various Standards Generating Bodies (SGBs) in ISETT to develop standards and qualifications in selected areas.

This course falls into a category loosely defined by SAQA as ‘vocational short courses’ because it requires less than a year’s full-time study and is not intended to lead to a national qualification in terms of the NQF. Like many similar courses, it has therefore not been registered as a formal qualification in SAQA. Nonetheless, this course is widely recognized as a de facto qualification by industry throughout South Africa.

Academically and intellectually, the course is done at senior undergraduate level, which would equate to level 5-6 on the NQF.

Course Content

Day 1: Understanding Communication and the Basics of Effective Facilitation Communication theory, Communication channels, (types & emotions), Behaviours and their causes, Self analysis, Understanding others, Documenting, Role of the facilitator, Group management, Facilitation exercises. Day 2: Effective communication and Advanced Facilitation Active Listening (Barriers, tips and techniques), Emotions and feelings, Facilitation processes, Questioning techniques, Facilitation exercises.