Global Flipchart #14

By Jennifer Otitigbe and Robert Cserti

The IAF Methods Library has everything you need for planning engaging workshop sessions and other group facilitation activities. Thanks to many contributors including our partner SessionLab, IAF volunteers and various members, new features, content and help materials are added regularly. In the most recent content refresh, IAF benefited from the diligence and insight of Ulla Wyckoff Tomlinson and Jo Nelson who completed a second extensive review and editing of all 500 facilitation methods in the database. The project has also benefited greatly from the guidance of Martin Farrell who is moving on to other responsibilities and the overall support of the IAF Board.

Who’s using the IAF Methods Library?

Currently, 50 of IAF methods are available for the general public to use and the rest of them are only for IAF Members. Over 250 IAF Members have already accessed the Methods Library which also includes a session planning tool.

Method highlight: The Paper Clip Method: Have you tried it?

One popular method that has been used as an icebreaker and to catalyze teams is called The Paper Clip Method (https://www.sessionlab.com/methods/the-paper-clip-method). This exercise introduces participants to the power of brainstorming by showing how brainstorming as a team generates more ideas than a single individual can produce. It can be used as training for project leaders, creativity training, and to catalyze groups for getting new solutions.

A facilitation resource for you

To benefit from this resource, there are several things that you can do now. You can access the IAF Methods Library from the IAF homepage under the Knowledge Centre. If you haven’t already signed up, go to the support page (https://www.sessionlab.com/partnership/iaf) to learn how to connect your IAF account to the IAF Methods Library in SessionLab. If you have already accessed the IAF Methods Library, you can; (1) learn about, comment on, or share methods that are interesting to you, (2) contribute new methods to the resource library and (3) design workshop facilitation plans in the integrated session planner tool.

To learn more about this extensive resource which is available for free to all active members go to: https://www.sessionlab.com/library/iafmethods.