Glossary

Facilitation is often used when there are many interested parties or stakeholders and it differs from mediation. Mediation tends to focus on a single-issue dispute between a small number of people (2-4 or so). The large group dispute resolution facilitator helps a large number of people work out a dispute. In this Directory, we define a "large" group as 6 or more people. The facilitator is part of a joint effect to design and oversee the process of resolving a dispute. The facilitator will help to set up the ground rules for how the dispute will be resolved. The goals of the facilitator are to help the parties to better exchange information; work with the parties to develop a proposed agreement; and help the parties to evaluate the agreement that might lead to a resolution of the problem, or help a group reach a goal or complete a task to the mutual satisfaction of participants.