Facilitators Guide_Diversity Circles_EN

5 The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Diversity Circles TM Overview This guide has been created to provide facilitators with the knowledge of Inova Consultancy’s approach to Diversity Circles™. This guide will outline our recommended process for working with Diversity Circle™ groups for the SMART Volunteering project. Inova Consultancy has developed a unique group mentoring process which brings together action learning techniques, coaching and mentoring, combined with career development and self-reflection tools. The Diversity Circle TM methodology will be piloted for this project as one of the main focuses for WP3 and adapted from the results of the Needs Analysis Report of Work Package 1 of the SMART Volunteering project. These circles will focus on helping Target Groups 2 and 3 to reflect upon their practice, organisational culture and training, and help them develop their own skills in order to help their clients. In a Diversity Circle TM , a facilitator works with approximately 5 people, in a small group setting. The programme blends group discussion and individual airing of issues, goal setting and personal action planning. Diversity Circles TM are led by skilled facilitators with expertise in action learning, or by facilitators who have been trained in the methodology by Inova Consultancy directly. During the two sessions, the participants will reflect on what was discussed and learnt during the previous training sessions they have taken part in. Facilitator’s Guide Overview The aim of this guide is to give an overview of the process, layout and facilitation of the Diversity Circles™. The first part of the guide focuses on the aims and objectives of the Circles™ methodology. This also includes a step-by-step guide to the process of facilitation. The second part of this document goes into more detail about the methodology and facilitation. For an inexperienced facilitator, the extra detail will aid them when delivering their own circles. Included in this guide are the tools to be considered for use during the Diversity Circles™. Resources have also been provided if extra explanations are needed, or resources are needed during the circle itself.