Patterns & Metaphors
Contextual facilitation
Template:
Facilitators are responsible for maintaining the contextual framework of the conference. The parameters of the conference are set so that participants are in the same universe of discourse insofar as possible from the beginning. The context establishes what is admissible. The context needs to be simple, motivating and common among all of the facilitators of the conference.
The context given in the conference itself can build upon backup material or pre-conference gatherings. Some conferences use reports from pre-conference meetings to begin, so that the whole group is on a common footing to start. Others study together one or several of the key contextual papers at the beginning of the conference to achieve the same end.
