Arizona Town Hall

Designing and Facilitating
Effective community Discussions

This class provides an introduction to the Arizona Town Hall process, its purpose, and its role in bringing people together to address important issues. Participants will learn about the structure of a Town Hall program, guidelines for creating an effective meeting environment, and strategies for keeping groups engaged, focused, and productive.

The class explores the key roles of the Lead Facilitator, Recorder, and Table Facilitator, with guidance for effectively supporting and documenting discussions. Participants will learn how to design questions that encourage meaningful dialogue and participation. The class concludes with a review of key topics, quizzes, and additional resources to reinforce learning and support successful use of the Town Hall process.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the principles of engaged, civil dialogue and their importance in supporting productive discussions.
• Identify effective room setups and procedural practices for facilitating discussions with small and large groups.
• Describe the roles and responsibilities of the Facilitator, Table Facilitator, and Recorder.
• Apply effective techniques for facilitating table discussions, including encouraging participation, maintaining focus, and keeping the discussion on schedule.
• Apply strategies for developing quality questions that encourage meaningful, focused, and productive discussions.