What are the best ways to assess participant needs during facilitation?

1 Pre-session surveys

One of the most common and useful ways to assess participant needs before the session is to send out a pre-session survey. This can help you gather information about their background, interests, goals, challenges, preferences, and learning styles. You can use online tools like Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or Typeform to create and distribute your survey. Make sure to keep your survey short, clear, and relevant, and to ask open-ended questions that allow participants to express their opinions and needs.

2 Icebreakers and check-ins

Another way to assess participant needs during the session is to use icebreakers and check-ins. These are activities that help you warm up the group, break the ice, build rapport, and create a positive atmosphere. They can also help you gauge the mood, energy, and expectations of your participants, as well as their level of engagement and participation. You can use various types of icebreakers and check-ins, such as games, quizzes, polls, stories, or questions. For example, you can ask participants to share their name, role, and one thing they hope to learn or achieve from the session.

3 Feedback and evaluation

A third way to assess participant needs during the session is to collect feedback and evaluation. This can help you measure the effectiveness of your facilitation, as well as the satisfaction and learning outcomes of your participants. You can use different methods and tools to gather feedback and evaluation, such as surveys, forms, polls, quizzes, or interviews. You can also use more creative and interactive ways, such as sticky notes, flip charts, or dot voting. For example, you can ask participants to write one thing they liked, one thing they learned, and one thing they would improve on a sticky note, and then stick it on a wall.

4 Observation and reflection

A fourth way to assess participant needs during the session is to use observation and reflection. This means paying attention to the verbal and non-verbal cues of your participants, such as their body language, tone of voice, facial expressions, and gestures. You can also observe their behavior, such as their level of involvement, interaction, and contribution. By observing and reflecting on these cues and behaviors, you can identify the needs, interests, emotions, and challenges of your participants, and adjust your facilitation accordingly. For example, you can notice if some participants are bored, confused, or frustrated, and then change the pace, format, or content of your session.

5 Dialogue and questioning

A fifth way to assess participant needs during the session is to use dialogue and questioning. This means engaging your participants in a meaningful and respectful conversation, where you listen to their views, opinions, and experiences, and ask them open-ended and probing questions that elicit their needs, goals, and feedback. You can also encourage your participants to ask questions to you and to each other, and to share their insights and learnings. By using dialogue and questioning, you can create a collaborative and participatory learning environment, where you can understand and address the needs of your participants. For example, you can ask participants what they think about a topic, what they want to learn more about, or what they need to apply their learning.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?