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Aside from managing the process of interaction and discussion, the role of the facilitator

may be limited or a variety of roles, including process guide, teacher, as modeler of participant

behavior and skills for more effective group interaction, or as intervener (Cayer, 2008).

During civic dialogues it is customary for participants to share and interact with one or

more members of a group, however, facilitators of a Community Conversation have a broader role.

Facilitators assisted participants by guiding the discussion, as needed, listening for emerging

themes or areas requiring elucidation, and reflecting back to the group in the course of their

collective journey (Bohm, 2004; Clark & Teachout, 2012; Isaacs, 1999). Dialogue group

facilitators assure that all members of the group have a voice in the dialogue, and help guide

discourse within an agreed upon or prescribed time constraints. Dialogue group facilitators also

play a critical role in helping groups in the process of navigating disagreements and tension by

ensuring that issues important to advancing the discussion are examined (Clark & Teachout, 2012;

Walsh, 2007).

Figure 3.4. Participants at the fourth and final Community Conversation on ‘Implicit Bias’ held in

4 separate locations across Albany, New York. Adapted from “Citizens Meet with Police On

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