Developing a Methodology for Communities of Expert Facilitators on an Online Platform

Expert facilitators (EFs) are essential for guiding and managing collaboration among diverse stakeholders. They assist in enhancing creativity and mutual understanding between the stakeholders. Their successful performance in their role depends on access to up-to-date resources and the continuous development of a broad skill set, including technical expertise and soft skills such as conflict resolution and active listening. The rapid evolution of co-creation and the integration of social science aspects into the innovation process present significant challenges for facilitators to stay up to date. A major obstacle is the fragmentation of training resources, with valuable information and opportunities scattered across numerous platforms, complicating the search for and utilization of high-quality materials. This highlights the need for efficient and targeted training, which existing offerings fail to adequately address. To meet this need, a methodology for a platform for Expert Facilitators is designed within this contribution, not only to enable networking between these specialists but also to support continuous learning.