Facilitation Scoping Wheel

What is it?

The Facilitation Scoping Wheel is a structured and interactive template designed for agile practitioners, facilitators, business analysts, product owners, and consultants.

It helps to quickly and efficiently surface information that supports the creation and development of workshops, events, or retrospectives. The tool guides facilitators and clients through a sequence of questions to gather the necessary information for designing, planning, and structuring successful events.

The Facilitation Scoping Wheel covers pre-event preparation, key elements required during the event to increase success, and the desired atmosphere or metaphor that aligns with the client's vision for the event. It enables facilitators to validate and refine their understanding of client needs, while helping clients become more aware of the resources and energy needed to achieve a successful outcome.

Who is it for?

• Facilitators, Agile Coaches, Product Owners, Business Analysts, and Consultants.

• Practitioners looking to scope events or workshops with clients.

• Teams seeking a structured approach to plan and align on workshops, retrospectives, or group activities.

How to use it

1. Initiate the Scoping Conversation: Introduce the client to the structure, intent, and purpose of the Facilitation Scoping Wheel. Timebox the entire conversation, explaining how the information revealed during the session will be used and the decisions it will inform. Then, begin to navigate through the wheel, its sections, and questions.

2. Move Sequentially at First: Follow the flow of sections and questions clockwise, gradually progressing through the Facilitation Scoping Wheel and eventually arriving at the centre.

3. Timebox Each Section: Allocate time for each section to ensure focused and efficient discussions. Timeboxing helps maintain momentum, provides structure, and signals when a client’s needs may be unclear, too broad in scope, or require further exploration.

4. Move Dynamically if Required: As you progress through the questions, feel free to revisit earlier responses if new information or insights surface. This iterative process ensures continued alignment and a shared understanding between facilitator and client. If new insights arise in later sections, pause and return to previous points if necessary.

5. Clarify Expectations: Use the template to establish mutual expectations - both regarding the client's needs and the facilitator's style. This fosters a collaborative planning environment, where both parties actively contribute to the event’s success and are equipped with the resources to move forward, whether that's designing the event, gathering further information, or even deciding to abandon the work (which is acceptable too).

When to use it

The Facilitation Scoping Wheel is particularly effective for initial client engagements, helping to establish a clear understanding of needs, challenges, and desired outcomes. It encourages clients to take ownership of the planning process, resulting in a more engaged and responsible approach to the event's success.

References

• Prompts inspired by Facilitation Canvas, Anthony Boobier. See https://nomad8.com/articles/facilitation-canvas

• Clean Questions inspired by Clean Set Up, by Caitlin Walker.