Social Facilitation Masterclass

JOINTLY CERTIFIED BY ISR AND ASEFSA

 

ONLINE: 18 - 20 NOVEMBER 2026

 

INVESTMENT: R8,000 PER DELEGATE. ISR & ASEFSA MEMBERS: 10% DISCOUNT

 

 

Welcome

It has become imperative for government, corporate and infrastructure sectors to ensure that social facilitation and stakeholder engagement occur seamlessly before and during project implementation. Social Facilitation Practitioners are at the coalface of project delivery, ensuring stakeholder buy-in, minimizing costly disruptions, and fostering social cohesion and community development.

The Institute of Stakeholder Relations (ISR) and the Association of Social Engagement Facilitators of Southern Africa (ASEFSA) have identified a critical gap in standardising and certifying facilitators - many of whom have operated under diverse titles (such as Community Liaison Officers [CLOs], Public Liaison Officers [PLOs], Stakeholder Managers or Social Facilitators) without formal professional recognition.

Led by experienced experts Cassandra Gabriel and Sthembiso Madlala, this Masterclass unifies the Body of Knowledge, recognizes Prior Learning (RPL), and awards official professional accreditation with a unique practice number.

The curriculum focuses on social facilitation policy and regulatory compliance requirements, strategic and operational planning, social facilitation planning, conflict mediation, social cohesion and and legislative compliance to ensure large-scale projects are implemented smoothly and ethically. Through these educational programs, the institutes aim to formalize the role of the Social Facilitators as a critical profession for sustainable development. These resources collectively detail the leadership biographies, course modules, and mission-driven initiatives that define their approach to building harmonious institutional partnerships.

 

COURSE OVERVIEW:

Social Facilitation has emerged as one of the most critical, high-demand professions of the 21st century, across the public service, corporate, and infrastructure development sectors. In South Africa and Southern Africa, infrastructure projects are not merely technical exercises in engineering and construction. Construction is a social process before it is a technical one. Roads, housing, water and energy projects cannot succeed where community trust is absent.

Historically, social facilitation was treated as informal community liaison work, leading to fragmented approaches, unregulated practices, rising site disruptions and severe project delays. The Institute of Stakeholder Relations (ISR), in partnership with the Association of Social Engagement Facilitators of Southern Africa (ASEFSA), established the Social Facilitation Certification Masterclass, to formally standardise and professionalise this vital Community of Practice (CoP).

WHAT YOU WILL GAIN IN THIS MASTERCLASS

Our joint ISR - ASEFA Masterclass is designed to professionalise, self-regulate, and standardise the field and establish a robust body of knowledge.

By enrolling in the Social Facilitation Masterclass Certification Programme, you will earn the certification of SOCIAL FACILITATOR (SF), with a unique ISR-ASEFSA Practice Number.

RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING (RPL):

We recognise and value both education and practical experience in the field. We promote open access to certified recognition, a formal Practice Number, and a professional designation.

COURSE MATERIAL:

●       ISR-ASEFSA Social Facilitation Training Manual

●       ISR Strategy and Implementation Planning Template and Toolkit

 

 

MASTERCLASS SYLLABUS

The curriculum covers approaches, methodologies and practical approaches across 6 specialized modules:

 

Module 1: Art of Social Engagement Facilitation

Master the foundational definitions, theoretical frameworks, step-by-step engagement processes, and core principles of social facilitation.

 

1.1 Working definitions

1.2 Community of Practice (COP)

1.3 Approach & methodology

1.4 Social Engagement Facilitation Policy Developments

1.5 Theoretical and Compliance Frameworks

1.6 The three components of Social Engagement

1.7 Risks of lack of Social Facilitation

 

Module 2: Social Facilitation

Understand community value, levels of community participation, and how to design structured social facilitation plans that prevent project disruptions.

2.1 Building Trust and Community Value

2.2 Types of Communication Engagement

2.3 Levels of Community Participation

2.4 Environmental Scanning

2.5 Action Research / Data collection

2.6 Different Response to the project

2.7 The Role of the Social Facilitation Practitioner (SFP)

 

Module 3: Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

Learn international AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standards, environmental scanning, data collection, stakeholder mapping and profiling, and how to build, monitor, and evaluate a complete Stakeholder Engagement Strategy and Implementation Plan.

3.1 Stakeholder Engagement Global Standards

3.2 Developing a Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

3.3 Stakeholder Mapping, Analysis and Profiling

3.4 Stakeholder Prioritisation Approaches and Models

3.5 Defining your strategic engagement objectives

3.6 Developing value propositions and engagement actions for different stakeholder groups

3.7 Models and templates for strategy and implementation planning

 

Module 4: Social Facilitation Planning

4.1 Developing a Stakeholder Engagement Plan

4.2 Steps in Developing a Social Facilitation Plan

4.3 Environmental Scanning & Community Profiling

4.4 Ten basic rules of Social Engagement Intelligence

4.5 Action Research as a data collection tool for Social Engagement Intelligence

4.6 Resource and Capacity Planning

4.7 Formation of a Stakeholder Engagement team

4.8 Monitoring and Impact Reporting

4.9 Internal training and building organisational support

 

Module 5: Conflict Management & Social Cohesion

Social Cohesion & Nation Building: Navigate the determinants, legislative frameworks, and principles of social cohesion to foster long-term community trust.

Learn conflict de-escalation tactics, how to serve as a neutral mediator, project issue log tracking, and real-world application through the Xolobeni Case Study.

Social Engagement Intelligence (SEI) & EWER Systems: Build Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) systems to anticipate community unrest, gather field data using Action Research, and apply active listening techniques.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Apply Carroll’s CSR Pyramid, align corporate social initiatives with community needs, and position yourself as a strategic bridge between corporate objectives and community development.

5.1 Dimensions of Social Cohesion and nation-building

5.2 The causes of conflict

5.3 Conflict management approaches

5.4 Mediation as a conflict management tool

5.5 The Social Facilitation Practitioner as Mediator

5.6 Early warnings and Early Response (EWER)

5.7 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

5.8 The Role of Social Facilitation Practitioner in CSR

 

Module 6: Process Facilitation

Process Facilitation & Committee Governance: Learn the rules of process facilitation, committee development, duties of office bearers, minute-taking, and the golden rules for running effective meetings.

The Art of Conversation (The 5 Conversations): Master dialogue instruments for transformation using the Five Conversations framework: Invitations, Gifts, Crossroads, Contribution, and Commitment.

6.1 The Art of Conversation and Successful Dialogues

6.2 Dialogue as a critical instrument for transformation

6.3 Basic Principles of Process Facilitation

6.4 Committee Development and Duties of office bearers

6.5 Five steps for effective meetings

6.6 Why meetings fail?

6.7 Golden rules for effective meetings

6.8 The importance of minutes