• Facilitators' Guide - Critical Reflection Workshop

    What is a Critical Reflection Workshop?

    Critical reflection workshops offer space for DCA staff and partners to reflect together once a year on how effectively country programme activities are leading to the desired changes described in the country 's Theory of Change (TOC) documents.  

    By assessing context changes, our successes and challenges and reviewing our assumptions on how change happens, these workshops allow us to learn together and to flexibly and rapidly adapt.


    This site contains information and documents that will help facilitators of Theory of Change (ToC) Critical Reflection (CR) prepare a workshop. This site is not for participants.

    You are free to adjust the materials to your own context and facilitation.  

    If you need more information, have comments or suggestions, please contact Mette Lund Sørensen in PAL mls@dca.dk

    Please feel free to give us feedback on the guide and materials so we can improve them for future workshops - thanks in advance.

    • Refresher - What is Theory of Change?

      Here's a quick refresher on what is and why we use a Theory of Change approach:


      • Mini Guide on facilitating a Critical Reflection Workshop

        The Facilitators' Guide will help you achieve the required outcomes from the Critical Reflection workshop. It guides you through the whole workshop process: 

        • planning and preparation for staff and participants
        • templates for the workshop programme, power point presentations, posters and group work handouts for participants
        • inspiration for the process, activities and materials for different sections
        • evaluation form, follow-up meeting agenda and activity plan templates

        The Facilitators' Guide should be used together with the Standard Power Point Presentation below. It also includes:

        • Standard Workshop Programme
        • Evaluation Format
        • Workshop Reporting Format

      • Materials for all sessions and handouts

        Here you can find a powerpoint that you are free to use and adapt. Download to your computer for editing.

        You can also download handouts for each session.



        SESSION 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE WORKSHOP 

        SESSION 2: CHANGES IN THE CONTEXT 

        SESSION 3: CRITICAL REFLECTION OF CHANGE AREAS  

        SESSION 4: LOOKING FORWARD 


      • Evaluation of Workshop

        Evaluation and Feedback from all participants in the workshop are key elements of learning, improving our methods and collecting suggestions and ideas.

        In the Facilitators' Guide you will find an appendix containing an Evaluation Template to use as it is, or you can adapt it specifically to your workshop. 


        • Facilitation Tips and Tricks

          Based on feedback from previous workshops, we have collected some tips and tricks to take into consideration when preparing and facilitating the workshop. Find additional guidance in the notes section in the power point presentation.

          • Communicate the link between the sessions and the desired end result and outcomes
          • Use consistent language and clear questions
          • Make sure the participants are well prepared and have realistic expectations. Respond to their feedback 
          • Make sure that co-facilitators are well prepared and aware of their role
          • Go through the presentations from external resource persons, partners and colleagues to make sure they match the time slots given and the agenda
          • Find additional inspiration in the facilitation materials at the bottom of the page



        • Next Steps

          At the end of the workshop DCA  programme staff will meet to discuss finding from the workshop, make management decisions about how to adapt the programme in the following year, and write a brief workshop report. You can find the format for the report in the Facilitators' Guide.

          Below you fint a general introduction to ToC if you want to know more about the background and the process of developing the ToC pathways.