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World Cafe

Goal: To create network and cohesion

Timeframe: Once

Type of participants:- Local associations and NGO’s, Citizens, Local Authorities,  Companies, Cultural actors

Degree of participation: co-creation

 

WHAT IS IT?

World Café is a format for hosting large group dialogue. It is a method to encourage people to work together and actively participate in discussions. It promotes a sense of collaboration and engagement, which can lead to more productive and meaningful conversations. By allowing participants to discuss the topic from multiple angles, the World Cafe method can stimulate creativity and generate a wide range of perspectives. The method can help build a sense of community among participants by creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding.

HOW TO?

Each element of the method has a specific purpose, the following five components comprise the basic model:

  • Setting: Create a “special” environment, most often modeled after a café, i.e., small round tables. There should be four chairs at each table (optimally) – and no more than five.
  • Welcome and Introduction: The host begins with a warm welcome and an introduction to the World Café process, setting the context, sharing the Cafe Etiquette, and putting participants at ease.
  • Small-Group Rounds: The heart of the method lies in the small-group conversations The process begins with the first of three or more, twenty-minute rounds of conversation for small groups of four (five maximum) people seated around a table. At the end of the twenty minutes, each member of the group moves to a different new table. They may or may not choose to leave one person as the “table host” for the next round, who welcomes the next group and briefly fills them in on what happened in the previous round.
  • Questions: each round is prefaced with aquestion specially crafted for the specific context and purpose of the World Café. The same questions can be used for more than one round, or they may build upon each other to focus the conversation or guide its direction.
  • Harvest: After the small groups (and/or in between rounds, as needed), individuals are invited to share insights or other results from their conversations with the rest of the large group. These results are reflected visually in a variety of ways, most often usinggraphic recording in the front of the room.

RECOMMENDATIONS

  • It is important to define the topic, so developing clear questions. At the same time, it is important that these are open ended to stimulate better discussions.
  • Post event phase and follow up is important.
  • Facilitator who can guide the process, manage time and ensure all voices are heard

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