The term "Process Facilitator" refers to the people in your organization whose primary responsibility lies in improving the effectiveness of the work that the teams are doing. This responsibility is mainly around the process the teams are using, but also encompasses less tangible aspects of work such as team development, organizational culture change, administrative and technical tools, and working with other Process Facilitators both inside and outside of your organization.
In an agile environment, the Process Facilitator has several aspects of expertise and skill to develop, and not all of these can be developed simultaneously:
- Basic Agile Work administrative skills.
- Obstacle removal.
- Team dynamics and development.
- Coaching individuals.
- Organizational development.
- Training groups and teams.
- Promoting agile methods.
- Strategic application of agile methods.
Reward your Process Facilitators as they take on and master each of these areas of skill and knowledge. A Process Facilitator is successful when he or she is able to help a team to become self-sufficient. The team has learned and perfected the basic Agile Work process. The team has gone through the stages of team development (forming, storming, norming and performing) and is now capable of self-directed self-improvement. The organization is no longer resisting the team's efforts to self-organize, to continue learning and to eliminate waste, but rather is fully supportive of these efforts. Once all this happens, the Process Facilitator is no longer necessary as a separate role. The person who has filled this role may then go on to become the Process Facilitator for another team or another part of your organization, or even be loaned out into your supply or customer chain in order to help make those relationships with your organization more effective.
Ok, so... Facilitator. Not administrator or coordinator. Good to know for future reference.
Actually, it's really good to know that this exists, and is not a self-created figment. For now I shall stick with my role as Process Administrator.
More Links:
The Above Article as a PDF
Process Facilitator Cheat Sheet
International Association of Facilitators
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