Abstract
BackgroundEven though the importance of a facilitator during an implementation process is well described, the facilitator’s role is rarely problematized in relation to the organizational context in terms of power and legitimacy; themes which have recently been brought to the fore when studying change in health care organizations. Therefore, in this article, we present a qualitative study with the aim of identifying key aspects of the experience of being in a facilitator role. The data collection involved ethnographic fieldwork encompassing observations and field notes, as well as two qualitative interviews with the facilitator. The data were analysed using a phenomenological hermeneutical method in order to formulate thematic aspects of the implementation process. The study was conducted in southern Sweden between January 2013 and August 2014.ResultsOne main theme, “walking a tightrope”, and four sub-themes, all of which involved balancing acts of different levels and different ways, were identified. These included: being in control, but needing to adjust; pushing for change, but forced to stand back; being accepted, but dependent; and being reasonable, but culturally sensitive.ConclusionInstead of listing the desirable qualities and conditions of a facilitator, this study shows that being a facilitator can be described more completely by applying the concept of role, thus allowing a more holistic process of reflection and analysis. This in turn makes it possible to move from the reactive stance of balancing to a more proactive stance of negotiating.
Highlights
Even though the importance of a facilitator during an implementation process is well described, the facilitator’s role is rarely problematized in relation to the organizational context in terms of power and legitimacy; themes which have recently been brought to the fore when studying change in health care organizations
Even though the importance of a facilitator to an implementation process is well described, few studies focus on the challenges the facilitator faces during the process and the impact this has on the process
Harvey et al [9] presented a conceptual analysis of the facilitator role, seeing it broadly as an example of a change agent role, with other examples of change agent roles being discussion opinion leader and educational outreach visitor
Summary
Even though the importance of a facilitator during an implementation process is well described, the facilitator’s role is rarely problematized in relation to the organizational context in terms of power and legitimacy; themes which have recently been brought to the fore when studying change in health care organizations. Harvey et al [9] presented a conceptual analysis of the facilitator role, seeing it broadly as an example of a change agent role, with other examples of change agent roles being discussion opinion leader and educational outreach visitor. They begin with the development of a multidimensional framework in which successful uptake of research evidence is determined by the quality of the evidence, the qualities of the context (leadership, monitoring, feedback and culture) and the facilitation provided. Harvey et al [9] suggest that facilitators are, “individuals with the appropriate roles, skills and knowledge to help individuals, teams and organizations apply
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