How can you evaluate the impact of team facilitation on team ownership in a social enterprise?

1 Define team ownership

Team ownership is a multidimensional concept that can be defined in different ways depending on the context and the purpose of the evaluation. Nevertheless, some common aspects of team ownership include the degree of involvement and participation of team members in the decision-making process, as well as the level of autonomy and empowerment they have to manage their tasks and resources. Additionally, there is the extent of alignment and identification that team members have with the vision, values, and goals of the social enterprise, along with the amount of trust and support they have for each other and the facilitator.

2 Choose evaluation methods

When assessing the impact of team facilitation on team ownership, various methods can be employed depending on the time, resources, and objectives of the evaluation. Surveys and questionnaires are quantitative tools that can measure satisfaction, engagement, and motivation. Interviews and focus groups are qualitative tools that can explore experiences, feelings, and opinions. Observations and feedback are direct and interactive tools that can monitor behaviors, attitudes, and interactions. All of these tools can be administered before, during, and after facilitation sessions to capture changes over time. They can also be structured, semi-structured or unstructured depending on the desired level of flexibility and depth. Ultimately, these methods help to inform the facilitator, external evaluators, or team members themselves using checklists, rubrics or rating scales to gain insight into performance and results.

3 Design evaluation questions

When evaluating how team facilitation impacts team ownership, it's important to have clear, relevant, and measurable evaluation questions. These questions should cover the different dimensions of team ownership. For example, one could ask how team facilitation affected the participation and involvement of team members in the decision-making process, or how it influenced the autonomy and empowerment of team members to manage their tasks and resources. Additionally, one could inquire about how team facilitation enhanced the alignment and identification of team members with the vision, values, and goals of the social enterprise, as well as how it fostered trust and support among team members and the facilitator.

4 Collect and analyze data

The data collection and analysis are the steps where the evaluation methods are implemented and the evaluation questions are answered. To ensure consistency, reliability, and validity, appropriate techniques and tools must be used for the type and amount of data collected. For example, surveys and questionnaires can be administered online or offline, using platforms such as Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or Qualtrics. The data can then be analyzed with descriptive or inferential statistics. Interviews and focus groups can be recorded and transcribed with software such as Audacity, Otter, or Rev., then analyzed through thematic analysis. Lastly, observations and feedback can be documented and summarized with notes, logs, or reports, then analyzed through content analysis.

5 Report and communicate results

The report and communication are essential steps in which the evaluation findings are presented and shared with relevant stakeholders, such as team members, facilitators, management, or funders of the social enterprise. It is important that the report and communication be clear, concise, and credible, using the appropriate formats and channels for the audience and purpose of the evaluation. Examples of report and communication formats and channels include written reports, which are formal and comprehensive documents containing background, methodology, results, conclusions, and recommendations; oral presentations that are informal and interactive sessions highlighting key findings; and visual displays to illustrate outcomes of the evaluation through graphs, charts, tables, images, or videos. Written reports can be delivered in print or digital formats while oral presentations can be done in person or online.