ICA Consultation and Facilitation Services
Responsible for developing or revising a strategic plan? Planning for the post-pandemic return of your workforce from the virtual workspace to the physical? Need to reach consensus on the goals and objectives of a new program? ICA can help.

ICA is known for the Technology of Participation (ToP)®, a system of participatory methods for community and organizational development. At their core, ToP® methods represent a consensus-driven approach that enables groups to:
  • Engage in thoughtful and productive conversations
  • Develop a shared narrative and collective identity
  • Build common ground for working together
  • Create effective and implementable short- and long-range plans

For ToP training near you look at our upcoming public ToP courses, or contact trainers directly on our national network of ToP Trainers for a private opportunity.
For support, meeting design or facilitation contact certified ToP Facilitators,  or visit  ICA Worldwide or Fill out our survey here.      
  • Experts on Process
  • What is ToP®?
  • History
  • ​Values & Approaches
  • Current ToP® Facilitators
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Our consultants use ICA's Technology of Participation (ToP)​® to design time and cost effective approaches that will improve organizational effectiveness while addressing the multiple demands and needs of the diverse groups and individuals that they serve.

Organizations and communities can use ICA's consultation services to design a participatory event, facilitate an event, and build internal capacity via technical assistance during implementation. This allows the organization or group to build toward an inclusive, sustainable culture of participation that takes into account its human resources. 

​​ICA's consulting and facilitation services include:
  • Participatory Strategic Planning
  • Consensus Building
  • Collaborative Action Planning
  • Creative Problem Solving
  • Meeting and Agenda Design/Event Planning
  • Culture Transformation
  • Community Planning and Engagement
  • Planning and Implementing Collaborative Ventures
Facilitator Competencies  All certified ToP® Facilitators are assessed on their skills and capacities to meet the following expected competencies: ​
Create a Participatory Environment
  • Communicate Effectively  | ​ Effective communication skills, rapport, active listening and feedback  
  • Create Positive Atmosphere  |  Encourage respect for experience and perception of diverse participants  
  • Resolve Group Conflicts | Mediate conflict and manage disruptive individual and group behavior  
  • Implement Plans Effectively | Create and use facilitation procedures to engage the group in their task
Evoke the Creativity of the Group
  • Understand Learning Needs | Assess learning styles and needs.  
  • Apply Appropriate Approaches | Use learning approaches that best fit the group.  
  • Elicit Group Creativity | Engage all participants, awaken group energy and encourage creative thinking.  
  • Utilize Space and Time Effectively | Plan effective use of time, space, visuals and equipment.
Orchestrate Quality Events
  • Manage Overall Process | Set clear context, use participatory processes and bring appropriate closure.  
  • Ensure Dynamic Process | Keep the conversation moving, focused on the task and elicit wisdom.  
  • Adapt to Group Needs | Adapt processes to fit the needs of the individuals and group.  
  • Work Effectively with a Team | ​Demonstrate team values and co-facilitation.
Produce Effective Results
  • Apply Appropriate Methods | Apply appropriate methods to ensure task completion and results.  
  • Clearly Document Results | ​Keep ongoing records of group work and produce quality documentation  
  • Develop Authentic Consensus | Enable the group to develop and articulate authentic consensus.  
  • Prepare for Solid Implementation | ​Determine and enable the group to create implementation plans
​Model Positive Professional Attitude
  • Evoke Depth and Substance to Illuminate Group Potential | Reveal the possibility in every situation and elicit group insight.  
  • Care for Group Journey | Enable group to go on journey of change, transformation and development.  
  • Practice Self-Assessment and Self-Awareness | Modify personal behaviour and style to reflect the needs of the group  
  • Act with Integrity | Make choices with authenticity and responsibility  
  • Model Neutrality | ​Maintain an objective, non-defensive, non-judgmental stance 
​​MANAGE POSITIVE CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS
  • Understand Client Needs | Assess client needs and clarify mutual understanding
  • Create Appropriate Designs | Design customized facilitation plans toward quality results  
  • Communicate Client Needs | Articulate client needs and plans in writing  
  • Effective Project Management | ​Appropriate marketing, management and financial systems
List of ctf's usa
  1. Stephanie Ahles – Las Vegas, Nevada
  2. Jennifer Allen – Long Beach CA
  3. Linda Alton – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  4. Lynda Lieberman Baker – Austin, Texas
  5. Mike Beebe – Seattle,WA
  6. Kim Behrens – Chanhassen, Minnesota
  7. Nadin Bell – Dallas, Texas
  8. John Beranek – Sioux Falls, SD
  9. Terry Bergdall – Chicago, Illinois
  10. Lisa Brawley – Poughkeepsie NY
  11. Jonathan S Bucki – St. Paul, Minnesota
  12. Deb Burnight – Sioux City, Iowa
  13. Sheila Cooke – UK
  14. Ester Mae Cox – Peru, Iowa
  15. Ren Daraio – San Francisco, CA
  16. William Davis – Davis, California
  17. Seana Doherty, Truckee CA
  18. Karla Hill Donisch – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  19. Laurie Dougherty – Homestead FL
  20. Levitie Danielle Dryke – Minneapolis MN
  21. Suzanne Esber– Santa Ana, California
  22. Carolyn Evans – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  23. Ashley Everett – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  24. Mary Flanagan – San Antonio, Texas
  25. Erima Fobbs, Chesterfield, VA
  26. Becky Foreman – Riverside CA
  27. Connie Foster – River Falls, WI
  28. Irina Fursman – Maplewood, Minnesota
  29. Maria Teresa Gaston – Durham, North Carolina
  30. Seva Gandhi – Chicago IL
  31. Rebecca Gilgren – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  32. Beth Glommen – Golden Valley, Minnesota
  33. Becky Groff – Des Moines, IA
  34. Lindsay Gross – East Lansing, MI
  35. Dana Hanson – Minneapolis,MN
  36. Holly Hayes – Columbia, South Carolina
  37. Rachel Hefte – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  38. Stephanie Hochman – Berkeley, CA
  39. Marcia Hodges – Oakland, CA
  40. Kim Howe – Omaha, Nebraska
  41. Nancy N Jackson – Bolton, Massachusetts
  42. Maureen Jenkins – San Francisco, CA
  43. Dennis Jennings – Chicago, Illinois
  44. Eva Jensen, Golden Valley, Minnesota
  45. Jasmine Jetton-Gonzales – Deerfield IL
  46. Laura Johansson – Minneapolis – Minnesota
  47. Sherry Johnson – Kirkland WA
  48. Cheryl Kartes – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  49. Reine Kassulker – Andover, Minnesota
  50. Jeremy Kautza – Madison, WI
  51. Aley Kent – Brooklyn, New York
  52. Meg Knodl – Maple Grove MN
  53. Heidi Kolbe – Sacramento, California
  54. Sue Laxdal – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  55. Greta Leach – Lincoln, NE
  56. Nancy Lee –  Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  57. Elizabeth Lindsley –  Oakland, California
  58. Marlene Lockwood – Sacramento, California
  59. Courtney Lonergan – Phoenix AZ
  60. Angie Asa-Lovstad – Algona, IA
  61. Nadine Lund – Louisville CO
  62. Diana McCall– Black Mountain NC
  63. Barbara MacKay – Portland, Oregon
  64. Kathy McGrane – New Brighton, Minnesota
  65. Jim Mara – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  66. Una McAlinden – Bellevue, WA
  67. Jacob Melson – Minneapolis MN
  68. Lisa Meredith – St Paul, MN
  69. Mark Miller, Albany, GA
  70. Shannon Mong – Alameda, CA
  71. Jennifer Moriarty – San Antonio, Texas
  72. Amy Murphy – Milwaukee, WI
  73. Monica Murphy – Norcross, GA
  74. Dawn Newman – Barnum, Minnesota
  75. Doug Nonemaker – McClellandtown, PA
  76. Jennifer Obinna – Minnetonka, Minnesota
  77. Al Onkka – Minneapolis MN
  78. Mary Overlie – Bemidji, Minnesota
  79. Alisa Oyler – Phoenix, Arizona
  80. Marilyn Oyler – Phoenix, Arizona
  81. George R Packard – Santa Fe, New Mexico
  82. Kathleen Paulo – Oakland, CA
  83. Melinda Posner – Olympia, Washington
  84. Robert Quintana Hopkins – Oakland, CA
  85. Matt Rezac – Omaha, Nebraska
  86. Kathleen Rice – Oakland, California
  87. Robin Rifkin – Melrose, Park, PA
  88. Brigid Riley – Minneapolis MN
  89. Marti Roach – Moraga, California
  90. Carla Roberts, Fremont, MI
  91. Terri Sue Rossi – Phoenix, AZ
  92. Krista Rowe – Okemos, MI
  93. Dionisio Salazar – Austin, Texas
  94. Caitlin Sarro – Chicago, IL
  95. Samantha Sainsbury – Chicago, IL
  96. Jen Schanen – Green Bay, WI
  97. Kayla Schnuelle – Diller, NE
  98. Amy Schrempp – Minneapolis, MN
  99. Beverly Scow – Oneida, Wisconson
  100. Molly Shaw – Seattle, Washington
  101. Sherrie Simpson, Minneapolis, Minnesota
  102. Courtney Smith –  Black Mountain, NC
  103. Darci Smith – Corte Madera, California
  104. Shawn Sorrell – Minneapolis, MN
  105. Angela Spinazze – Chicago, IL
  106. Jane Stallman – Oakland, California
  107. Michelle Halle Stern – Chicago, IL
  108. Colleen Svoboda – Lincoln, NE
  109. Raven Tahara – Sacramento CA
  110. Karie Terhark – Britt IA
  111. Catherine Tornbom – Tucson, Arizona
  112. Nileen Verbeten – Sacramento, California
  113. Beth Marie Ward – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  114. Rachel Walch – Minneapolis, MN
  115. Sunny Walker – Denver, Colorado
  116. Mayme Webb-Bledsoe – Durham, N Carolina
  117. Judy Weddle – Chicago, Illinois
  118. James F Wiegel – Phoenix, Arizona
  119. Kap Wilkes – Duluth, MN
  120. Aaron Wolowiec – Kalamazoo, MI
  121. Della Young – Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
ToP Facilitator certification applies only to the individuals listed. There are thousands of facilitators around the world who use Technologies of Participation in their facilitation practice. Many people have taken ToP facilitation courses and do excellent work, but have not chosen to to be certified.
ICA does not certify organizations. Facilitators certified by ICA may work in organizations with facilitators who have not been certified by ICA.

​ToP Facilitator Certification is available in countries including Australia & New Zealand, Canada, Taiwan, Ukraine & USA.  Other ICAs also offer public training courses, and in-house courses on request.

For ToP training near you see also ICA Worldwide or contact us.
ICA’s Technology of Participation (ToP)® methods are group facilitation methods that are applicable in any setting where groups need to make collective decisions or plans. Each of the different tools within the body of work have specific and intended outcomes. Overall, our methods aim to help groups come to consensus on where they are, why they are there, where they would like to be, and what they will do together to help them get to where they need to go.

ToP® methods are great tools to use to help foster collaboration in decision making and action - among individuals, organizations or communities. In particular, ToP® methods allow for transformative group journeys.
ToP® methods allow groups to: ​
  • Host meaningful conversations that result in shared decisions or resolve
  • Reach consensus and focus on areas of shared agreement rather than get stuck on areas of disagreement
  • Hear all voices and leverage group wisdom ·  
  • Recognize and honor contributions of all.​
  • Let groups deal with more data in less time.
  • Pool individual contributions into larger more informative patterns.
  • Foster strategic thinking that leverages the group wisdom and creativity.
  • Promote high levels of group ownership for the resulting plan.
  • Welcome diversity while minimizing polarization and conflict.
The Technology of Participation (ToP)® refers to a dialogic approach that facilitates group engagement and transformation. At their core, ToP methods represent a consensus-driven approach that enables groups to 1) engage in thoughtful and productive conversations, 2) develop a shared narrative and collective identity, 3) build common ground for working together, and 4) create effective and implementable short- and long-range plans.
 
Influenced by early organization development thinkers such as Kurt Lewin and his work on group change dynamics and action research as well as by existentialist philosophers such as Søren Kierkegaard, ToP® methods facilitate a groups’ ability to collectively examine their experience and make meaning of it. The techniques offer a transformative path for groups to engage in new, creative ways of thinking, conversing, and acting together. This transformation emerges from its phenomenological tenets of intentional focus, radical openness, and method of inquiry (Nelson, 2017). Groups move beyond conflict and polarization towards exploration of diverse ideas and consensus. The methods are both clearly structured and deeply nuanced and are accessible to new practitioners and helpful for seasoned change agents.
 
The Technology of Participation (ToP)® emerged from the Institute of Cultural Affairs’ community development work beginning in the 1950s. Since their inception, ToP® methods have been continually developed, honed, and expanded through thousands of practitioners engaged in community and organization development globally. For decades, practitioners of these methods would gather for yearly ‘research assemblies, using processes such as Sharing Approaches That Work to capture best practices, innovations, and new applications of the methods. This allowed for the distillation of group facilitation methods that could be applied in almost any setting—from a corporate boardroom to a rural community.
 
In addition, ToP practitioners were instrumental in professionalizing the field of facilitation and in establishing institutions like the International Association of Facilitators (IAF). In over fifty countries, ToP® methods have been leveraged in major international social change ventures, in United Nations and World Bank programs, and in hundreds of organizational and corporate change initiatives, as well as adopted as internal processes by government agencies and made part of the staff training systems of nonprofits.​
What Makes ToP Tick?
The Technology of Participation® ​ToP methods are effective because of the underlying values and principles that guide them as well as the skill of ToP Facilitators and their neutral stance. The five principal underlying values are:

  1. Inclusive Participation | The methods are designed to invite and sustain the participation of all members of a group. We understand that each person holds a piece of the puzzle, and each person’s insights help to create a whole picture.
  2. Teamwork and Collaboration | The Technology of Participation® is based on the belief that teamwork and collaboration are essential to get a task done in the most effective, efficient, and economical way—and that methods for working together should foster a genuine sense of collegiality among members of the group.
  3. Individual and Group Creativity | The methods intend to elicit the best of each person’s rational and intuitive capacities. By encouraging a dialogue between head and heart, people experience the magic of the whole group’s creativity breaking loose.
  4. Action and Ownership | The group processes need to position a group to fully own the decisions it makes and to take action based on them.
  5. Reflection and Learning | Time is built into every process for depth reflection and sharing. This confirms both the individual and group resolve and allows for transformation as well as a fuller appreciation of the importance of consensus and collective action.
 
In addition to core values, the ToP methods of open inquiry lead to the assumption of individual and collective responsibility. ToP methods are imbued with the belief that all the participants have the inherent capacity to understand and respond creatively to their own situation. Facilitators assume that everyone is a source of ideas, skills, and wisdom. The facilitator receives all ideas as genuine contributions to the process, while remaining content neutral. This enables a facilitator to encourage authentic self-determination, and foster mutual respect among participants, which is one of the keys to genuine dialogue. Respectful questions reveal deeper thinking and enable people to discover their real wisdom.
 
Finally, ToP methods focus on surfacing things that can unify a group rather than dealing with things that divide it. Instead of seeking to identify and directly address arenas of disagreement, the methods reveal where a group shares common hopes, perspectives, and objectives. ToP methods provides a common ground for moving forward; even groups that have felt “stuck” in the past often find a new sense of possibility and productivity when experiencing them.

CTF List for ICA-USA

Aaron Wolowiec Kalamazoo MI
Al Onkka Minneapolis MN
Aley Kent Brooklyn NY
Alisa Oyler Phoenix AZ
Amy Murphy Milwaukee WI
Amy Schrempp Minneapolis MN
Angela Spinazze Chicago IL
Angie Asa-Lovstad Algona IA
Ashley Everett Minneapolis MN
Barbara MacKay Tigard OR
Becca Gilgen Minneapolis MN
Becky Foreman Riverside CA
Becky Groff Des Moines IA
Beth Glommen Golden Valley MN
BethMarie Ward Los Osos CA
Bev Scow Green Bay WI
Bill Davis Post Falls ID
Brigid Riley Minneapolis MN
Caitlin Sarro New York City NY
Carla Roberts Fremont MI
Carolyn Evans Minneapolis MN
Catherine Tornbom Tucson AZ
Charity Adams Cairo NE
Cheryl Kartes Minneapolis MN
Colleen Svoboda Lincoln NE
Connie Foster River Falls WI
Courtney Lonergan Phoenix AZ
Courtney Smith Black Mountain NC
Dana Hanson Minneapolis MN
Darci Smith Corte Madera CA
Dawn Newman Barnum MN
Deb Burnight Sioux City IA
Della Young Minneapolis MN
Dennis Jennings Chicago IL
Diana McCall Black Mountain NC
Dionisio Salazar Austin TX
Doug Nonemaker Pittsburgh PA
Erima Fobbs Richmond VA
Ester Mae Cox Peru IA
Eva Jensen Golden Valley MN
George Packard Santa Fe NM
Greta Leach Omaha NE
Heidi Kolbe West Sacramento CA
Holly Hayes Chapin SC
Irina Fursman St Louis Park MN
Jake Melson Minneapolis MN
James Wiegel Tolleson AZ
Jane Stallman Oakland CA
Jasmine Jetton-Gonzales Deerfield IL
Jen Schanen Green Bay WI
Jenn Allen Long Beach CA
Jennifer Moriarty San Antonio TX
Jennifer Obinna St. Paul MN
Jeremy Kautza Madison WI
Jess Stempien Lutz FL
Jim Mara Minneapolis MN
Jill List Cottage Grove WI
John Beranek Sioux Falls SD
Jonathan Bucki St. Paul MN
Judy Weddle Lincoln City OR
June Klaphake Mendota Heights MN
Kap Wilkes Duluth MN
Karie Terhark Minneapolis MN
Karla Hill-Donisch Minneapolis MN
Kathleen Paulo Oakland CA
Kathleen Rice Oakland CA
Kathy McGrane Anoka MN
Kayla Schnuelle Diller NE
Kim Behrens Chanhassen MN
Kim Howe Omaha NE
Krista Rowe Okemos MI
Laura Johansson Minneapolis MN
Laurie Dougherty Homestead FL
Levitie Danielle Dryke Minneapolis MN
Linda Alton Minneapolis MN
Lindsay Gross East Lansing MI
Lisa Brawley Rhinebeck NY
Lisa Meredith Saint Paul MN
Liz Lindsley Santa Cruz CA
Lynda Baker Austin TX
Marcia Hodges Oakland CA
Marcy Douglas Arvilla ND
Maria Teresa Gaston Durham NC
Marilyn Oyler Phoenix AZ
Mark Miller Putney GA
Marlene Lockwood Cameron Park CA
Marti Roach Moraga CA
Mary Flanagan San Antonio TX
Mary Overlie Bemidji MN
Matt Rezac Minneapolis MN
Maureen Jenkins Walpole NH
Mayme Webb-Bledsoe Durham NC
Meg Jacobson Minneapolis MN
Meg Knodl Minneapolis MN
Melinda Posner Olympia WA
Michelle Halle Stern Chicago IL
Mike Beebe Seattle WA
Molly Shaw Seattle WA
Monica Murphy Norcross GA
Nadine Bell Dallas TX
Nadine Lund Louisville CO
Nancy Jackson Dublin NH
Nancy Lee St. Paul MN
Nileen Verbeten Sacramento CA
Rachael Hefte Minneapolis MN
Rachel Walch Minneapolis MN
Raven Tahara Sacramento CA
Reine Kassulker Andover MN
Ren Daraio San Fransisco CA
Robert Quintana Hopkins Oakland CA
Robin Rifkin Melrose Park PA
Samantha Sainsbury Chicago IL
Seana Doherty Truckee CA
Seva Gandhi Chicago IL
Shannon Mong Alameda CA
Shawn Sorrell Minneapolis MN
Sheila Cooke Eden Prairie MN
Sherrie Simpson Minneapolis MN
Sherry Johnson Kirkland WA
Shonnie Streder Fletcher NC
Stephanie Ahles Las Vegas NV
Stephanie Hochman Oakland CA
Sue Laxdal Medicine Lake MN
Sunny Walker Aurora CO
Suzanne Esber Las Vegas NV
Terri Sue Rossi Phoenix AZ
Terry Bergdall Chicago IL
Una McAlinden ​Seattle WA
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                                             A Real World ToP® Success Story
The challenge:  The Maricopa (AZ) Unified School District serves students in one of the country’s fastest growing communities. With its one high school bursting at the seams, District officials engaged Courtney Lonergan, an internationally certified and world-renowned master strategic facilitator.
The process: Over the course of several months, Courtney engaged parents, students, teachers, administrators, local government officials and private citizens in a vibrant and engaged strategic planning journey. Using Technology of Participation® processes, Courtney facilitated groups as they determined educational metrics for the entire school district, uncovered and addressed systemic barriers and issues, and built camaraderie and effective teamwork across the school district and broader community.
The result: Groundbreaking for a new $26 million high school is scheduled for May 7, 2021! The school is expected to open in July 2022.
How can ICA help you?  Email us   
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