What is Facilitator guide?
Also called: Trainer guide · Leader guide · Facilitator manual · Session planDefinition
A facilitator guide is a document that tells a trainer exactly how to run a training session, segment by segment. It typically sets out the timing of each part, the objective, what to say or emphasise, the activities and their instructions, debrief questions, materials and slides required, and tips for common problems. A good facilitator guide lets a competent trainer who did not design the programme deliver it consistently, which is why it is essential for scaling training across trainers and locations.
Most facilitator guides follow the agenda in blocks. Each block lists the duration, the learning objective, the slides to show, the facilitator’s talking points, the participant activity with set-up instructions, the debrief questions and the transition to the next block. Many also include a materials checklist, room set-up notes and variations for virtual delivery.
For L&D teams and training companies, the facilitator guide is what turns a one-off workshop into a repeatable product. It protects quality when new trainers take over, keeps messages consistent across cities, and shortens preparation time. It also makes it easier to review and improve a programme because the design is written down rather than held in one trainer’s head.
Common faults are guides that simply repeat the slide text, omit timings, or describe activities so loosely that every trainer runs them differently. A guide should be specific about instructions and debrief questions, while leaving room for the facilitator to adapt examples to the group.
Key points
- A segment-by-segment delivery plan for the trainer.
- Includes timings, objectives, activities and debrief questions.
- Lets different trainers deliver consistently.
- Pairs with the training design document and slide deck.
An example at work
A training company in Ahmedabad hands a new associate trainer the facilitator guide for a two-day negotiation programme, which tells her when to start the role-play, how to brief each side and which questions to ask afterwards.
Where this is used at Bodhih
Related terms
Training design document
A training design document is the blueprint for a training programme, setting out the audience, objectives, structure, methods and assessment before materials are built.
Train the trainer
Train the trainer is a programme that prepares subject experts or new trainers to design, deliver and evaluate training for others effectively.
Instructional design
Instructional design is the systematic practice of creating learning experiences that reliably help people gain specific knowledge and skills.
Blended learning
Blended learning is a training approach that combines online learning, such as e-learning and virtual sessions, with in-person or live instructor-led learning.
ADDIE model
The ADDIE model is a five-phase instructional design process: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation.
More about Facilitator guide
What is the difference between a facilitator guide and a training design document?
The training design document explains what the programme must achieve and why it is built that way: audience, objectives, structure and assessment. The facilitator guide explains how to deliver it, minute by minute. The design document is written for reviewers and sponsors; the facilitator guide is written for the person in the room.
What should a facilitator guide include?
At minimum: agenda with timings, objective for each segment, slide references, key messages, activity instructions, debrief questions, materials needed and transition notes. Useful additions are tips for common problems, options to shorten or extend segments, and notes for running the session virtually.