Facilitating a Culture of Participation

A sea change is taking place around the world. From global corporations to rural villages, people want to participate in making decisions that affect their lives. Leaders of the future want authentic participation. For forty years our philosophy of full participation had made significant and sustainable impact in every field of endeavour.

ICA Associates Inc.

We are the future of meaningful engagement. Organizations need the full creativity and commitment of all staff and stakeholders. That's what we do.

LEADERSHIP FOR A COMPLEX WORLD
Learn to thrive on uncertainty and complexity with methods transferable to all professions. Get powerful results and a commitment to action from every team and work group. Our comprehensive Learning Journey features skills in involvement, participation, empowerment and transformation.

Company Values

Our company values are explicit in our methods and processes, in our philosophy and even in our lifestyle. From global corporations to rural villages, people want to participate in the decisions that affect their lives.

Comprehensive Context

Understanding the historical perspective and the whole system one is working in, and the diversity of perspectives

Consciousness

Living life with intention and high awareness as we enter each day and each situation

Affirmation

Acknowledging and saying “yes” to our own and others’ lives, to what is happening in society, the world and our situation

Transformation

The potential for positive change which exists in every person, group, situation and moment

Transparency

Clear and open decision-making processes with mutual accountability, which builds trust

Responsibility

Constantly holding a tension between obligation and freedom to make decisions

Care and Compassion

Acknowledging that life is about concern for self and others, and there is energy and joy in acting it out

Collaboration / Teamwork

Interdependent individual and team work which fosters meaningful engagement and commitment

Courage

Taking risks and being on the leading edge on behalf of something larger than one’s self

ICA Associates Inc.

We have a large schedule of public training programs on leadership and facilitation skills in locations all across the country. Our trainers are Certified ToP Facilitators. Companies ask us to set up inhouse training for their staff with online or inperson courses, off-the-shelf or fully customized.
Our training is highly participatory and covers demonstration, theory, application, practice and design of core methods and processes. Fun is actually part of the learning.

ICA has created many tools that are recognized worldwide

You can learn about ICA methods and tools from our books, available on Amazon, iUniverse and other online platforms.

The Art of Focused Conversation

100 Ways to Access Wisdom in the Workplace. This book convincingly restores this most human of attributes to its prime place wi ...

Transformational Strategy

Transformational Strategy: Facilitating ToP Participatory Planning. ICA is truly one of the pioneers of the participatory approach ...

Getting to the Bottom of ToP

Getting to the Bottom of ToP. Foundations of the Methodologies of the Technology of Participation. By Wayne and Jo Nelson. People ...

The Workshop Book

The Workshop Book: From Individual Creativity to Group Action outlines the best practices of the workshop method, based on the Ins ...

The Courage to Lead

Transform Self, Transform Society. These days, the complexity of life tends to leave us paralyzed. The Courage to Lead helps pe ...

Art of Focused Conversation for Schools

Jo Nelson skillfully shows how to move conversations with students, fellow teachers and parents beyond mere words and “head know ...

Strategy Workshop

Strategy Workshop

Where does strategy come from? There is a key mental model and process behind the articulation of powerful strategy that can prope ...

Social Process Triangle

Social Process Triangle

This is the most powerful diagnostic tool for understanding whole system dynamics in society and organizations. With it any size g ...

STEPS Model

STEPS Model

The STEPS model is a facilitator/client collaborative device for co-managing small events and large-scale processes. It gets to th ...

Participatory Strategic Planning

Participatory Strategic Planning

ICA’s participatory strategic planning is well-known around the world in companies, governments, non-profit groups, and communit ...

Consensus Workshop Method

Consensus Workshop Method

Every facilitator needs to know how to build a consensus within a group. This method has forty years of practice, in person and on ...

Focused Conversation Method

Focused Conversation Method

This is the single most valuable method for any facilitator. It allows any group to have a safe conversation that actually gets so ...

Training

Get highly transferable skills that fully engage your staff and stakeholders, and the confidence you need to make a difference in your workplace or community.

Booking Course

Consulting

Transformation Engagement consulting with ICA Associates Inc. involves and empowers everyone in planning, distributed decision making and change management

Talk to a consultant

The International Association of Facilitators (IAF) sets internationally accepted industry standards, provides accreditation, and advocates and educates on the power of facilitation. IAF endorses two major programs of ICA Associates Inc.

ICA Canada. The Canadian Institute of Cultural Affairs, a registered Canadian charity, is the owner of the Technology of Participation body of knowledge and licenses ICA Associates Inc. to use it worldwide.