Impact Story

From Dependency to Autonomy: MFJ’s 3 Year Journey to Internal Facilitation Mastery

When Measures for Justice (MFJ) first partnered with UFacilitate, their goal was clear: design an effective team retreat. Over three years, this partnership evolved, helping MFJ build strong internal skills to plan and lead impactful retreats independently.

3 years. 1 facilitator. 7 hours per year.

This focused investment allowed MFJ to move confidently from relying on external consultants to fully leading their own events.

The Challenge

After the pandemic, MFJ faced challenges common to many mission-driven organizations:

Their retreats had to go beyond routine meetings. They needed to foster alignment, strengthen culture, and develop internal leadership. Planning such events felt complicated and challenging.

Year 1: Establishing a Solid Foundation

UFacilitate worked closely with MFJ to design and implement their first retreat, introducing structured tools such as the Success Spectrum and detailed planning frameworks.

These resources allowed MFJ to:

“Brooking, from UFacilitate, proved to be an invaluable resource and a tremendous asset.”

Year 2: Enhancing Internal Facilitation Capabilities

In year two, MFJ staff stepped into leadership roles. UFacilitate transitioned from facilitator to coach and thought partner, helping MFJ staff take ownership of their retreat’s content and flow. Two key staff members led the process by:

MFJ staff built upon proven methods, with UFacilitate providing supportive guidance.

“This facilitation process deepened my knowledge about myself, my values, and what I look for in an event and how impactful an event can be.”

Year 3: Achieving Full Autonomy

By 2024, MFJ fully owned the retreat’s design and execution. An internal committee confidently used templates, processes, and practices developed in collaboration with UFacilitate.

UFacilitate provided minimal guidance, ensuring the retreat remained aligned with MFJ’s values and offering consultative feedback on the staff-led design.

“It was deeply satisfying to witness their growing confidence and how they felt empowered to design and facilitate their own processes. They moved from logistics to leadership.”

Results: Building a Stronger Team

Over three years, MFJ significantly improved their facilitation skills and team alignment.

Initially:

Eventually:

MFJ developed:

Results: Building a Stronger Team

UFacilitate partners with foundations, NGOs, multilaterals, universities, research centers, and local governments to build internal skills through:

We see facilitation as an essential leadership skill. Effective facilitation solves immediate problems and builds the capabilities to address future challenges. If your organization is ready to shift from dependency to autonomy, UFacilitate is here to guide you.