A while back Filip Kiš asked, asked for some feedback on a facilitation / collaboration tools book he was putting together. Several people have chipped chipped in with examples of websites that provide different tools and techniques. Here is the list of collaboration tool portals we shared and I have found:

  1. Session Labs tools: A broad series of common tools and techniques (Filip’s a co-creator of this site)
  2. IAF Methods Database – Hosted by SessionLab. Unsure if all methods are visible to non IAF members.
  3. MyCoted – This is a shortened version of a resource of tools and techniques I reccieved on my Open University MBA module “Innovation. Creativity & Change”.
  4. Ideo Methods – A simple set of techniques for human centred design (Suggested by Edwin Stoop)
  5. Liberating structures – A broad set of tools for a whole range of uses. Bruce McTague recommended THIS “matchmaking” chart to help you decide which structure to use.
  6. Collaboration King – A range of face to face and digital tools for sparking creativity (Suggested by Sita Magnuson).
  7. Gamestorming – A whole range of tools, many of which are available in the book of the same name.
  8. Design Method Toolkit – A series of over fifty tools for creating team based projects.
  9. Development Impact & You – A set of tools & techniques to trigger and support social innovation (found via IAF Newsletter).
  10. Workshop Bank – A host of facilitation and training tools / techniques (Found via IAF Newsletter).
  11. Seeds for change – A range of tools & techniques for strengthen co-operation and strengthening resistance. Full PDF of tools: HERE (Found via IAF Newsletter).
  12. National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation – An extremely broad set of resources on the topics of dialogue, deliberation and public engagement. I particularly like the ease of use of the Advanced Search.
  13. Tools for inter-sector collaboration – The Toolkit is a guide to help diagnose, design, implement, and assess successful cross-sector collaboration (Thanks to Bonnie Konnig of Going International for this recommendation). Also check out Knowledge Sharing Toolkits Methods The wiki platform this is based on will be deprecated soon.
  14. Faster than 20 – Developed by Eugene Eric Kim, this website has a range of tools / techniques for enhancing collaboration. Thanks to Sita Magnusun, who posted about this over on LinkedIn.
  15. The Wilder Foundation – Authors of “Collaboration, what makes it happen”, have a range of tools and resources on collaboration.
  16. ATTIC Cards – Developed by British Columbia Patient Safety & Quality Council, these are 34 techniques to support team development, collaboration and so on. ATTIC stands for Activities for Transforming Teams and Igniting Change. Thanks to Helen Bevan for sharing these on Twitter.
  17. Collective Action Toolkit – Designed by Frog Design, this toolkit brings a range of design thinking tools to collaboration. Available in English, Spanish, Chinese & French.
  18. Creative Approaches to Problem Solving – Created by Q, A UK organisation tasked with improving healthcare, is a toolbox of 25 different methods to raise collaboration. Thanks to Matthew Mezey for sharing this resource with me viaTwitter. THIS resource, called “Folks Work” from the NHS is not a full set of tools, but an easy to follow collaboration framework. Thanks to Helen Bevan for sharing this..
  19. Community Tool Box is an excellent set of resources for collaboration improvement in communities. Developed by Kansas University.
  20. Human Systems Dynamics Institute has a range of collaboration tools from the systems thinking world. A very useful website overall.
  21. Hyper Island Toolbox is an excellent set of 75 tools for collaboration. Thanks to Mireille Beumer for bring this to my attention over on Instagram.
  22. Stanford Design School has a range of tools for collaboration.
  23. Group Works card deck is not a set of techniques nor processes, rather an accompanying toolset that can be used in many ways by facilitators. It can help plan, reflect during or after an event or simply be used to self evaluate competence. There is a free download of the card deck and an accompanying document that outlines the different uses of deck. Many thanks to Jack Martin Leith for bringing this to my attention.
  24. H3Uni’s Collaborative Thinking library is a range of tools and techniques to help people work together more effectively. I particularly like the range of resources that support the underpinning thinking to the techniques. Many thanks to Chitra Chandrashekhar for sharing this with me and other members of the Graphic Facilitation Facebook group.
  25. International Futures Forum Practice Centre is connected to H3Uni and has several separate resources. The site needs a bit of clicking around on to find resources, but there are gems on there, like “World Game“.
  26. Creative Education Foundation have created a really excellent 56 page PDF guide to creative problem solving. It has a range of techniques for divergent and convergent thinking in groups and an extensive bibliography. Thanks to Jack Martin Leith for sharing this over on LinkedIn.
  27. Jack Martin Leith has unleashed a plethora of resources on his own website. These are particularly suited to those looking at whole system innovation and change. This is currently being rebuilt by Jack, but worth a look as it grows.
  28. Play14 is a series of team activities and facilitation processes. Thanks to Tanja Murphy-llibasic for suggesting these.
  29. TastyCupcakes.org has dozens of collaboration activities and is worth a look. Thanks to Katarzyna Wdaniec for emailing me the suggestion.
  30. Learningforsustainability.org has a several PDF resources on its page and links to other sites (some mentioned here) in order to provide a very eclectic bunch of resources around facilitation with groups. Thanks to Josselin Butté for suggesting this to me!
  31. Collaboration.ai has over two hundred energisers that can be used to create connection in meetings, conferences and trainings. I found this through a twitter post by Helen Bevan.
  32. Xplane Inc have put together six nice visual processes for exploring culture.
  33. ToP tools is a collection of 60 Theory of Participation facilitation techniques. Thanks to Martin Gilbraith for sharing this over on twitter and also Jack Martin Leith!
  34. Lisette Sutherland has created a great set of resources for collaboration and particularly remote collaboration, which can be found HERE.
  35. The Facilitators for Pandemic Response Group have put together this very solid resources on all facets of remote facilitation and collaboration. You can find the document HERE.
  36. Myriam Hadnes has created an excellent set of podcasts and supporting resources around facilitation. You can find here site HERE. She has also created a nice MURAL template with how the podcasts map together. This can be found HERE.
  37. Denise Shanté Brown has pulled a great set of activities together for virtual “checkins”. You can access the Google Doc HERE.
  38. The team at MURAL have shared THIS nice set of ‘ice-breakers” for working virtually.

Do you have any other recommendations for portals of tools / techniques? If so, drop me a message or reach via twitter / email.

Thanks for visiting!