PLANNING THE

GROUP

“Planning marks the beginning of

the worker’s involvement in the
group endeavor.”
 PLANNING THE GROUP
➢Planning includes:
●Forming the group
●On-going adjustments

Forming the Group:

● Individual
● Group as a Whole
● Environment
 PLANNING THE GROUP
➢ Planning Model for Group Work:
1. Establishing the Group’s Purpose
2. Assessing Potential Sponsorship
3. Recruiting Members
4. Composing the Group
5. Orienting Members
6. Contracting
7. Preparing the Environment
8. Reviewing the literature
9. Selecting monitoring and evaluation tools
10. Preparing a written group proposal
11. Planning virtual groups
 PLANNING THE GROUP
1. Establishing the Group’s Purpose:

- Statement of Purpose – answers

“What are we doing here together? And
helps prevent lack of direction.
 PLANNING THE GROUP
Statement of Purpose includes:
- Information on problems or issues to
address
- Range of individual and group goals to
accomplish
- How individuals and group might work
together
 PLANNING THE GROUP

Statement of purpose can be:

Group-Worker-Generated
Agency-Staff-Generated
Member-Generated
Community-Generated
 PLANNING THE GROUP
2. Assessing Potential Sponsorship and
Membership:

** Purpose, focus, goals, and sanctions

of the group are conditioned by the
setting and the clientele.**
 PLANNING THE GROUP

Sponsorship: pay attention to the potential

fit

Membership: who should be recruited

 PLANNING THE GROUP
3. Recruiting Members:
Considering sources from which
potential members can be identified and
referred to the group:
- contacting potential members directly or key
people in the network of potential members
- mailing and posting announcements
- preparing television and radio
announcements
- web-sites
- issuing press releases
 PLANNING THE GROUP
4. Composing the Group:
- Worker chooses members according to
their needs and the requirements of the
group-as-a-whole.
 PLANNING THE GROUP
Homogeneity – members have a similar purpose for being
there and have some personal characteristics in common.

Heterogeneity – diversity of members’ culture, coping skills, life

experiences, and levels of expertise.

Diversity – development, age, gender, and socio-cultural

factors

Size – varies depending on the objectives of group and

attributes of members.

Open vs. Closed

 PLANNING THE GROUP
5. Orienting Members:
- Worker screens members for
appropriateness and orients to group.
- Explaining purpose of group
- Familiarizing members with
group procedures
- Screening members for
appropriateness
 PLANNING THE GROUP
6. Contracting:
Contract – a written or verbal agreement
between two or more members of a group.

Contracting for member goals – roles, goals

and how individual goals fit with the group
goals.
 PLANNING THE GROUP

Contracting for group procedures: duration and

frequency of meetings, attendance
requirements, confidentiality of discussions,
time and place of meetings, attendance fees,
monitoring or evaluation procedures, or other
rules governing behavior in a group: how
discussions will take place, etc.
 PLANNING THE GROUP
7. Preparing the environment:

Physical setting – room size, space,

seating arrangements, furnishings,
atmosphere, and special arrangements
 PLANNING THE GROUP

Securing financial support:

- How will expenses associated with
the group be met?
Making special arrangements:
- Consider any special needs
- Make arrangements that will
accommodate all members’
ability to attend
 PLANNING THE GROUP
➢8. Review the Literature
●Evidenced-based Practice
• Articles and book chapters that present case
examples or qualitative studies of similar groups
• Empirically based articles or book chapters that
present findings
• World Catalogue (or other data-bases) to search
for books written on similar group experiences
• Field-tested and evidenced-based manuals and
curriculum for conducting a similar group
 PLANNING THE GROUP
➢9. Selecting Monitoring and Evaluation
Tools

●Decide what you want to monitor and what

tool(s) you will use to do it.
●Decide how goal accomplishment will be
determined
 PLANNING THE GROUP

10. Preparing a written group proposal

 PLANNING THE GROUP
➢11. Planning Virtual Groups