ToP Working Group

Following the approval of a new Global Technology of Participation (ToP) Policy by the ICAI General Assembly in July 2015, the working group which had been brought together to develop and build consensus around the global ToP policy completed its work in June 2016 by developing a set of proposals for the implementation of the policy. These were submitted for consideration by the ICAI General Assembly. One of the key recommendations made in the proposal was for the establishment of a co-ordinating body with a mandate from the ICAI General Assembly to guide and support the implementation of the policy.

World Wide Consistency & Capacity

The main purpose of the co-ordinating body is to build worldwide consistency and capacity for ToP trainer training and qualification. In considering how best to do this, members can draw on concrete proposals that have already been suggested as to how this may be achieved:

  • Establish Internationally Recognized ToP Trainer Competencies and Criteria
  • Build ToP Trainer Training Capacity
  • Develop Resource Repositories

More broadly, the coordinating body would develop a process for addressing any development issues relating to ToP that emerge. Current examples include:

For full details download the ICAI Global ToP Working Group Terms of Reference (pdf).

Elected Members

Members of the co-ordinating body were elected by the ICAI General Assembly in August 2018 as follows:

Core Group

Nominated by Statutory or Associate members of ICAI, these are the key decision-makers and are characterised by an intimate knowledge of ToP and ICA history and values, having no personal financial interest in the decisions, and being from ICAs at different stages of their development of ToP systems:

Hannah Anighoro – EPDI Nigeria

Hannah was trained in ToP by NIRADO (Shirley, Jim Troxel, Mangala Gavai, etc) in 1990 and ICA Canada in 1999. She worked with NIRADO for about ten years (1997 -2008) doing ToP training and planning for community groups and corporate organizations in different parts of Nigeria. Prior to joining NIRADO, Hannah worked with Prime Mgt Systems, a Consulting firm, and did ToP training and planning programs for several corporate organizations. Hannah currently works with EPDI and HAGENS Creative Technologies Ltd, doing ToP training and planning programs for organizations and community groups, including government agencies. While in NIRADO Hannah was on the ICAI Board from 2004 until early 2008.

Jonathan Dudding – ICA:UK

Jonathan has been in the field of participation and facilitation for over 25 years, working both nationally and internationally. As well as being recognized as a Lead Trainer in the Technology of Participation (the set of group facilitation methods developed by ICA), Jonathan has worked as a facilitator with governments, institutions, organizations and communities mostly in Europe and Africa. A key aspect of Jonathan’s recent roles in ICA has been the design and facilitation (often from a distance) of capacity development processes for our partner organizations.

Seva Gandhi – ICA USA

Seva is the Director of Programs and Partnerships at the Institute of Cultural Affairs – USA. Seva, a Chicago native, has been in the field of community development as an organizer and facilitator locally and abroad, for the past decade. She received her Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Michigan. Seva spends her time at work helping support and manage ICA’s networks—internationally through her role on the Board of ICA International, nationally with her role on the ToP Training Leadership Forum (TTLF), citywide in Chicago as an organizer of the Chicago Sustainability Leaders Network (CSLN), and locally as a program developer in ICA’s home neighborhood of Uptown. Seva is a Certified ToP Facilitator (CTF) and a ToP Mentor Trainer. Seva’s facilitation and training work often intersects with anti-racism work or environmental justice work.

Shankar Jadhav – ICA India

Shankar has been with ICA India for last 39 years, taking different responsibilities such as fundraising, management, and founder of community development in Pune. Shankar established a Training Center for ICA India, and has served as an ICAI Board of director for over 8 years. Shankar facilitating ToP and other training for Schools, NGOs, CSR groups, Industries, Police and Trainers. Done Evaluation and re visioning for CSR group. Currently doing lots of ToP training for Trainers from all over India and mostly from IAF India. Closely related with IAF Team. Establishing Training Institute at our Training center for long term and continuous certified training courses for ToP and Community development work.

Advisory Group

Recognised for the extent of their competence in ToP training and the development of trainers:

Martin Gilbraith – ICA:UK

Martin is an independent facilitator, trainer and consultant based in London, UK. He is a Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF) of the International Association of Facilitators (IAF), former IAF Chair and IAF Europe Director. Martin is also an ICA Certified ToP Facilitator (CTF) and a licensed provider and experienced lead trainer of ICA:UK Technology of Participation (ToP) facilitation training courses. Martin is the past president of ICA International and former Chief Executive of ICA:UK. He has been facilitating and training, specializing in ICA’s ToP facilitation methodology, since 1986.

Gerd Luders – ICA Chile

Since 1983 Gerd has used ToPTM Facilitation skills to empower our management team, and turn Berlitz Chile into the highest quality, most profitable and creative country operation. Gerd led training with managers of key clients, to build extended teams and to equip them with tools to become learning organizations. Gerd also leads training on behalf of ICA Chile.

Larry Philbrook – ICA Taiwan

Lawrence Philbrook (Larry) has spent the past 40 years with ICA designing and facilitating participatory programs in varied cultural settings with government, business and community-based projects. His work focuses on integrating methodologies in long term systemic change with more than 100 organizations in the US, India, Africa and for the last 30 years in Greater China. He is an ICA Certified ToP Facilitator (CTF), an ICA Assessor and Master Trainer in ToP and an IAF CPF. Larry has lived in Asia for more than thirty years, & in Taiwan since 1991. He is the past president of ICA International and received the IAF Hall of Fame Award in 2015.

Bill Staples – ICA Associates Canada

Bill’s primary interest is to shift an older style hierarchical leadership into a future-oriented participatory leadership. Bill is the principal owner of ICA Associates, a facilitation training and consulting firm. Bill consultants for organizations undergoing major changes, and is a master trainer of professional facilitators and consultants. Bill has written several books include Transformational Strategy: Facilitation of ToP Participatory Planning. His specialties include Technology of Participation (ToP) consulting, facilitation and training for shifting organizational and societal values, then matching behavioral changes to the new values.