Handbook on Restorative justice programmes

Basic skills of facilitators
앫 Case management and general
organizational skills
앫 Leadership skills (particularly
when the community is involved
in the process)
앫 Knowledge of services and 
support networks available to
victims and offenders 
앫 Ability to maintain good working
relationships with law enforce-
ment and criminal justice officials
앫 Ability to communicate 
effectively with representatives
of the media

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There are obviously questions about recruitment of facilitators (volun-
teers or professionals) that are by no means trivial, but are better
addressed on a case-by-case basis. Some programmes are able to use the
services of professionally trained and/or accredited professionals who
offer their services to facilitate a given process. This has the advantage of
allowing a programme with few cases to have access to trained profes-
sional without having to employ them on a full time basis. Professional
associations or government agencies can create a roster of available facilita-
tors and mediators, sometimes with reference to an accreditation scheme.
Each programme should carefully identify the skills it needs to see in its
facilitators/mediators and integrate that information in its recruitment
and training activities.
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The Basic Principles (para. 19) emphasizes that facilitators should “possess
a good understanding of local cultures and communities and, where
appropriate, receive initial training before taking up facilitation duties”.
Facilitators and programme administrators must also take every step pos-
sible to reduce the likelihood of bias and discrimination in their interac-
tions with offenders, victims and members of the community from
different cultural or ethnic background. As a means to increase positive
interactions, programmes should consider offering cultural skills training
for restorative justice practitioners.
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Facilitators can be trained to identify
whether participants would like particular cultural practices or needs to
be accommodated within the restorative justice process. They should also
be trained to work in situations where the participants are not all of the
same cultural background. Some of the means and strategies available to
facilitators include: seeking advice from cultural advisers or elders; work-
ing with facilitators of the same ethnicity as the participants; using an
interpreter; holding meetings in a culturally significant venue; ensuring
that participants are aware of cultural differences and how these may or
may not be accommodated.
38
Victim-sensitive training should also be offered to all facilitators
39
and
criminal justice and other practitioners involved in restorative justice pro-
grammes should also receive training on how to handle sensitive and com-
plex cases. These skills are particularly required in cases where a risk
assessment has determined that there is the potential for further harm 
to the victim during or outside of the restorative process. The need is