Understanding the facilitation of Community Future Dialogues through the Relational Social Work paradigm. Findings from an Italian study

This article explores the role of facilitators in Community Future Dialogues (CFDs), a dialogical method rooted in the Finnish tradition and adapted to the Italian context to support participatory planning in community social work. Grounded in the Relational Social Work paradigm, CFDs aim to foster inclusive decision-making processes by engaging citizens, professionals, and institutions in envisioning desirable futures and co-designing concrete action plans. Drawing on a quali-quantitative study conducted across ten CFDs involving 126 participants and five trained facilitators, the research investigates how facilitation functions are enacted and perceived. Findings highlight the centrality of facilitation (i.e. relational guidance) in creating dialogical spaces that promote trust, reflexivity, and shared responsibility. Facilitators are shown to play a dual role: guiding the process while ensuring clarity and accessibility through transcription and reformulation. The study reveals a strong convergence between facilitators’ and participants’ perspectives, particularly regarding the effectiveness of dialogical methods, rule-setting, and future-oriented visioning. Challenges such as time constraints, participant fatigue, and institutional limitations are discussed, alongside strategies to enhance inclusivity and adaptability. The article concludes by positioning CFDs as a promising tool for community empowerment and social change, emphasizing the importance of professional reflexivity and co-facilitation in sustaining participatory processes