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# Ako group guidelines

*Ness Radich from the* [*Leadership for Change program at Otago University*](https://www.op.ac.nz/study/capable-nz/bachelor-of-leadership-for-change) *wrote these guidelines for "ako groups": a crew for peer-supported learning:*

**What is an ako group:** A collection of people who have a juicy, edgy topic of interest which they wish to explore more in a safe, open space with no hierarchy, but welcomed curiosity.

**Why create an ako group:** This is a community, leaders are learners, and we want to support each other on this learning path, challenge ourselves and our ideas, and lift each other up in the process.

**How to create an ako group**: Here are some basic guidelines/ principles for creating a LfC ako group based on experience.

1. **Scope** : Define the scope of your question / idea / topic. Think about what success in this group might look like.
2. **Diversity** : Aim to have diversity in the group members or gather different opinions online - this encourages juicy discussions to emerge and learning too.
3. **Inclusion** : decide at the start whether you can invite others to join the session or not (perhaps guest speakers or elders or just a new member) and the process you wish to follow in doing so if any
4. **Commitment** : As much as possible show commitment to the group so everyone is accountable for each other. This supports group dynamics and the safe space. eg. let the group know 1 day in advance whether you can attend or not (for number purposes)
5. **Lead Facilitator** : Assign a group member to facilitate each week: to guide the session, host the zoom room (if they can) and remind people of the topic (doesn’t need to be their topic / question that is being posted) e.g. send out an email /facebook reminder at the end of previous or start of following week.
6. **Communication:** decide from the outset which means of communication work best for everybody (email, facebook messenger, facebook group…). *Suggestion: having a google doc to note key insights/discussions from the meeting and write up the next topic and facilitator for people who couldn’t make it.*
7. **Topic:** Your group might want to suggest a topic or an article to read up on/research for the upcoming week to keep the juiciness rolling; also group members may wish to present/share some of their own work
8. **Review / Iteration** : Allow it to be an iterative process and lock in a time when you will review the topic and if it is meeting the needs of the group. A general check-in with the group on how the experience has been for everyone to date helps shaping the path forward.

**Additional Support:** For good practice and group safety, assign a LfC staff facilitator as Kaitiakitanga for your group. They can play the role as: Guardian, mediation, and will check in every now and then to support the group and help identify any issues ideally before they occur.