Developing the Group Facilitation Assessment of Competencies Tool for Group-Based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Interventions in Humanitarian and Low-Resource Settings

In humanitarian settings, mental health and psychosocial support services (MHPSS) are often delivered in group-based formats. Group interventions enable providers to reach more individuals when resources and technical expertise are limited. Group-based programs also foster social support, empathy, and collective problem-solving among the participants. To remedy the current lack of tools available to assess the group facilitation competencies of individuals delivering group-based MHPSS, this paper aims to illustrate the process of developing such a tool. Through this process, the Group Facilitation Assessment of Competencies (GroupACT) Tool is developed. GroupACT is a structured observational tool for assessing these competencies during standardized role-plays with actor clients, or in vivo during the delivery of group sessions with actual clients. The article is concluded with guidance for using the GroupACT to assess facilitators’ competencies in providing group-based MHPSS in the health, education, protection, and other sectors in humanitarian settings.