SUSS Professional Certificate in Participation and Engagement Facilitation
The Professional Certificate in Participation and Engagement Facilitation is designed to strengthen the capabilities of professionals involved in public and community engagement, equipping them with the knowledge, practical skills, and facilitation strategies needed to engage diverse communities effectively and foster meaningful participation. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives and practice-based learning, the programme prepares learners to navigate complex social issues, build trust across stakeholder groups, and facilitate constructive engagement processes in community and organisational settings.
The programme begins by providing a strong foundation in community building and identity formation. Participants will explore how communities are shaped, how identities are formed, and how factors such as culture, inclusion, inequality, and national development influence social cohesion and collective belonging. Learners will also examine different forms of community capital and gain a practical understanding of how impact measurement can support more sustainable and responsive community initiatives.
Building on this foundation, the programme develops essential competencies in community leadership and engagement. Participants will learn how servant leadership principles can support inclusive engagement, while gaining practical skills in stakeholder engagement, relationship building, outreach planning, and resource mobilisation. This enables learners to better design, lead, and sustain community initiatives that respond to real needs and build stronger collaborative networks.
A further emphasis of the programme is on facilitation practice in community engagement. Participants will examine why community engagement matters, evaluate different models and approaches to participation, and learn how to plan, operationalise, and assess engagement efforts in real-world contexts. The curriculum also develops facilitation skills such as active listening, questioning techniques, moderation, conflict management, and stakeholder communication, enabling learners to facilitate dialogue and participation with greater confidence and effectiveness.
Throughout the programme, learners will benefit from a blend of conceptual frameworks, practical tools, case-based discussions, and applied learning activities. Upon completion, participants will have gained a comprehensive understanding of community building, stakeholder engagement, community leadership, and facilitation practice, equipping them to contribute more effectively to participatory processes, community development efforts, and social impact initiatives.
The programme consists of three courses currently offered to the public. Participants are required to successfully complete all courses within three years of starting their first course.
Please see the table below for the synopses of the courses.
| S/N | Course | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | (CET265) Practical Skills for Community Leadership and Engagement | This course focuses on equipping learners with practical skills required for effective community leadership and engagement. Through a combination of professional and people-management disciplines, learners will develop essential skills in relationship building, resource mobilisation, and community outreach. Emphasis is placed on applying strategies to foster inclusivity and tackle social challenges within diverse communities, both locally and globally. |
| 2 | Communities everywhere are facing complex challenges in scope, scale and urgency, threatening social cohesion and trust. Involving the community enables us to improve public health, social conditions, economic well-being and sustainability of communities. This course provides relevant concepts, tools and strategies for community engagement and facilitation. Facilitating community engagement is a combination of both science and art. The aspects of science can be derived from various disciplines such as social work, political science, organisational development, psychology, and from literature relating to community development, participation, mobilisation, amongst others. The art focuses on the application of knowledge and skills - having the sensitivity to adapt science for the purposes of specific community engagement and facilitation efforts. The course will cover - knowledge, skills and competencies needed of community engagement professionals, the reasons for community engagement, understanding the degrees of citizen participation, applying the types of engagement and facilitation strategies to specific case studies.
| |
| 3 | (CET268) Foundations of Community Building and Identity Formation | This course delves into the concepts of community building and identity formation, inviting participants to engage with complex issues such as culture, religion, social inclusivity, inequality, and national identity. Through an interdisciplinary lens, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how communities are shaped and identities are formed in both local and global contexts. Examples and case studies from Singapore and the region will highlight different dimensions to challenges faced, fostering meaningful discussions on project outcomes and sustainability. The course integrates theoretical insights with a practice-oriented approach, emphasising the interconnected importance of knowledge, action, and impactful outcomes. |
For comprehensive details on upcoming class schedules, instructor profiles, course fees, application procedures, prerequisites, and assessment criteria, please visit the respective course webpage.
Certification
Upon successful completion of the three courses, a professional certificate will be issued by SUSS to participants to recognise their competency in the relevant fields.
Programme Fee
Please click on course code for more information on course fees:
(CET265) Practical Skills for Community Leadership and Engagement
(CET266) Facilitation Practice and Community Engagement
(CET268) Foundations of Community Building and Identity Formation
Earn your Master Degree
Already hold the Professional Certificate in Participation and Engagement Facilitation? Here is how you can build on it.
CSD504 – Facilitating Community Engagement Participants who have completed CET266 may pursue CSD504 via SUSS's Challenge Examination (CEX) pathway. Passing the CEX awards 5 credit units.
CSD502 – Building Communities and Forging Identities Participants who have completed CET265 and CET268 may pursue CSD502 via SUSS's Challenge Examination (CEX) pathway. Passing the CEX awards 5 credit units.
Credit units earned through the Challenge Examination can be used towards fulfilling the requirements of the SUSS Master of Human Capital Management programme.
Learn more about the Challenge Examination: https://www.suss.edu.sg/admissions/application-process/pre-qualifications/challenge-examination
Explore our Master of Human Capital Management programme: https://www.suss.edu.sg/programmes/detail/master-of-human-capital-management
Application
To apply for the Professional Certificate in Participation and Engagement Facilitation, please submit the completed details here to [email protected]
Enquiries
For course registration and/or enquiries on the professional certification or graduate certificate programme, please email to [email protected].