Successful projects depend on the engagement and contributions of the key stakeholders.
Ideally our core team needs to: - Include the perspectives of all stakeholders (see System Needs); - Provide a broad range of perspectives – different functions, different lengths of service, different countries (if global) etc - Understand what makes the system “tick” (ask the question "who knows how things work around here?); - Buy in to the need for systems mapping and the Leverage Points Process; - Be available for the whole workshop (or set of workshops); - Be the set of people who will ultimately use the map generated to make decisions and design experiments; or - Be trusted by those who will ultimately use the systems map developed if they themselves cannot attend.
I have used the process with groups as small as one (not ideal but ok for the purpose in that case) and as large as twenty. A good group size is about 10-12. Other than for very small groups I would always recommend 2 facilitators especially when the whole process is squeezed into a tight timescale – the method can be punishing on facilitators!