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Section 7: Creating the Container



The grounding agreements offer groups a foundation upon which to build a principled community of struggle. Based on our years of experience accompanying groups through difficult periods, often marked by multiple sources of harm, we have learned that specific tools increase the likelihood that group members will practice self and mutual accountability. First, it’s important to build a shared vocabulary for talking about issues related to accountability. By adopting a set of shared values known to foster communication, a group can build a culture within which accountability is second nature. A clear and defined structure increases accountability and decreases miscommunication, misunderstandings and conflict grounded in confusion. Finally, groups can set up specific mechanisms to address conflicts as they arise.

Some resources:

Clear and Defined Group Purpose and Structure


In an ideal world, a newly forming group will set up the group in ways that allow for healthy conflict to take place. Members of a group are more likely to work well together when expectations for group participation, roles and responsibilities in the group and decision-making processes are clear. However, this does not mean the structure has to be overly formal, hierarchical, or static. Groups and group structures often evolve over time to meet the changing needs of the group and the larger community of people that the group is accountable to. At any given point in a group’s life cycle group members should be able to answer the following questions:

  • What is our purpose and who are our people?
  • Who is responsible for getting work done?
  • How do we share information inside the group and with our people?
  • How do we make decisions?
  • How do we manage conflicts?
  • How do we evaluate what’s working and what’s not?

Create a structure for your group, using the tool here.

The tool includes how to:

  • Clarify the group’s purpose and people
  • Determine roles and responsibilities of group members
  • Determine the authority of the group
  • Ensure effective communication internally and externally
  • Agree on a decision-making method (with detail on how to do consensus decision-making)
  • Navigate conflict
  • Do hygiene checks to evaluate what is and isn’t working

If your group is in the forming stage, you can also use the Community Rule Tool.