This research examines managers’ and facilitators’ perceptions of effective facilitation. A review of the literature revealed that practitioners have written much of the existing information regarding the practice of facilitation. There has been little validation of findings by independent researchers and little empirical research. None of the claimed outcomes on facilitation effectiveness had been confirmed by managers. Further, where research had been conducted it had focused on immediate, rather than longer term issues and outcomes. This research seeks to rectify the lack of robust research into perceptions of effective facilitation by both the facilitators involved and the managers who seek to use facilitators. In this research 40 people were individually interviewed: 20 managers and 20 facilitators. Interviewees were asked to comment on both their positive and negative experiences of facilitation. The data was transcribed and QSR NVivo was used to assist with the analysis. Combinations of a priori and inductive codes were used to analyse the data. The a priori model (Brinkerhoff, 1986) had six stages, namely: Goal Setting and Needs Analysis; Program Design; Intervention; Immediate Outcomes; Intermediate or Usage Outcomes; and Impacts on the Organisation. It was found that only four of the six stages were helpful in explaining perceptions of effective facilitation; and additional themes emerged that did not fit within this predetermined model.