Participation and engagement training, capacity building and organisational change

Alongside my facilitation practice, I developed a strong interest in building capacity for better engagement within organisations. Often organisations focus on the ‘capacity building’ of others, rather than realising that it is their own culture, skills, approach and procedures that are the main barrier to engagement and collaboration.

From how to develop facilitation skills to policy and organisational change, here are some practical examples of capacity building that I have led.

You can access some of the manuals and ideas for free here

A good introduction to my thinking behind all of this is my chapter The Art of Facilitation and Mainstreaming Change. Chapter in Post Party Politics (p69-75) for Involve. 2006.

For how I’m starting to apply this within my art practice, see here. I have also been running collaboration workshops and training for artists and the Arts Sector including Arts Council Wales - see here for available workshops

·     Stakeholder and public engagement capacity buiding programme, Department of Energy and Climate Change. Designing and running a high level programme for nine priority policy teams, with Sciencewise-ERC. Programme doubled in size within first year due to demand and has resulted in new policies, guidance and tools. 2009 – 2011.

·     Stakeholder engagement capacity building programme, Defra. Designing and running this corporate programme including training, mentoring, case studies, pilot programmes, guidance, toolkits, presentations to senior management. 2008 – 2010.

·     National consultation framework. Developing a new framework and designing the corporate change programme for the Environment Agency. 2008 –2010.

·     Building Trust with Communities/Working with Others. Designing and running this corporate capacity building programme to design and implement a new approach to work with communities, for the Environment Agency. Includes training, coaching of senior staff and mentoring of front line staff, case studies, pilot programmes, guidance, tools. Work has included influencing and changing corporate processes to enable engagement to be fully incorporated.
2005 – 2013.

·     Participation Cymru. Developing a capacity building programme for the voluntary, private and public sector across Wales, including training on ten courses on different aspects of participation and engagement (eg facilitation, visioning, Open Space Technology, chairing better meetings, questionnaires and surveys, participatory strategic planning, designing engagement processes) – some repeated more than 15 times due to demand. 2002 - 2009

·     Facilitator networks. Pioneering the use of local networks of people and training them in facilitation skills to build the capacity of communities to work collaboratively towards a common goal. Includes establishing time exchange and mentoring systems to follow up training.  Networks established from Scottish Highlands and Islands to North Wales to Gloucestershire and Surrey. 2002 – present.

·     Community and stakeholder engagement programme, Countryside Council for Wales. Designing and running this corporate programme including training, mentoring, case studies, guidance, toolkits, working with all parts of the organisation from front line staff to senior management. 2001 – present.

·     Communications and engagement work programme. UK Sustainable Development Commission. Building organisational capacity and practice for participation and engagement internally and as a field of policy advice to government. Innovations such as the use of a Stakeholder Panel have received a Hansard Society award. 2000 – 2009.