Stakeholder engagement

The first step to a successful multi-stakeholder strategic workshop is ensuring the key players in the ecosystem — those who influence decisions or are affected by them — are present. A skilled facilitator guides this process, building trust among skeptical participants so they are willing to invest their time, energy, and passion into the strategic process.

Collective intelligence for sustainable results

A highly skilled and innovative facilitator creates a space where everyone feels heard and valued — and co-owns the results. People naturally want to collaborate – yet negative past experiences present a barrier that the facilitator can help remove by designing fresh, innovative, and enjoyable processes that help participants think creatively and keep everyone involved and interested.

Conflict transformation

Conflict is a natural phenomenon in complex meetings and workshops. In addition to a large toolkit of frameworks, techniques, and activities, the inner stance of the facilitator and excellent conflict transformation skills are crucial to success.
The facilitator needs to be (1) focused yet relaxed and (2) able to listen appreciatively to ALL sides in order to surface and summarize deeper values/qualities that are important to participants/stakeholders regardless of which interest(s) they represent.

Productive AND regenerative processes

Strategic workshops become exhausting and less productive halfway through when done conventionally. However, A top-notch facilitator designs the process holistically, blending logical analysis with creative, intuitive approaches that generate fresh insights and ideas – and regenerate people along the way.
Importantly, a well-facilitated multi-stakeholder change process not only delivers sustainable results that everyone co-owns but also strengthens relationships across divides. The personal connections built during the workshop often inspire new small-group initiatives in related fields long after the workshop ends.

Examples of past multi-stakeholder strategic dialogues:

• Design and facilitation of nine online Global Conversations involving diverse health stakeholders and affected communities worldwide to validate Wellcome Trust's discussion paper and devise strategies to reform the infectious disease research and development ecosystem globally; in collaboration with CoLab International
• A series of regional dialogues worldwide organized by the International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat to gather multi-stakeholder feedback on the implementation of the 100 Days Mission for pandemic preparedness; in collaboration with CoLab International
• A series of regional multi-stakeholder alignment on measures to combat invasive alien species involving all 27 European Union member states; in collaboration with On:Subject
• A series of over 30 national and local multi-stakeholder workshops on Roma inclusion in Slovenia
• Needs assessment and strategy input for the National Public Health Institute devising national workplace mental health strategy – using participatory narrative sensemaking approach
• Design, training and facilitation of consultative multi-stakeholder quality improvement initiatives for the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Multi-stakeholder consultations for the Slovenian National Environmental Action Programme 2030
• Multi-stakeholder consultations for the National Energy Concept 2030 of Slovenia
• Citizen engagement for Vision of Slovenia 2050 (series of workshops), feeding into the Strategy of Slovenia 2030 (client: Government of Slovenia)

Participatory OD dialogues:

• Collaboration reflection and learning engagement for Equality Fund Initiative Canada
• Programme integration workshop for Norwegian Refugee Council
• 3-D mapping to strengthen the European Commission participatory ecosystem
• Series of global strategic workshops for the Center of Nonviolent Communication
• Strategic workshop for Bridge47 global citizenship education network
• Numerous corporate strategic workshops (from C-level to whole-system dialogues)