Community Engagement
Some of the greatest challenges with community engagement or multi-stakeholder processes are competing perspectives and interests, power dynamics and communicating across the ‘different languages’ of cultures, disciplines and sectors. Well designed processes and effective facilitation, lessen the risk that conversations and thinking remain at the surface-level or status-quo, and avoid dominant voices derailing or stalling progress.
Strengthening the human skills that support individuals and communities to thrive
The success of your multi-stakeholder process or community engagement initiative is impacted by individual agency, interpersonal human skills, shared values and inclusive culture. Whether you are working with a temporary or ongoing community, cultivating skills to improve how you communicate, relate and think together will help you navigate and transform ways of working, in support of shared goals.
Curiosity
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Critical, Creative & Systemic Thinking
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Listening
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Empathy
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Collaboration
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Agency
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Curiosity · Critical, Creative & Systemic Thinking · Listening · Empathy · Collaboration · Agency ·
What kind of community is it?
We work with communities who are looking to learn how to improve how they communicate, relate and think together, and who recognise the often untapped potential in bringing diverse perspectives together. We support and guide community consultations, development of community projects and collaboration, community empowerment and inclusion programmes, and co-creation of innovative ideas, approaches and services.
Local
We are all part of a local, geographic community - where we live, and the people in our local area, whether rural or urban.
Practice
Communities of practice are groups of people that come together, both in person and online, to learn together on a topic of common interest.
Action
Action based communities are driven by their shared desire to work together towards shared goals and vision.
Intentional
An intentional community includes local, practice and action - whether residential or organisational, it is centred on shared values and purpose.
Examples of our work with communities
Facilitation is most valuable when the challenge is not a lack of expertise, but how people are communicating, relating or thinking together. Whether bringing a facilitator in for a one-off workshop, or working together over a longer period of time, we can provide valuable support to avoid common community engagement challenges.
Communities of Practice
Examples of our work with communities of practice:
Our own Bohm Dialogue group! - Open to newcomers and regulars, we hold a space for monthly practice, thematic dialogues and an online meta-dialogue group for people looking to deepen their learning and reflect together about the process of Bohm Dialogue
Gender Transformative Research Methodologies (GTRM-CoP) - Support for this active community includes logistical planning and facilitation for learning webinars, and platform support
Multi-stakeholder Engagement
Examples of our work with multi-stakeholder engagement:
Kent Food Partnership Multi-Stakeholder Workshop - Design and facilitation of a creative workshop to explore the question: ‘what does a diverse, vibrant and sustainable food economy look like in Kent?, using a collective imagination approach
IUCN Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue - Design and facilitation of a multi-day workshop to determine a common roadmap for OECMs in Europe with local, national, regional and global actors
Partnerships & Alliances
Examples of our work with partnerships and alliances:
Eating Better Alliance - Strategic support for vision, mission and theory of change development, including alliance member consultation and design and facilitation of alliance annual meeting.
The Nature Conservancy Partnership Science Workshop - Extensive participant consultation and design and facilitation of virtual workshops for science researchers to foster integrated problem solving approaches
“Without a community you cannot be yourself. The community is where we draw the strength needed to effect changes inside of us.”
Creating Meaning brings strategic thinking together with a wide range of facilitation skills and experience to design and guide inclusive and creative, well-paced processes that create space for all voices and perspectives to be heard, build trust, and move groups toward shared understanding and the necessary decision-making and outcomes.
If you would like to discuss how we can support you with community engagement or multi-stakeholder processes please get in touch.