Facilitation, conflict resolution and community involvement practice

Here are some examples of my ‘on the ground’ facilitation work over the last 20+ years…

For how I’m starting to apply this to my arts practice, see here

·    Blue Sky Thinking for Ynys Enlli: Facilitating a half day workshop with Bardsey Island Trust to think creatively about the future. September 2019.

·     Cynulliad Dinasyddion Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru : The first Citizens Assembly for Welsh Assembly, Newtown. Exploring options for greater citizen engagement with the Welsh Assembly. A member of the Involve facilitation team. July 2019.

• LAND • MONEY • REBELLION • HOPE: Sgwrsiau Hinsawd Climate Conversations. Bringing together artists on an international Climate Change residency with local residents. For National Theatre Wales. July 2019.

 ·    Culture Catalyst: Facilitating an open space event in Llandudno for Culture Action Llandudno, to plot future creative developments in the town. July 2018.

 ·     North Wales Wildlife Trust: Facilitating the board discussions on renewable energy policy for the trust. March 2015.

• Exploring Opportunities for Promoted Routes in Wales. For Natural Resources Wales. 2012

·     Rhyl City Strategy, using Open Space Technology to enable the town to reduce worklessness by pooling local, Wales-wide and UK wide resources. 2007 – 2011

·     Carbon Reduction Commitment, Defra (then DECC).  Designing and managing a 3-year programme of stakeholder involvmement in the Energy Performance/Carbon Reduction Commitment/Emissions trading scheme. Highly technical programme relevant to 5,000 stakeholders from business and industry, local and national government, museums, schools, hospitals. Engaging 5,000 key stakeholders in developing the emissions trading scheme.  Consultation programme received a UK best practice award. 2006 - 2011

·     Shaldon and Ringmore Flood Risk Project. Working with Environment Agency team to pilot the Building Trust with Communities approach to flood risk. Resulted in acceptance of controversial flood scheme with unanimous decision at planning. 2005 – 2009

·     Global accountability framework. Running international workshops in the UK and Thailand to enable international government, private and voluntary sector organisations to develop a common accountability framework. For the Global Accountability Project. 2005 – 7.

·     Health and wellbeing partnership and strategy. Consultancy, support, advice and facilitation for the community strategy and health and wellbeing strategy for Anglesey and Gwynedd councils, including training and working with support facilitators, gathering of stories from front line staff and carers, major deliberative public consultation programmes, the establishment of ongoing engagement mechanisms and facilitating strategic discussions of partnership boards. 2005 – 2008

·     EU Aviation Emissions Trading scheme. Designing and running BAA’s first piece of stakeholder engagement work.  Included a high level pan-European conference seminar involving ministers, 120 key stakeholders and members of voluntary groups and the public to discuss and shape guidelines for an aviation emissions trading scheme. 2004.

·     Newborough Forest and Warren, resolving a high profile conflict (including community level climate change adaptation) between the community and public sector bodies including the Forestry Commission Wales and the Countryside Council for Wales. 2004 – 2008

·     Magnox Nuclear Power station decommissioning. Facilitation of UK wide discussions with key stakeholders (including local communities) through a 3 year dialogue on options for decommissioning Magnox power stations. Involvement turned round stalemate and conflict to enable delivery of a full report which as been accepted by the new Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. For the Environment Council. 2003 – 2007

• European Forum on Rural Development Cooperation. Facilitating discussions on how to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of reducing the number of people living in extreme poverty by 2015. . For OPM. Held in Montpellier, France, 4-6 September 2002

·     Pakistan provincial government reform. Designing and facilitating workshops with provincial government officials across to agree mechanisms for improving performance on providing basic health, social and environmental services. For DFID and Oxford Policy Management. 2000.

·     Imagine Lambeth. Running a major stakeholder and community involvement programme based on 10 vision and appreciative inquiry workshops in some of the most deprived areas of south London. The approach has been used as a model for many other community based approaches to place shaping across the UK. 2000.

·     Local Strategic and Community Strategy Partnerships. Leading consultant on partnership and community involvement aspects including West Sussex, Lambeth, Reading, Anglesey, Gwynedd, Powys. Included innovation such as the use of Open Space Technology, Participatory Theatre and whole community workshops.  2000 - 2008

·     Developing and facilitating a vision-based participatory process to involve socially excluded groups in the Brighton and Hove’s Local Plan consultation. RTPI participation innovation award. 2000.

·     Founded and coordinated the development of a community-led Local Agenda 21 change programme. Included the development and use of a range of participatory techniques including ‘guided visualisation, back casting, ‘a day in the life’ and appreciative inquiry. Involved more than 1,000 people in 65 projects. 1992 - 1997