Training
Consensus Building and Stakeholder Engagement Training
We can provide bespoke training courses for your organisation – for up to 30 people. We also occasionally offer this course open to the public.
Stop arguing and start achieving!
Do you spend a lot of time dealing with Mr/Mrs Angry?
Does nobody seem to understand your good intentions?
Do you wish there was some simple way to get everyone on board?
If so, then this course is for you!
Conflicts of opinion are all too common in our precious countryside. Introduction of grazing animals can be met by opposition from local dog walkers; conservation management needs are sometimes misunderstood by the public; farmers and walkers are still often at odds over gates being left open or people straying from paths; mountain bikers, ramblers and horse-riders can disagree over routes; people sometimes need direction but too many and badly placed signs can cause public anger; traffic and parking are often problematic.
This practical one day course will teach you the tools and techniques you need to manage your public/partnership meetings effectively, to build consensus agreement and resolve those conflicts of interest.
By doing so, your landscapes will be much easier to manage, with greater efficiency of effort and resources put to more sustainable solutions.
There will be some background theory but the focus will be practical and applied to your real life situations.
It will include:
- what is consensus building: how it is different to voting and seeks genuine “win-win solutions”
- stakeholder analysis: who should be involved, when and how?
- engaging people in a constructive way to identify problems and generate solutions: how to manage your public / partnership meetings to get people working together effectively
- how to prioritise as a group with diverse views: some simple techniques to agree priorities without arguing or voting
- collective action planning: how to focus people on getting things done on the ground and taking ownership for actions
The training session itself will be run similarly to a public engagement event or partnership workshop and you will be actively involved, working on your collective situations/ issues of conflict.
Who is it for?
This course is for anyone who wants to engage the public/ build partnerships in countryside management: Countryside or urban green space managers, stakeholder representatives, policy makers, planners, engagement officers; whether you work for a local authority, a charity, or in the private sector, or represent a countryside interest group.
We can provide this course for the public in your area or design one tailored more closely to your particular landscape or organisational needs. Please contact us to discuss how we might best meet your requirements.
The course is based on our direct experience of managing countryside sites, engaging the public and building partnerships over the last 25 years.
We would also be happy to help you plan and deliver your engagement processes and offer free initial advice with no obligation.
For more information about the training course or any of the services we offer, please contact:
Matt Croney
Nature People
e: mattcroney@icloud.com
t: 07807 687903
What people say about us:
“It was a really good day, great feedback from everyone, – they loved the training exercises!”: Hannah Welsh, Bromyard Downs Common Project, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust
“The process, evidence gathering and reaching a consensus was really helpful! Great to have some clear direction and outputs” Louise Turner, Communication Programme Manager, Moors for the Future
“Matt is extremely knowledgeable and efficient; he provides a high quality, professional service and we would have no hesitation in appointing him again.” Roy Mosley, Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust
“If it can work at Stanage, it can work anywhere!” (Stanage Forum consensus building process). Henry Folkard, British Mountaineering Council