| Today's pressures:
- Community and stakeholder demands
- Complex economic and social issues
- Legislative and regulatory requirements
Twyford Consulting has specialist skills and broad
experience in planning and implementing community consultation projects
for the public sector and private business. We also train planners
and practitioners in consultation skills.
We are linked to local national and international
practitioners in this field. We were founding members of the Australasian
Chapter of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2)
and Vivien Twyford is the past president (2004).
We support and use the tools developed by IAP2 including the Participation
Spectrum which can be found on their web site at www.iap2.org
or directly at www.iap2.org/associations/4748/files/spectrum.pdf.
In 2002 we commenced the delivery of the Certificate Course in Public
Participation in Australia and New Zealand. Since then, we have
trained more than 1000 people in at least one module of this three module
course.
Please contact us for further
details or download information for the IAP2 training schedule for Australia
and New Zealand.
We work with clients in four key areas around Consultation and Participation:
- Developing Strategic Perspectives on Engagement
- Building Capability within Organisations and Stakeholders
- Facilitating a comprehensive Training program
- As Practitioners ñplanning, implementing and supporting
engagement activities
Strategic Perspectives
We work with the senior staff to set the foundations for both low risk
project implementation, and also sustainable long term results:
- overview major engagement strategies through a peer review process
- manage strategic partnership arrangements for ongoing critical
advice and support
- develop stakeholder consultation or participation policies
- advise on how to establish a consultation program, using stakeholder
analysis and strategic planning techniques
- plan community consultation strategies and programs, for projects
such as Environmental Impact Assessments, natural resources management
plans, major infrastructure projects, community services strategies
and neighbourhood programs
- plan consultation to inform policy development
Capability Building
Twyford Consulting has developed a proprietary capacity building cycle
to support organizational development leading to more sustainable outcomes.
It recognizes the systemic nature of change facing any group wanting
to improve its engagement processes, and utilizes a principle of ìstart
anywhere, go everywhereî. This acknowledges the often significant
work underway within any organization in good engagement practices,
and builds this into a coherent and holistic approach, supported by
appropriate interventions.
The capacity building cycle incorporates a range of elements including:
- clarification of the decision-making process
- internal skills development
- policy development
- environmental scans
Contact us if you would
like to explore our capacity building cycle and how such a systems approach
can build sustainable solutions for you while reducing risk.
Training in Participation and Consultation
We offer the Certificate Course in Public Participation from the International
Association for Public Participation. The Certificate Course consists
of 3 separate Modules.
- Planning Effective Public Participation Programs (2 days)
- Techniques for Effective Public Participation (2 days)
- Effective Communication for Public Participation (1 day)
Download a pdf file about courses
available in Australia
We provide two supporting courses that have been accredited as Tier
2 courses by IAP2
- Evaluation for Public Participation
- Facilitation for Public Participation
As well as a course for managers and elected officials:
- Public Participation for Executives and Decision Makers
In addition we offer training courses in relevant topics including:
- Negotiation (2 days)
- Conflict Management (2 days)
- Mediation (3 day VETAB accredited course plus 1 day assessment)
We have a range of highly effective support processes to assist the
integration of training to on the job projects, these include both face
to face and distance coaching and mentoring programs, as well as innovative
electronic support networks.
Consultation and Participation Practitioners
We have a team of very experienced practitioners, and can offer a range
of on ground services in design and implementation of engagement strategies,
processes and activities. We design and undertake specific consultation
activities, such as workshops, public meetings, forums, exhibitions,
web and telephone information services. As practitioners we:
- provide advice, coaching, facilitation and support on a wide range
of appropriate engagement techniques including Citizen juries, resident
feedback registers, advisory groups, and
- record and feedback comments and issues from the consultation activities,
using a computerised system of data collation and report production
- evaluate past or current consultation processes against standards
for effectiveness
- establish and implement communication plans including:.
- identifying stakeholders and their concerns
- establishing strategic communication goals for each stakeholder
group
- establishing appropriate ‘positioning’ for the organisation
- providing recommendations on communications strategies
- preparing an overall communications plan
- reviewing the success of particular communications activities and
strategies
- producing printed material using our graphics and printing partners
- producing display material for static and interactive displays.
We have internationally recognised expertise in a wide range of deliberative
techniques, and this can provide high levels of confidence in outcomes,
especially when linked to a rigorous and well designed plan.
Read our news articles:
The Jury is 'In' |
