VIVIEN TWYFORD

Internationally recognised expert in community consultation

BA GradDipCom, Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training  

Viven Twyford - Specialist in Community EngagementAs President of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) in 2004 I worked hard to strengthen the association and improve international understanding of what participation means and how it can best support decision makers. I really enjoy working with organisations to promote the benefits of engaging stakeholders in decision making and to support them in better practice.

With the practical and theoretical experience I have gained over many years in the field my approach is to work with decision makers to understand how they make their decisions and how their stakeholders, including the broader community, can support those decisions. Consultation doesn't mean giving up our responsibility as leaders to make wise judgements. It does mean recognising that some decisions can be better informed when we are open to listening to those affected. Transparency means accountability. It also means providing a sense of ownership to people who will have a role in the implementation.

I have been delivering the IAP2 certificate course in public participation for more than four years and since 2004 have been a Master Trainer. My training work has given me a genuine understanding of the theory and practice of consultation. I enjoy using this approach when working with clients from local government to the United Nations.

Professional Memberships  International Association for Public Participation (IAP2).

Vivien founded and has managed Twyford Consulting since 1988. She now shares the management role with her four partners.

Public Participation
Developing a personal specialty in the area of public participation, Vivien has designed and implemented community consultation and participation programs around some very sensitive and controversial projects over the past decade. She has assisted clients with the development of public participation policies, practices and procedures around sewerage, solid waste, urban planning, mining and manufacturing facilities.

Vivien is a Master Trainer for the International Association For Public Participation (IAP2). She has offered the Certificate Course in Public Participation to individuals and organisations around Australia and New Zealand. Since 2002, almost 500 people have completed modules of the program. A complete schedule of the three Certificate modules offered across Australia and New Zealand, can be viewed and downloaded by clicking here.

Vivien was the inaugural President of IAP2’s Australasian Chapter from 1998 to 2002. She was International President in 2004.

Vivien has lectured on personal and organisational communication as well as consultation and participation to undergraduate and postgraduate students. She has facilitated training programs in leadership and communication for clients in both the public and private sector around NSW and ACT. She has presented papers at a number of conferences on consultation, evaluation and communication.

Vivien is an experienced facilitator and an accredited commercial mediator with the Australian Commercial Disputes Centre.

Vivien was made a Fellow of the University of Wollongong in 2002 and holds a number of honorary directorships in local community organisations.

Vivien’s recent projects include:

  • Peer reviewing a major public consultation strategy in New Zealand and providing ongoing strategic advice on the consultation process
  • Reviewing a state government agency’s community involvement practices and procedures and providing recommendations on the findings
  • Evaluating a client’s community consultation projects and developing case studies to share corporate learning

Typical consultation projects Vivien works on are:

  • Facilitating the development of internal community engagement policies and procedures.
  • Planning a community consultation process and then implementing it.
  • Reviewing and evaluating public participation processes and facilitating client learning as a result of the evaluation.
  • Facilitating strategic planning sessions, small and large group meetings and public consultation processes.
  • Undertaking community consultation processes in the areas of urban planning, infrastructure planning and environmental assessment, health consumer and advocacy issues, services planning
  • Mediating community or workplace conflicts.

Typical training projects Vivien undertakes are:

  • Delivering the IAP2 Certificate in Public Participation both publicly in cities around the world (Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe and North America), and as an in-house program with tailored case studies.
  • Delivering leadership, management and communication programs around Australia.
  • Developing and delivering training programs in interpersonal skills development areas such as facilitation, conflict resolution, negotiation, mediation.
  • Developing and delivering training programs around an organisation’s internal public consultation policy and procedures.
  • Managing a consultancy for the Uniting Nations Environment Program on stakeholder participation in dams and development projects.
  • Providing training and mentoring to support a new approach to community engagement.