5 Key Responsibilities of a Effective Board

Economic uncertainty, increased demand for services and concurrent decreases in funding,  as well as calls for greater accountability create an increasingly complex and challenging environment in which boards must lead and govern. Board members are responsible for exercising sound judgment and acting in the best interests of the organization while serving their communities effectively. In this context, what are the key governance responsibilities of boards and board members?

Theory of Change: Revolutionizing Communications Surrounding Complex Social Issues

Even after the brainstorming is completed, goals are set, the roadmap defined and processes are set into action, there is one more key element to consider in order to ensure the deployment of a successful community development initiative.

That important component is communication. After all, if nobody, including those involved in the initiative, can understand or communicate the project goals and metrics, then it becomes difficult for an initiative to build momentum. It is essential to develop the right tools to help organizations communicate project goals, preconditions for success, and ongoing evaluative results.

How Theory of Change Helps Organizations Address Complex Social Issues

Like a roadmap guides motorists through unfamiliar territory to reach the final destination, there are effective tools that can help organizations to better navigate the complex environments in which they work, and guide the development of successful initiatives. And just as a map is altered as landscapes evolve, so too should the tools used to help us understand complex issues.

How to Engage Multiple Stakeholders and Succeed

Helping groups to work together to solve complex issues can be a challenge, particularly when those groups don’t see eye to eye. Perhaps the biggest challenge in pulling together a coalition of groups is that you’re likely to get a mix of different types with differing perspectives. Social groups, business groups and fundraising groups, for instance, all have different priorities. The challenge escalates when the issue in question is politically divisive. In such cases, it often seems competing groups are speaking different languages. This, needless to say, makes communication difficult.

Identifying Purpose or Intent: 4 Streams of Engagement and Dialogue

Designing the right kind of engagement and dialogue process can help people share perspectives and experiences, critically examine trade-offs and options, and build collective insight to be able to make better decisions.  Maybe a group of government employees need help articulating a public policy issue more clearly or members of a health NGO can’t agree on a particular course of action. While everyone may not agree, a successful dialogue session can produce mutual understanding, bringing people together across differences to resolve complex problems.

Each Person Brings Something Different to the Table

When we enter into any meeting, we are bringing with us our life and work experiences, our agendas, our biases, our hopes and our viewpoints about what should happen and how. This can create undercurrents that make it difficult for people to work productively or converse effectively. A goal of facilitation is to acknowledge these dynamics and create a safe space for individuals to exchange thoughts, ideas and learning.

An Innovative Public Engagement Case Study: NHS Citizen

Little changes go a long way. An interesting example of innovation in Public Engagement is currently taking place in England as a result of changes to their National Health Services (NHS).

Connecting Theory And Practice For Effective Public Engagement

The theory and practice of Public Engagement is always evolving, thanks in part to ongoing research initiatives from industry leaders around the globe. Staying on top of and incorporating the latest findings is an essential part of effective Public Engagement practice. One example is new thinking that brings a systems understanding to public engagement.

Public Engagement: Harnessing the Power of Policy Input and Community Mobilization to Create Change

Is the goal of your project to solicit public input into government policy, or is it to engage a community to inspire action? Which practitioners will be most effective at instigating change for this particular scenario – the one who can engage the public in thoughtful discussions on policy or the one who can expertly mobilize a community? Research shows that public engagement practitioners tend to lean towards one of these two inclinations; understanding the characteristics and strengths of these approaches can help you to match the best practitioner to your project.

Follow these 7 Steps Towards Facilitating Effective and Productive Public Engagement

A well-executed public engagement can bring significant, tangible improvements to a community or to public policy. But a poorly conceived, designed, or executed process can be a waste of everybody’s time. Following these seven steps can help make sure you get things right.