Convening stakeholders
In order to tackle the complex societal challenges we are facing, for instance around topics of climate change, migration, health etc., we need to come together across sectors and organisations and learn new ways of collaborating with each other, engage in meaningful conversations that go beyond polarization, learn from each other, and find new ways forward together. The challenges we are facing are too multilayered and complex to be addressed in a meaningful way just by one organisation or even one sector.
That’s why at collaboratio helvetica the main focus of our work lies on activating specific (eco)systems and bringing together different stakeholders in dialogue and new forms of collaboration. In the Catalyst Lab we developed a process that supports participants in engaging, bringing together and working with multiple stakeholders around societal challenges.
Preconditions for convening stakeholders
Bringing together different stakeholders has mainly to do with relationship building and trust building and needs a lot of time. Several steps are needed before being in the position where you can actually bring together relevant stakeholders in a workshop format:
Get clarity on your intention, vision, calling question and system you are focusing on: What question are you holding? What is the change you want to help catalyse, and why? Which topic are you focusing on, and in which system is it embedded? What scope are you choosing (are you trying to contribute to a change on a local level, regional level, cantonal level, national level)? What is your sphere of influence? What would be a meaningful scope to start with as a prototype?
Map your system: Who are relevant stakeholders in your system? What organisations are active in the field? Who is impacted by the challenge you are addressing? Map all the diversity that is there, all different organisations, groups and entities that are touched by your topic. Don’t forget to add marginalized voices: who’s voice is usually not heard on this topic? Here you can find further guidelines on how to map your system.
Do stakeholder interviews: They are a good way of establishing a first contact with the different stakeholders in your system, and have a first conversation. Stakeholder interviews will help you sense, explore and gain a deeper understanding on different perspectives in the system. During the process of doing the interviews, your understanding will deepen, and with it your focus, calling question and vision will probably also evolve and change. Your interviews should include as many different perspectives in your system as possible. Here you can find instructions on how to do stakeholder interviews.
Once you got clarity on your intention#, vision, calling question and system you are focusing on, you mapped your system and have done stakeholder interviews with all relevant perspectives, you can start organising your stakeholder workshop or ideally series of workshops. Believe us, working on the mentioned preconditions is important and the bigger junk of the work - the clearer your work on the preconditions, the easier it will be to convene your stakeholders. Find out more on how to initiate and invite for multi-stakeholder workshops here.
Sources and Further literature
Sarah Friederich is part of the Catalyst Lab design and hosting team at collaboratio helvetica and in this role supports the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a facilitator (Theory U, Art of Hosting, Dialogue) she supports diverse projects in the area of social innovation with design and facilitation of participatory events and group processes. The promotion of new forms of collaboration and systemic change are an integral part of her work. For many years, she has gained experience working for NGOs and social organisations in the field of environmental and social justice in Switzerland and Bolivia.
In addition to her work with collaboratio helvetica and as a facilitator, Sarah supports people as a coach in their personal development processes, especially in the process of grieving after the loss of a loved one.
