Most groups that are brought together to solve a hard problem want to start negotiating immediately. That instinct is understandable. The people in the room are experienced. They have positions. They have organizational mandates and
A 14-member committee convened to answer one of the harder questions in regional governance: what would it actually take to make a large, complex, and struggling regional transit agency work the way it needs to?
We are living in a moment defined by complexity, mistrust, and political gridlock. The stakes of public decisions are high, but so are the risks of inaction. Communities are polarized. Public confidence in institutions is
If you want to be known for running processes that matter, end strong. Set the stage for action. Honor the people who participated. And make sure your CDMP leaves a legacy—not just a paper trail.
Without a clear plan to sustain engagement, even the most promising CDMPs risk losing credibility or collapsing into dysfunction. Here’s how to keep your process moving forward after the excitement of launch wears off.
If you skip the foundational steps to launching a work group or task force, your first session may feel more like a stumble than a start. A strong launch sets the tone, pace, and expectations
The success of a collaborative decision making process (CDMP) is shaped not just by what’s discussed but by who’s in the room. And while it’s tempting to start with a stakeholder checklist or a list
Facilitation has become a catch-all term. Today, nearly anyone who hosts a meeting or runs a retreat might call themselves a facilitator. But CDMPs aren’t about hosting meetings. They’re about solving difficult problems in high-stakes
Collaborative Decision Making Processes (CDMPs) require more than just participants. They require a support structure that is designed with the same intention and clarity as the process itself. In this post, we explore what it
On some of the most complex, contentious and critical issues facing government, communities and businesses, we’ve seen stakeholders with very different views come together to make meaningful progress where other efforts have stalled out or
On some of the most complex, contentious and critical issues facing government, communities and businesses, we’ve seen stakeholders with very different views come together to make meaningful progress where other efforts have stalled out or
As professional facilitators and conveners for all forms of consensus building efforts, we are big believers in their potential. With experience managing efforts across the U.S. on nearly every policy topic, and with efforts at
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