Creating space for meaningful participation is not only about inviting others in. It also depends on the systems, relationships and structures that support collaboration over time. One-off consultations are rarely enough. Effective collaboration requires shared understanding, long-term relationship-building, and the capacity to work through uncertainty and difference, particularly in multi-actor and cross-sector settings.
This section is intended for people designing, facilitating or supporting collaborative work in real-world settings. It brings together resources that can help with early scoping, actor mapping, process design, facilitation, partnership development and ongoing engagement.
The pages and reflections below are organised around connected aspects of collaborative work. They include practical frameworks, tools, guides, readings and examples from practice, with curated and annotated links to help navigate collaboration and engagement challenges in context.
Explore managing collaborations resources
Use this section to find the most relevant starting point, whether you are mapping actors, designing a multi-actor process, facilitating group work, building partnerships, managing participation, or thinking about social licence.
- If you are planning who needs to be involved
Start with Actor mapping and analysis to identify relevant actors, understand roles and relationships, and plan purposeful participation. - If you are designing a collaborative process
Explore Multi-actor processes and Facilitation guides and tools for resources on process design, group facilitation, shared inquiry and decision-making. - If you are building partnerships across organisations or sectors
Go to Cross-sector partnerships and collaborations for frameworks and tools to support trust, shared purpose, governance and adaptive partnership practice. - If you are working with diverse groups or contested issues
See Managing participation, Risk communication and engagement, Managing conflict and Working across cultures for resources on inclusive engagement, dialogue, difference and culturally responsive practice. - If you are thinking about trust, legitimacy and ongoing acceptance
Visit Social licence to operate for resources on how organisations build and maintain credibility, trust and relationships with communities and actor groups.
Browse the managing collaborations pages
The starting points above help visitors move quickly into the part of the collaboration material that best matches their current task. The hub and resource pages below provide a fuller map of the managing collaborations section on this site.
Actor mapping and analysis
Identifying the right people and groups is a vital first step in any collaborative effort. This page provides tools and strategies to analyse different actor roles, interests, and influence to guide purposeful engagement.
- Engagement planning – Offers practical steps and templates for planning multi-actor engagement and communication strategies.
Multi-actor processes
Working across diverse perspectives requires thoughtful process design and skilled facilitation. This page shares principles and resources for enabling shared inquiry, decision-making, and reflection.
- Facilitating multi-actor processes – Introduces principles and resources for designing participatory processes that support shared inquiry, dialogue, decision-making and reflection across different roles, sectors and knowledge systems.
- Place-based approaches – Explores approaches that start from the specific social, cultural, ecological and institutional context of a place, with a focus on building relationships, shared understanding and locally grounded action.
- Cross-sector partnerships and collaborations – Provides frameworks and tools for developing partnerships across organisations and sectors, including resources on trust, governance, shared purpose and adaptive collaboration.
- Facilitation guides and frameworks – Shares practical guidebooks, frameworks and curated method libraries for planning and facilitating collaborative processes, workshops and group learning.
Cross-sector partnerships and collaborations
Addressing complex issues often requires collaboration across sectors and institutions. This page offers frameworks and tools to build strong, equitable partnerships that can learn and adapt together.
Managing participation
Supporting inclusive, culturally grounded, and meaningful engagement with diverse groups. Rather than relying on predefined participation models, there is growing recognition that engagement should be seen as a dynamic, two-way process. This requires moving beyond one-off consultations and focusing on building long-term relationships.
- Risk communication and engagement – Explores how to strengthen dialogue in uncertain or contested situations, ensuring transparent communication between experts, decision-makers, and the public.
- Integrated and interdisciplinary R&D – Looks at how to link diverse knowledge systems in research and action to address complex issues.
- Working across cultures – Provides resources for supporting culturally responsive engagement and respecting different worldviews.
Social licence to operate (SLO)
Formal approvals are not enough—trust, credibility, and ongoing relationships are key. This page explores how organisations can earn and maintain acceptance from communities and different actor groups.
By strengthening collaboration, engagement, and shared learning, practitioners can create more inclusive, adaptive, and effective partnerships that support real-world change. Explore the resources and tools in this section to help develop practical and strategic approaches to working with diverse actor groups.
Quick answers to common questions
What makes collaboration different from simple consultation?
Collaboration goes beyond one-off input. It is about building relationships and creating shared structures that allow people to influence decisions over time. Whereas consultation often gathers opinions, collaboration supports joint planning, collective reflection, and adaptive action—enabling groups to build trust and work through complexity together.
How can I ensure the right people are included in a collaboration process?
Successful collaboration depends on involving actors who bring diverse perspectives, resources, and influence. This means mapping not only the most obvious stakeholders, but also those who might be overlooked or marginalised. A useful starting point is actor or stakeholder mapping—examining interests, roles, and connections—followed by intentional outreach strategies that foster equitable and culturally responsive participation.
What role does facilitation play in managing collaborative efforts?
Facilitation is essential for creating spaces where all voices can be heard and differences addressed productively. Skilled facilitators help groups balance participation, manage conflict, and stay focused on shared purpose while adapting as conditions change. In complex, cross-sector settings, effective facilitation strengthens dialogue, improves collective decision-making, and supports the ongoing relationships needed for long-term collaboration.
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[* Image used under licence from Adobe Stock (Photographer: KanyaphatStudio)]