Place-based change rarely happens in one room. It unfolds across communities, agencies, knowledge work, governance, engagement and implementation. This post explores why distributed collaborative planning needs a wider “runsheet”: a shared process design that helps those different parts of the
Many teams, workshops and collaborative processes are starting to use AI to summarise notes, draft strategies, cluster themes, prepare options and review emerging ideas. These uses can be valuable, especially when they help people move from scattered material to something
The recent Global Justice Report offers one possible picture of a fairer and more sustainable future. What interests me is not only the future it describes, but how we work with ambitious futures once they have been made thinkable. A
Facilitation is often thought of as the craft of running good meetings and workshops. That craft matters. But in longer collaborative processes, facilitation also involves designing the conditions through which people can keep learning, deciding and acting together over time.
This post introduces Theory of Change as a practical way to support shared thinking, surface assumptions and connect strategy with learning. It also points to an updated Learning for Sustainability resource page with curated and annotated links to guides, papers
Problem framing shapes what becomes visible, who is involved, and what kinds of action seem possible. This post reflects on why complex, multi-actor work needs more than a quick move from issue to solution. It also considers how models, frameworks,
Indicators are most useful when they help people notice what matters, discuss what they are learning and make better decisions. This post introduces a new guide for practitioners working with indicators in place-based initiatives, from catchment projects and climate adaptation
Earlier posts in this series looked at what generative AI does and does not do well, and at some of the ethical and practical questions it raises. This post turns to a more immediate question: if your organisation or team wants
Conversations about AI futures often sit at a distance from practice, focusing on policy, risk, or speculation. This post begins from the ground: from the everyday work of evaluation, facilitation, and collaborative decision-making in place-based settings, where the issues at
Concern about the polycrisis of climate change, ecological decline, inequality, and weakening trust in institutions has led some policy thinkers to call for new eco-social contracts. Yet many place-based initiatives have long been working on related questions in practice. This
This site curates annotated links to tools and frameworks for people working in complex, multi-actor settings. It also shows how different dimensions of practice fit together across real-world contexts.
If you’re looking for tailored support – whether that’s short advisory input, process design, reflective coaching, or strategic writing – you’re welcome to get in touch or visit my bio and services page to learn more. I work collaboratively on facilitation, evaluation, and learning design, often during early-stage or time-limited phases.
Visit some of my reflections on collaborative practice and learning in complex, multi-actor settings.
This site is free for everyone, but not free to maintain. If you find it useful, you might consider a small contribution, about the cost of a cup of coffee, to help keep it going.
Visit core pages introducing key themes, approaches, and frameworks for supporting collaboration and learning in complex, multi-actor contexts.
