FUTURES BY DESIGN^TM
CONSULTANCY, FACILITATION
& TRAINING SERVICES

 
There is not one predetermined future which just happens to us.
There are many possible futures, and a smaller number of probable futures.
We assist people to play active roles in creating their preferred futures.
So we can have futures by design...not by default.
   

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We do not draw a sharp distinction between consultancy and facilitation services.

Much of our consultancy work involves significant participatory process, enabling broad ownership of outcomes and commitment to implementation and continuing development and improvement.

In turn, much of our facilitation work involves providing guidance to clients on planning, process and evaluation, and may involve capacity building in skills for communication, participation and leadership.

Equally, our work in training is facilitated learning, with value added from our literacy in the content of the client group.  Our training enables clients to undertake their own effective participatory process, and in turn to build capacity and enhance performance in individuals, teams and organisations, and to foster leadership and responsibility at all levels. 

More on TRAINING  - REGISTRATIONS FOR PUBLIC COURSES OPEN NOW!     

    WHAT WE AIM TO ACHIEVE

PRINCIPLED LEADERSHIP   to enable interactions based on openness, trust, respect and equity		INFORMED PARTICIPATION   to equip stakeholders with comprehensive information and tools matched to the task
	INSPIRED LEARNING   at individual, group and organisational levels
CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT   going beyond the reactive to open up diverse ways of knowing and to harness energies		SHARED RESPONSIBILITY    where participants at all levels have authority to shape both process and outcomes

WHO WE WORK WITH AND WHERE WE WORK

• From small teams and groups to large and complex organisations  

• From small meetings to conferences  

• Across government, community, education, research and industry sectors

• From urban settings to rural and regional Australia and to overseas development 

• Wherever people and communities need support and/or skills to diagnose, understand, articulate and adapt effectively to changes in their social, technical, economic and/or political environments 

See Clients to gain an appreciation of the breadth of our work.  
   
   

WHAT WE DO

• Training in a wide range of related facilitation, communication, leadership, influencing and negotiating skills, including diverse options in the comprehensive development program Out in Front: The Way of the Facilitative Leader™
  

• Facilitation of meetings, workshops, conferences, forums, seminars and other exchanges 
• Participatory process and event design
  
• Coordination of teams for facilitation and synthesis in participatory events
  
• Technology of Participation™, strength-based approaches, narrative techniques, marketplaces, cafes
  

• Stakeholder and community engagement 
• Consultation and participation processes (cross-sectoral and cross-cultural) 
• Engagement process planning, practice and performance evaluation

• Relationship brokering 
• Reputation building
  

• Capacity building
• Organisational and team development 
• Negotiation, moderation and conflict leadership   

• Cultural translation, citizen science 
• Interpretation, education and extension 

• Knowledge management 
• Development of communities of practice 
  
• Building awareness, knowledge, skills and commitment to participation 

• Refining and articulating focus, purpose, values, strategies and actions 
• Defining and depicting program logic
  
• Review and evaluation of impact/effectiveness of programs/projects/plans/policies 
• Articulating performance stories
  

• Scanning, diagnosis and analysis of risks, issues and trends 
• Review and realignment of values, ethics, governance, practice and performance 
• Organisational review and adaptive management 
• Cultural change leadership
  

• Independent review of policies, ethical statements, documents, plans, reports 
• Development of manuals, guides, fact sheets, brochures, Web content, presentations, books 
• Document finishing, editorial assistance (substantive/style) and proofreading 

• Resource assessment – environment, natural and cultural heritage 
• Conservation management planning, from protected areas to production landscapes 
• Urban and regional planning/development  

Read some testimonials of our facilitation and training practice.  

Clients of either our facilitation or training services are eligible to receive discounts on additional services from Futures by Design™.