News
Partners in Facilitation
Facilitating Change are proud to announce:"Partners in Facilitation". We are a unique, newly created partnership between:
* Facilitate This!
* Facilitating Change
* Kinharvie Institute of Facilitation
* Louise Robb Associates and
* Simply Change
As experts in the field and as a result of setting up a joint professional development group, we seek to influence and advance the leading edge of facilitation learning and practice within the UK and to broaden the base of professionals for whom facilitation has value.
This partnership is a fusion of skill and expertise drawing on multi-sector and international experience.
Facilitation Strategies for Leaders: London 4th October 2010
Facilitator : Ingrid Bens
Location : Central London
Date : Mon 4th October 2010
Cost : £225
Focus : Introduction to Facilitative Leadership
• What does it mean to be a facilitative leader?
• How and when to use facilitative leadership to maximise your effectiveness.
Introduction
In ever complex and interconnected world, leadership at every level matters. This one-day event will provide insight and explore opportunities to build facilitation skills and capacity within your organisation to maximise the contribution and impact of skilled leadership at every level.
Ingrid will highlight her work within a range of sectors including Fortune 500 companies, health, education, government departments and not for profit organisations and use a participative workshop format to demonstrate practical applications and enhance understanding of the contribution that the values, skills and practices of facilitation can make in developing and enabling more people to lead more effectively within all organisations.
Key Elements:
Identify the benefits of enabling and unleashing facilitative leadership within your organisation
• To demonstrate how leaders can benefit from the core competencies and skills of facilitation to enhance their impact as a leader
• To identify the skills and competencies to enable others to lead and harness the possibilities and potential throughout your organisation
• Free online facilitation course in advance of the event
• Free copy of Ingrid’s excellent book ‘Facilitation at a Glance’
Who should attend?
Leaders of People, Leaders of Projects and Partnerships, Leaders of Teams and Tasks, Leaders of Institutes and Ideas, Leaders of Organisations and Operations, Leaders of Education & Engagement and Aspiring Leaders.
To book: click here
Public and Stakeholder Engagement training - 25th & 26th October 2010
Overview of the course:
A training course specifically designed for those individuals who will be responsible for consulting with key stakeholders and the public. The course helps create an understanding of the importance of effective engagement with groups and individuals. As well as presenting to audiences it is important to know how to engage them and deal with their different needs and interests.
The aim of this two-day course is deliver a course which addresses the specific needs of the participants.
The course will provide an opportunity for participants to develop the confidence, skills and ability to engage with different stakeholder groups.
Outcomes:
By the end of the course participants will:
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Be more confident in their ability to engage with different groups. |
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Understand the importance of thorough planning and preparation before engaging a group. |
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Know how to structure a presentation and use of different media. |
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Build rapport and trust with audiences |
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Understand how new planning law relates to Development Management throughout the UK. |
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Understand and apply different techniques when engaging and consulting with different groups. |
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Be aware of a range of strategies for dealing with challenging participants and apply these skills. |
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Have received feedback to help improve their skills. |
Another failed public consultation
Last week saw the failure of yet another Government consultation. The consultation on the third runway at Heathrow Airport was "deemed invalid" by the High Court in London. Click here for details.
The result will mean delays and costs for the developer.
Further anxiety for the local communities involved.
Increased costs for the tax payer.
The Government's response is that the outcome to any further consultation will not be changed!
If only the Government followed rigorous and robust process in these situations the consultation might stand more chance of being worthwhile and constructive.
To find out more about Facilitating Change's Effective Engagment process - call Chris, Lone or Rachael on 01786 820111
What do the public really think about your development?
When faced with opposition from a hostile group opposed to your development it can be easy to think the whole world is against you. A key question to consider is "What do the local population really think of your development?". The answer may surprise you.
One way to answer the question is to undertake representative telephone research. We have just undertaken a piece of research for a proposed wind farm in Perthshire. Vattenfall commissioned the work on their Logiealmond development after planning permission had been refused by the local planning authority. The local anti-group had made vociferous claims that the local community were in opposition to the scheme.
Our telephone research showed that only 18% of the affected community were opposed to the development. A very different outcome to that portrayed by the anti-group. The findings from the telephone research have just been presented to the public enquiry on the development.
The article from the local newspaper, the Perthshire Advertiser, is shown below:
CONTROVERSIAL plans for a giant wind farm in a scenic area of Perthshire have been supported by more than half of the locals surveyed, according to the developers.
Independent researchers questioned 406 residents in the area around the development ahead of a make-or-break public inquiry later this month.
And just over half – 52.5% – supported theproject.
A third had no strong opinion while less than a fifth (18%) opposed it.
Vattenfall Wind Power want the go-ahead to erect 14, 300-foot high turbines at Logiealmond, six miles west of Dunkeld.
The site, at Findownie Hill, covers almost 5,000 acres of mainly open moorland and rough grazing. It is owned by the Mansfield Estates and is managed primarily for sporting purposes.
The telephone survey was commissioned by Vattenfall and undertaken by Facilitating Change in April of this year.
The survey also found that:
73.2% of respondents believed climate change is an issue that requires action.
80.3% of respondents believed the development of renewable energy to be important.
John Price, development director with Vattenfall Wind Power, said: “We are encouraged by the results of this telephone survey because it confirms significant levels of support for the proposed wind farm.
“We have always believed a wind farm at Logiealmond will not only help Scotland achieve its ambitious green energy targets but also bring lasting benefits to the local community.
“We believe the results of this telephone survey have further strengthened the case for the development of the wind far there.”
An appeal was lodged by the developer in 2008 following a unanimous decision by Perth and Kinross Council to reject the proposals.
The appeal, to be chaired by Scottish Government Inquiry Reporter Michael Shiel, will open in Amulree Village Hall on August 17.
If the project gets the go-ahead, it would generate approximately 42 megawatts of electricity.
It would create approximately 150 direct and 50 indirect jobs, with much of the capital expenditure on the turbines retained in the Perth and Kinross economy, it is claimed.
A community fund would also be set up, generating between £560,000 and £1.2 million for the expected 25-year lifespan of the windfarm.
What do the public really think about your development?
When faced with opposition from a hostile group opposed to your development it can be easy to think the whole world is against you. A key question to consider is "What do the local population really think of your development?". The answer may surprise you.
One way to answer the question is to undertake representative telephone research. We have just undertaken a piece of research for a proposed wind farm in Perthshire. Vattenfall commissioned the work on their Logiealmond development after planning permission had been refused by the local planning authority. The local anti-group had made vociferous claims that the local community were in opposition to the scheme.
Our telephone research showed that only 18% of the affected community were opposed to the development. A very different outcome to that portrayed by the anti-group. The findings from the telephone research have just been presented to the public enquiry on the development.
The article from the local newspaper, the Perthshire Advertiser, is shown below:
CONTROVERSIAL plans for a giant wind farm in a scenic area of Perthshire have been supported by more than half of the locals surveyed, according to the developers.
Independent researchers questioned 406 residents in the area around the development ahead of a make-or-break public inquiry later this month.
And just over half – 52.5% – supported theproject.
A third had no strong opinion while less than a fifth (18%) opposed it.
Vattenfall Wind Power want the go-ahead to erect 14, 300-foot high turbines at Logiealmond, six miles west of Dunkeld.
The site, at Findownie Hill, covers almost 5,000 acres of mainly open moorland and rough grazing. It is owned by the Mansfield Estates and is managed primarily for sporting purposes.
The telephone survey was commissioned by Vattenfall and undertaken by Facilitating Change in April of this year.
The survey also found that:
73.2% of respondents believed climate change is an issue that requires action.
80.3% of respondents believed the development of renewable energy to be important.
John Price, development director with Vattenfall Wind Power, said: “We are encouraged by the results of this telephone survey because it confirms significant levels of support for the proposed wind farm.
“We have always believed a wind farm at Logiealmond will not only help Scotland achieve its ambitious green energy targets but also bring lasting benefits to the local community.
“We believe the results of this telephone survey have further strengthened the case for the development of the wind far there.”
An appeal was lodged by the developer in 2008 following a unanimous decision by Perth and Kinross Council to reject the proposals.
The appeal, to be chaired by Scottish Government Inquiry Reporter Michael Shiel, will open in Amulree Village Hall on August 17.
If the project gets the go-ahead, it would generate approximately 42 megawatts of electricity.
It would create approximately 150 direct and 50 indirect jobs, with much of the capital expenditure on the turbines retained in the Perth and Kinross economy, it is claimed.
A community fund would also be set up, generating between £560,000 and £1.2 million for the expected 25-year lifespan of the windfarm.
Are you ready and PACked?
This year sees the introduction of the Planning Act etc. (2006) in Scotland. This legislation is going to bring changes to the planning application process. At Facilitating Change we are focusing on the pre-application consultation (PAC) aspects of the legislation.
From the 6th. April Planning Authorities will be legally obliged to provide advice on how developers will have to consult prior to submitting their planning application. This will be provided in response to a "Proposal of Application Notice" which has to be provided by the developer for all National and Major developments. The advice given by the Planning Authority should be based on the National Standards for Public Engagement outlined in Planning Advice Note (PAN) 81.
From 3rd. August all planning applications for National and Major developments must meet the consultation g uidance provided by the relevant planning authority. This includes submitting a pre-application consultation (PAC) report with each planning submission. Failure to meet these requirements will mean that your aplication will not be heard.
DON'T WORRY!
At Facilitating Change we've already produced pre-application consultation (PAC) reports and provided Public and Stakeholder Engagement (PSE) support for a number of clients. We've also been working closely with the Scottish Government to understand how this legislation will be implemented.
If you have any questions or want to find out how Facilitating Change can help you - please call Chris, Lone or Rachel on 01786 820111 or drop an email to chris@fchange.com.
We'll also send updates on the implementation throughout the year.
Today's the day.....
From today the Development Management Regulations come fully into force in Scotland - this legislation applies to all proposed National and Major developments.
Over the last few months we having been working with planning authorities and developers to apply the pre-application consultation elements of the legislation to a number of planning applications.
The responses that we have received from Planning Authorities have been:
- Inconsistent;
- Late;
- Surprising!
In one instance the Planning Authority advised that any consultation undertaken before the Proposal for Application Notice was submitted would be ignored by the Planning Authority.
Our main recommendation is that you should start the pre-application process process as early as possible. Many people that we have spoken to have read the legislation which details the requirement for a 'Proposal of Application Notice' and have decided to wait until 12 weeks before they are due to submit their planning application and then submit the notice. Our experience suggests that this is far too late and the result is that additional consultation requirements, if they are required by the Planning Authority, could lead to a delay in your planning submission.
We would recommend submitting the 'Proposal of Application Notice' before undertaking any consultation with the community.
If you have any questions about the new legislation or Public and Stakeholder Engagement please do not hesitate to give us a call.