“I’ve never been as inspired and energised about the topic of data standards as I have been today with this fantastic group of people!” – Shelley Heckman on LinkedIn
Context
In late 2023 I was approached by Shelley Heckman of iStandUK to facilitate an away day of it’s Executive Board in London in March 2024.
The mission of iStandUK is to promote Data Standards that support efficiency, transformation, and transparency of local public services in the UK. The Executive Board includes representatives from local authorities, government departments and other representative groups such as the LGA, SOCITM and TechUK. The Board serves as both a programme board and a leadership forum for collaboration across the local public sector.
The March away day was to build on another just held in December, which had been an opportunity for the Board to start exploring a strategic approach to digital standards for local public services.
At that first meeting the group had looked at the question ‘what are the specific needs and ambitions of public services that could be addressed by standards?’ A visioning exercise followed, which allowed the group to explore what would be the impact of data standards being implemented across all public sector organisations in a way that creates the most impact. The group then explored what would be necessary from our group to achieve the collective vision. The day culminated with a number of action commitments, including to create a specification for a data standards business case for the UK local public sector.
Aims
In conversation with Shelley, Board Chair Phil Swan and Programme Director Paul Davidson, the aims of the March away day were agreed to be as follows:
To build on the conversation started at the December away day, to articulate what we are ready to commit to in relation to:
building a vehicle that supports interoperable standards across local government at a national level, what it might look like and the way forward to get there,
commissioning a scoping exercise for a vehicle for data standards, and the draft Specification paper,
iStandUK and its future, as that vehicle and/or otherwise.
To build upon the collective sense of the importance and urgency of interoperable data standards for the sector that was recognised in December, and to build commitment to influence budget holders to invest funds in a standards body.
The Focused Conversation method provides a structured, four-level process for effective communication which ensures that everyone in a group has the opportunity to participate.
The Consensus Workshop method is a five-stage process that incorporates Focused Conversation for effective communication and that enables a facilitator to draw out and weave together everybody’s wisdom into a clear consensus.
Thank you very much indeed to the 15 or so people who participated in my session in Brussels this evening, and to Marie Dubost and IAF Belgium for the invitation and for hosting.
In the session, I demonstrated a participatory approach for a group to review the past, to prepare for the future, by applying the ToP (Technology of Participation) Historical Scan method to to reflect and learn together from our diverse experience and perspectives on facilitating a culture of participation in international organisations. I also shared some insights into the theory behind the method and examples of the method in action, and invited participants to consider ways that they can apply the method in their own practice
Here I am sharing links to some resources and case studies that I mentioned during the session, and perhaps some that I didn’t.
I am excited to be offering ToP facilitation training in Italy in May, in partnership with IAF Italy, the Italian chapter of the International Association of Facilitators. My last, pictured, was in Pisa in 2019.
A 10% early booking discount is available until Monday 21 April with the promo code EarlyBird.
A few places remain available on my upcoming courses in April as well:
April 1-2 in Brussels, Group Facilitation Methods: introducing the foundations of the ToP approach, two powerful techniques for structuring effective conversations and building group consensus
April 3 in Brussels, Action Planning: participatory planning for short-term projects and events
Register now in Eventbrite for these and other upcoming public courses in London, Brussels & elsewhere.
ToP masterclass: Group Facilitation Methods and Participatory Strategic Planning, May 22-23 in Lomazzo.
This two-day masterclass is for all those who want to be able to engage people more effectively to build shared understanding and consensus, and create strategies for action, including team leaders and managers within organisations, those working with Boards, management teams, partnerships and external stakeholders, youth and community workers and independent facilitators. The course has no pre-requisite.
This course will introduce the two foundational methods of ICA’s ‘Technology of Participation‘ (ToP) methodology, and a third which adapts and applies these to creating strategies for action:
ToP Focused Conversation provides a structured, four-level process for effective communication which ensures that everyone in a group has the opportunity to participate
ToP Consensus Workshop is a five stage process that enables a facilitator to draw out and weave together everybody’s wisdom into a clear and practical consensus
ToP Participatory Strategic Planning is a structured long-range planning process which incorporates ToP Consensus Workshop for building consensus, ToP Focused Conversation for effective group communication, and an implementation process for turning ideas into productive action and concrete accomplishments.
More experienced facilitators may be ready to apply the methods effectively in their own situations. For others the course will serve as a powerful, experiential introduction to ICA’s ToP methodology.
Register now in Eventbrite for this and other upcoming public courses in London, Brussels & elsewhere.
Scroll down for the session recording and slides – with thanks to the 40 or so who attended!
Monday, 16 December 2024, 15:00-16:00 UK time
“If you have ever wondered what questions to ask, or in what order to ask them, to lead a conversation that is focused, intentional, inclusive, and productive, let this book be your guide.” – Martin Gilbraith
Have you ever wondered how to have a conversation that is focused, intentional, inclusive, and productive?
Join us to connect, share & learn on Monday, 16 December 2024, 15:00-16:00 UK time, for this special session following the format of the ICA:UK Online Focused Conversation Series.
An experiential introduction to the method will enable you to connect, share and learn with each other from your own experience of conversations that you have found challenging. Jo will then share some insights from the book, and both of us from our own experience, and there will be time for questions and discussion.
The session will be recorded, with the recording being publicly available after the session is over. If you do not wish to be identifiable, we will give you the option before we start the recording to turn off your camera and change your screen name.
Join us to connect, share & learn!
For recordings and other outputs of previous online Focused Conversation sessions and other free facilitation webinars, see free facilitation webinars.
The Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance (CNCA) is a collaboration of leading global cities working to achieve carbon neutrality in the next 10-20 years – the most aggressive Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction targets undertaken anywhere by any city.
CNCA’s mission is to mobilize transformative climate action in cities in order to achieve prosperity, social equity, resilience and better quality of life for all on a thriving planet.
Context
In March 2023 I was approached by Irene Garcia of the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance (CNCA) to facilitate a 3-day event in Lille in June. In her first draft agenda she wrote:
“The project “Dramatically Reducing Embodied Carbon in Europe’s Built Environment” led by Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance (CNCA) aims to organize an in-person meeting in 2023 gathering the cities participating in the project.
The program will focus on developing an understanding of what the built environment looks like today in European cities, what are the main drivers and game changers to have the highest potential to produce deep, durable GHG emissions reductions in key systems at a “transformational” scale, and what efforts and policy changes would be required for cities to double down efforts on its decarbonization.
Recognizing the urgency, magnitude and multi-level nature of the change required in the built environment, the meeting will provide room for multi-level conversations with national and EU stakeholders. The organizations leading the national work in France, Finland and Scotland, as well the European work will be invited to join and contribute to the discussions.
Further, the programme will showcase to participants the hosts’ stellar projects to address embodied carbon and/or increase the use of bio-based materials, and seek to engage key community stakeholders involved in the projects that the group will visit.
The results of the workshop will feed into the ongoing project of CNCA and will influence future work from 2024 onwards.”
I learned in conversation with Irene that it would be only the second in-person, and final, meeting of a three-year project where cities have been participating to get policy support to address embodied carbon and increase the use of bio-based materials in their built environment. The group had had bi-monthly online meetings that would continue to the end of 2023. She hoped to use this final in-person meeting to create a moment where all participants could reflect together on where cities were at the moment, share their insights and approaches in a meaningful way that resonates and co-create some solutions to specific challenges they were currently facing.
Participants would be mostly city officials, including climate directors or technical staff in charge of the built environment. We would also have some participants dealing with the built environment at the national and EU level, as well as the project’s funder. She expected a group of up to 30 people, and the hosting city would provide meeting space. A photographer and videographer would help to record the meeting for publicity purposes.
Aims
In conversation, the aims of the meeting were agreed as follows:
to reflect and learn together on where cities are at the moment, and co-create solutions to specific challenges they are currently facing – in particular, what are the main drivers and game changers, and what efforts and policy changes would be required,
to provide room for multi-level conversations, including those leading the national work in France, Finland and Scotland,
to share top-notch practices in a meaningful way that resonates, to think out of the box and untap all the knowledge in the room,
to inform the ongoing project of CNCA and identify support that cities need from 2024 onwards,
to inspire, energise and enthuse, and build a sense of shared trust, commitment and mutual support.
Methodology and approach
I proposed to draw on the following three of ICA’s Technology of Participation (ToP) methods in particular, plus other methods and tools as appropriate:
The Focused Conversation method provides a structured, four-level process for effective communication which ensures that everyone in a group has the opportunity to participate.
The Consensus Workshop method is a five stage process that enables a facilitator to draw out and weave together everybody’s wisdom into a clear and practical consensus.
The Participatory Strategic Planning process is a 5-stage process, each stage typically involving a specially tailored Consensus Workshop process.
Design, adaptation and delivery
A key aspect of the meeting’s design was to work in three different venues around the city, each selected by the host city to highlight different aspects of building decarbonization—a central theme of the sessions. This added a dynamic layer to the event and allowed participants to fully experience the city’s commitment to sustainability.
I wasn’t able to visit the rooms in advance of designing the agenda and process, however I received pictures of the venue and I was able to arrive early on each day to set up the layout and adapt the methodology to suit each space. I was able to arrive in Lille early enough to view the first room on the afternoon before the meeting began, and the group’s site visits allowed me time during the meeting to plan and prepare in advance how best to make use of the other two.
In the end I was (just) able to use the Consensus Workshop method for a vision workshop, as I had proposed. I used the ToP Participatory Strategic Planning process as a design framework for the flow of the following sessions, but took considerable liberties with the methods and tools used for each – in order to best align with the agreed aims of the event, as well as to align with what would work best in the spaces available. I used the Focused Conversation method for opening and closing conversations throughout, and as a design framework for the structure of individual sessions.
The event began on Tuesday in a large, multi-purpose function space opening on to the lobby of the modern Lille Metropole headquarters building (pictured). Cabaret style seating at pairs of tables served to accommodate an opening World Cafe conversation.
The rear of one of the doors from the lobby provided just enough space for a small sticky wall wide enough to accommodate a vision workshop using the Consensus Workshop method, by clustering cards in columns instead of groups. Delegates sat at their World Cafe tables to brainstorm and write their ideas on cards, and they stood at smaller, high tables for the clustering of cards and naming of clusters at the sticky wall.
After lunch was a slide presentation of the City Handbook for Building Carbon Neutral Buildings, followed by questions and discussion, and then the group left for their first site visit at Blanchemaille while I turned my attention to the space we would be using the next day.
On Wednesday we met at the site of that afternoon’s visit at EuraTechnologies, a refurbished factory building. The large meeting room (pictured) was able to accommodate circles of chairs at one end, for a Fishbowl conversation on challenges in the morning, and cabaret style seating at pairs of tables for working on strategies and implementation the afternoon.
Once again, the many pillars in the room were not too much of an obstacle to people being able to see each other. A large, flat expanse of wall space by the window was able to accommodate a larger sticky wall. That was useful for displaying flip charts after they had been presented to the group, even though it was not central to the seating area and so not easily visible from all tables.
A large screen TV was available for short slide presentations illustrating strategies for success. As the group took their visit around the site at the end of the day, I returned to the hotel to prepare the space for final morning on Thursday.
On Thursday morning we met in the delightful former chapel of the charming and historic L’Hermitage Gantois (pictured), the hotel where delegates had been staying.
The space was very much larger than necessary, it had poor accoustics and nothing could be attached to the walls. However, the projector screen worked well enough to accommodate a sticky wall for the purpose of convening an Open Space style workshop, as did the banqueting style tables. As delegates left throughout the morning for their trips home, it was very convenient to be located at the hotel rather than somewhere else.
Feedback and impact
Participants’ on-site feedback included:
Room for discussions and disagreement
A good flow and engagement of the group within the sessions
Really inspiring to witness first hand the tremendous progress that European cities are making to decarbonize the built environment. And how every year they keep breaking new ground over what gets to be constructed and how to mainstream sustainable buildings and dramatically reduce their embodied carbon.
She added in October 2024:
I had the pleasure of working with Martin Gilbraith for a 3-day event in Lille in June 2023 as part of the “Dramatically Reducing Embodied Carbon in Europe’s Built Environment” project, led by the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance (CNCA). His facilitation skills played a crucial role in guiding multi-level conversations among participants. He was instrumental in organizing the flow of the sessions and seamlessly adapted to the unique needs of the group, making sure that the voices of all stakeholders were given due consideration. His preparation, energy, and professionalism enabled us to dive deeply into the complexities of decarbonizing the built environment, and the results of this workshop were wonderful.
Credit: video and photos as indicated by Fabrice Caterini, Inediz.
The Focused Conversation method provides a structured, four-level process for effective communication which ensures that everyone in a group has the opportunity to participate.
The Consensus Workshop method is a five-stage process that incorporates Focused Conversation for effective communication and that enables a facilitator to draw out and weave together everybody’s wisdom into a clear consensus.
Thank you very much indeed to the 15 or so people who participated in my session in Brussels this evening, and to 
