Archived Workshops/References

Working Together To Get Things Done

Description

What is the Training?

”Working Together to Get Things Done” is a two-part training that will build your capacity to work with people who have different priorities, viewpoints, and knowledge in order to achieve resource management goals. The training will provide opportunities for you to apply what you are learning to issues that are immediately applicable to your work. Come prepared to think about issues of concern to your team, ask and respond to questions, work in teams, generate ideas—and generally enjoy the process of learning—and you’ll emerge with skills, products, and ideas that will help you in your work.

The first half-day module, "Module 1," provides an overview of Collaborative Learning, a rigorous methodology for sharing knowledge and expertise, building effective partnerships, designing and implementing research, and getting things done in complex systems like natural resource management. Module 1 is appropriate for anyone who might participate in a collaborative project at any level, this module will help you….

Understand the principles that underpin Collaborative Learning;
Understand the four basic steps of the Collaborative Learning process;
Articulate the benefits of applying Collaborative Learning to familiar situations;
Identify opportunities for, and barriers to, the use of Collaborative Learning in your work;
Identify your role in a Collaborative Learning process.

The second 1.5 day module, "Module 2," builds capacity to initiate the Collaborative Learning process or improve an existing situation through a more collaborative approach. While this module is designed for people whose work requires them to play a larger role in planning and implementing a collaborative project, all participants are welcome and can benefit by participating. In Module 2, you will have an opportunity to …

Build stakeholder teams for problem solving, policy analysis, adaptive management, and the generation or integration of science into the decision making process;
Practice the phases of Collaborative Learning;
Identify ways to incorporate elements of Collaborative Learning into your work;
Work in small groups to evaluate an issue of interest to the group work and adapt the Collaborative Learning approach to improve that situation.

How to I register?

Module 1 is a pre-requisite for Module 2. But, if you are interested in just an overview of Collaborative Learning concepts, feel free to register just for Module 1.

For more information, and to register for Module 1, click here.

For more information, and to register for Module 2, click here.

Please be aware that attendance at this workshop is by application, and by invitation only. Registration in either module requires an invitation code. If you would like to be invited, or know someone who would, please contact us .

Who is This Training For?

This training is for anyone who values the use of science in improving resource management situations. Whether your work involves generating scientific data and information, interpreting it in a management context, or applying it to make decisions, this training will help you work more effectively with others to reach shared goals on issues of common interest . You will get the maximum benefit from participating in this course if there is a team of three to five people who are interested in working together with you to address an issue or problem. Your team will make progress during this course in developing an actual collaboration plan while building process skills.

Why Collaborative Learning?

The long term success or failure of projects often depends on the support of a variety of interested parties with diverse perspectives. Understanding this, many leading organizations, including funding program, now require the use of structured collaborative processes like Collaborative Learning to accomplish their goals. The success of establishing California’s Marine Protected Areas is largely thought a result of such a process. The Los Padres National Forest’s “Firescape” program is another good example of such a process.

Collaborative Learning creates a flexible structure in which stakeholders from diverse backgrounds can share knowledge, reservations, and ideas around a complex issue. The process enhances their ability to shape and support a project designed to address a particular situation. It increases overall accountability, provides access to information that might not have been otherwise available, fosters more trusting relationships and community, and helps participants to identify steps that need to be taken to address commonly identified problems. Ultimately, Collaborative Learning clarifies and broadens the range of choices stakeholders can consider to improve a situation, refines their understanding on how information can and will be used, and enhances the potential for measureable change.

Who is the Presenter/Trainer?

Dr. Christine Feurt uses the Collaborative Learning approach daily in her work with coastal managers, municipal officials, and fellow scientists, and outreach professionals. As the Coastal Training Program Coordinator at the Wells NERR in Maine, she applies Collaborative Learning to protect sources of drinking water, implement Low Impact Development, and develop indicators of ecosystem health in southern Maine’s watersheds. Dr. Feurt’s research and experience using Collaborative Learning to address coastal management challenges has been synthesized in the Collaborative Learning Guide for Ecosystem-Based Management. It also informs the classes she teaches at the University of New England. Chris has worked as a coastal ecologist, educator, and natural resource manager in national parks, refuges, universities and coastal communities around North America for 30 years. She received her PhD in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England in 2007. Her research developed an interdisciplinary methodology for applying Collaborative Learning to the practice of community based ecosystem management in coastal, southern Maine.

Training Programs


Working Together to Get Things Done: Module 1	Jan 25, 2012
Working Together to Get Things Done: Module 2	Jan 25, 2012 - Jan 26, 2012
Environmental Communication: More Than A Message	Jan 28, 2015

Documents and Publications

TITLE DATE ADDED	AUTHOR SOURCE	DESCRIPTION
WORKSHOP MATERIALS
Agenda: Working Together to Get Things Done PDF, 637KB Dec 01 11	Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program NERR CTP December 2011	This is the agenda for both modules of the training, so you can review the overall plan. Feel free to join just Module 1 or to do both.
Collaboration Compact PDF, 177KB Feb 09 12	The Partnership for Coastal Watersheds Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program February 2011	An example of an agreement to collaborate.
Presentation: Working Together To Get Things Done PDF, 2.8MB Feb 09 12	Christine Feurt Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program January 2012	PowerPoint slides given during the workshop.
Working Together To Get Things Done - Participant Workbook PDF, 755KB Feb 06 12	Christine Feurt Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program January 2012	Workbook, worksheets, and background information for the training
PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
From the Forest to the River: Citizens' Views of Stakeholder Engagement PDF, 1MB Feb 06 12	Gregg Walker, Susan Senecah, Steven Daniels Human Ecology Review 13(2):193-202 2006	Collaboration and consensus processes, when designed well and applied appropriately, provide opportunities for meaningful stakeholder engagement.
OTHER INFORMATION
Collaborative Learning Guide for Ecosystem Management PDF, 4.6MB Nov 04 11	Dr. Christine Feurt CICEET and the Wells Reserve 2008	An overview of collaborative learning principles

Links

TITLE	DATE ADDED
FireScape Monterey - a model collaboration? http://firescape.ning.com/	Feb 07 12
Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point - What Makes Change Happen? http://www.gladwell.com/tippingpoint/	Feb 07 12
Partnership for Coastal Watersheds - a model collaboration? http://www.partnershipforcoastalwatersheds.org/	Feb 09 12