Environmental Resource Use and Community Building.
Waihi Community Vision.
Inclusive community meetings involving the Council, Company, and members of the public, facilitated by us to discuss the potential closure of the Waihi Gold Mine.
Collaborative solutions, based on good communication and participation, generating strong communities and productive, self-sustaining relationships.
Pre-hearing Meetings
Pre-hearing meetings facilitated with a skilled, collaborative approach build understanding, respect and a foundation for successful, ongoing relationships between applicants, neighbours and other affected parties.
In the dynamic forum of a collaborative facilitated Pre-hearing conversation:
Neighbours and other submitters build a better understanding of the details of an applicant’s proposal and the rationale behind it.
Applicants gain a better understanding of submitters’ concerns (including new information and different perspectives) which they can then clarify, remedy or improve ‘in discussion’ with submitters.
Independent advisors are able to participate in the conversation with all parties and apply their expertise to environmentally responsible outcomes.
Council participation informs the staff making recommendations and if an application is granted, allows for concerns to be managed by way of appropriate planning conditions.
Comprehensive reports produced from collaborative facilitated Pre-hearing meetings enable parties to know they have been heard and understood, and provides for (concerns and positive) outcomes to be provided and give clear direction for decision-making bodies.
Respecting the environment, the legal rights of all parties and achieving good outcomes in the most efficient way possible without the constraints presented by an adversarial approach.
Resource Consent Compliance
The best possible resolution of resource consent compliance issues is achieved through the combined input of consent-holders, councils and affected parties.
In a well-organised collaborative forum:
Affected parties are encouraged to raise issues, and discuss them with consent holders.
Consent-holders hear first-hand and are able to discuss and understand the problems that have been raised.
Affected Parties, consent-holders and councils all participate in designing solutions that are fit for purpose and understood, entering into agreements to make the necessary changes.
In ongoing situations, affected parties, consent-holders and councils contribute by periodically re-visiting the initial (and any ongoing) issues in a continuous improvement process.
Public or private facilitated resource consent compliance meetings are a perfect forum for agreements to be reached and requirements on applicants, affected parties and councils to be established and maintained.
The prompt and comprehensive response provided by resource consent compliance meetings is good for the environment; good for affected parties and consent holders; and avoids the time and financial costs of an adversarial enforcement process.
Community Engagement Meetings
Collaborative discussion and decision-making is a hugely valuable investment in recruiting the energy and direction of communities for long-term gain.
Facilitated community engagement produces more comprehensive and considered decisions.
As a result of working through issues collaboratively, communities develop respect for diversity and gain better understanding of each other.
The long-term benefit is a culture, connections and a skill-set that make future community outcomes easier to achieve and ultimately an expected norm.
Successful community engagement is based on:
Opportunities for genuine community participation in discussions and decisions about shared use of resources.
Trusting a collective participation model and the transparency of information in a culture built from connections, trust and a group collaborative skill-set.
This takes time, skills and resources but the investment (once the culture and mechanisms are established) provides long term benefits of:
Communities learning how;
Significant immediate buy-in; and
Long-term investment in future community collaboration.
Community engagement is more than a communication plan or public relations strategy; it entails devolution of decision-making power and a trust in the community’s ability to make responsible decisions for itself.
Governance, Strategy and Planning.
Independent facilitation provides a key to progress, bringing a skill-set and external perspective, free of assumptions or ties to an existing culture. It introduces a fresh approach to generating creative and progressive outcomes.
Facilitated Governance
Facilitation of governance meetings is an investment in board process and culture when an organisation needs to resolve a specific functional issue or enhance performance.
Collaborative Solutions initiated this service because:
Corporate and not-for-profit organisations are only as good as their ability to call on the collective wisdom of board input.
This requires a culture of collaborative input, productive discussions and the board’s ability to make decisions in the best interests of the organisation.
Facilitated governance works in conjunction with training and advice to stabilise organisations and refocus board initiative.
Facilitated governance meetings bring additional benefits of:
Providing a circuit breaker if board function has deteriorated to the point of malfunction.
Adding energy and resource to positive momentum while the Board gets back to full (and positive) functionality.
Modelling a governance framework and skill-set for the entire board to consider and absorb; and
Adding a facilitative approach to the board culture.
Governance facilitation (sometimes combined with governance training) is an investment in board process and culture that outlives resolution of the immediate problems; it’s an investment in future strength, success and functionality.
Culture Development and Problem-Solving Meetings
Investing in a positive organisational culture and proactive resolution of internal issues is critical for optimum success of corporate and not-for-profit entities.
Having decided to tackle an issue, organisations look for a process and a project lead. Collaborative Solutions encourages you to think about independent, skilled and collaborative facilitation.
We know from experience that this works well because:
Our combination of independence, skill and collaborative philosophy creates an environment of honesty and trust, and produces solution-based outcomes.
We take time to understand the issues by listening to you and your team and the answers generated come from you and the team. (Not us pretending to have your expertise and telling you what to do.)
Independent facilitation provides an external perspective (free of assumptions or ties to the existing culture) and encourages a fresh approach and more creative outcomes.
Our skill-set allows us to work with you in a way that identifies and solves the problem (not attributing blame).
When resolution is achieved, Collaborative Solutions works with you to provide accountability for progress.
To provide some insight into how we approach this work (and leave you and your team in charge) we might approach your situation by way of:
Briefing by the chair, CEO, manager or management team.
Individual (confidential) interviews with staff and management.
An agenda for a joint meeting built on the input of staff and management combined with the facilitator’s learned insight.
Notes/a record of outcomes of the meeting that are independent and framed in constructive terms that solve presenting problems and build capacity.
This works because under the skilled and detailed approach we use:
Management and staff clarify the issues that need to be addressed.
The facilitator-led agenda ensures that issues are discussed and addressed, without people dodging the ‘hard stuff’ or fuelling any negative issues.
Improving organisational function is approached, as a team project, based on honest productive conversation and team buy-in to making the outcomes successful.
Outcomes are recorded (written up) in a way that become organisational action-points with responsibilities and timeframes.
Strategy and Planning
Within organisations and between entities (in operational partnerships) strategic planning and partnering are a recipe for success. Our approach to strategic planning and partnering is based on:
A collaborative philosophy and skill-set; that
Produces insightful, inclusive strategies; with
Organisational buy-in to outcomes; which
Build your team capacity.
Restoration from Harm
How do restorative meetings work?
Tim facilitated the meeting in this video when presenting Restorative training for the Ministry of Justice.
Collaborative Solutions has over 30 years experience in the role of facilitation and leadership in restorative process.
Our excitement for the outcomes that can be generated by good restorative process has not diminished – ‘safer communities, better outcomes for those harmed and for those who cause harm’.
New Zealand has built a solid foundation of restorative processes in the context of criminal offending and education.
We have a significant opportunity to further develop our thinking from defining harm in terms of the breaking of laws or rules, determining ‘guilt’ and administering punishment to a more responsive and creative approach that builds safer communities for us all.
In turn this provides opportunities for us to truly meet our partnership obligations under Te Tiriti O Waitangi, developing a stronger more equitable Aotearoa. Inclusion of family/whanau, hapuu, iwi and support agencies provides a cohesive response that generates and supports safer communities.
Well-facilitated, restorative processes:
Address the harm that has been caused; and
Meet the needs of those harmed, by providing a forum in which the obligations of those who have caused harm can be met.
Engage family, community, and specialist support around all parties involved.
Re-connect individuals, families, community and resources in a way that restores imbalance that has allowed or been caused by current issues, and builds a network of support, sustaining those involved in a constructive ongoing way.
Restorative processes are appropriate across a wide range of situations; examples include criminal offending, environmental breaches, workplace injuries and Worksafe investigations, education, workplace conduct including bullying and harassment, professional negligence, medical misadventure and other harm.
Family Resolution
When family relationships flounder, or the issue that a family needs to address is overwhelming, an experienced, calm, confident, external voice can help members agree on:
Care of children - Family Dispute Resolution (FDR).
Collaborative Solutions has been providing parenting mediation services for over 10 years.
We hold Ministry of Justice (MoJ) accreditation as an FDR provider.
We provide private FDR directly to parents on an un-subsidised basis.
We also undertake some contract work for the FDR Centre who provide subsidised FDR mediation when parties meet MoJ funding requirements.
Distribution of relationship property.
When relationships end it is a trying time for all involved. At the very time when pain and loss are prevalent, decisions need to be made that enable separated partners to maintain their living situation.
It is our experience that the sooner parties engage in a facilitated / mediated settlement process – the easier it is to reach agreement.
While each party ultimately needs to receive independent legal advice before signing off on an enforceable settlement agreement, we encourage you to contact us for mediation assistance early in the settlement process.
Estates.
Family relationships can be complicated and bereavement and loss sometimes also come with divided views on family assets, estates and family protection obligations.
If conflict appears to be delaying probate or eroding family relationships – we encourage you to consider mediation before a deadlock arises.
Capacity and Protection of Personal and Property Rights (PPPR) when people lose capacity.
It is difficult for families when a loved one loses their capacity to manage their own affairs. Appointment of Welfare Guardians and Property Managers under the PPPR Act provides a partial solution but sometimes it takes time and good process for family members to agree on who those powers of attorney should be and how they are appointed. We often assist by way of:
Facilitated family meetings; and
Mediation.
Proactive succession planning.
Getting a plan in place early is often the best way to avoid the issues we end up dealing with in PPPR and estate mediations.
Mental Health Law
Collaborative Solutions provides support and legal expertise for those engaged with the mental health system.
Our approach is to provide:
Support for clients to feel respected and to have a voice and an opportunity to be heard.
An understanding of the law and to work within the legal process.
A strategy as clients strive for good outcomes and a quality life.
This facilitates our clients’ ability to participate in the decisions being made about them in an empowered and proactive way producing better buy-in and long-term outcomes.
Safe and Effective Workplaces
Collaborative Solutions provides facilitation, mediation and workshops to address team relationships, function and inter-personal skills in the area of:
Resolving conduct issues.
Bullying or harassment.
Staff conflict.
Team culture, focus and direction.
Safe and healthy work environments foster productivity, well-being and resilience. Sometimes external input is necessary to address tricky issues.
Resolution of Business Disputes
The energy and time absorbed by civil and contractual disputes, partnership resolution or dissolution, and resolving professional complaints is significant and underestimated.
Organisations often turn to a collaborative resolution process after feeling the pinch. Why not be proactive and look at addressing issues now?
Collaborative Solutions has extensive experience in providing mediation and facilitation in the areas of:
Local authorities, constituents and land owners.
Maori Land/Ahu Whenua Trusts.
Franchise arrangements.
Commercial contracts.
Medical partnerships.
Schools, staff, students and parents.
Sporting organisations and national bodies.
Domain name disputes (for the Domain Name Commission .nz).
Service contracts.
If you are unsure whether a problem you are experiencing can be addressed through facilitation or mediation please do not hesitate to give us a call for a free consultation.
Science & Engineering
Early facilitation of issues that arise within science or engineering partnerships, or mediation of issues if they become imbedded, is a valuable investment.
Our experience of facilitating and mediating in this technical arena has honed our skills of being able to understand, process and assist parties to reach agreement on highly complex issues.
Our process of agenda-setting, facilitation and note-taking achieves results that are concise, clear and accurate.
Providing a solid platform upon which agreements, partnerships and shared outcomes can be executed.
Examples of facilitated meetings and/or mediations we have undertaken include:
Multiple organisations working in partnership under government-funded research grants in areas of social need, safety.
Multi-party engineering projects where plans, processes and expectations between parties need to align with precision.
Renewal and refinement of information technology frameworks.
Developing joint statements for resource consent hearings (expert caucusing).
Expert review of environmental effects.
Facilitated Video Conferencing
When virtual meetings are essential but become difficult or when progress is critical, the leadership of a skilled and independent facilitator will produce positive outcomes.
Collaborative Solutions provides specialist services in facilitation of video conferencing.
When there are difficult items on the agenda or if there are multiple parties who are not practised at talking things through as a group, then the technology and virtual meeting process can present challenges.
Skilled, independent facilitation addresses issues such as:
Interruptions.
Lack of direction.
Technological issues.
Attendees ignoring the agenda.
Inability to adjust the agenda as the conversation develops.
Making progress with conflicting views.
Gaining consensus.
Planning and agreeing on the next process steps.
Collaborative Solutions provides the specialist services of:
Facilitated Video Conferencing; and
Virtual Chair (governance and facilitation combined).
We can provide the expertise that enables you to get the best out of the technology and your team.