Purpose: To provide an overview of multistakeholder partnership processes, along with 60 tools useful for key aspects of those processes. Description: Working with a range of people and organisations to tackle real-world problems and achieve change is the essence of multistakeholder partnerships. Multistakeholder partnerships coalesce around a shared problem, seek to involve all the key […]

Purpose: To define who stakeholders are and what engagement with them is likely to contribute to a particular research project. Description: Discusses who stakeholders in research are, as well as reasons for engaging stakeholders. The benefits of stakeholder engagement are then further examined according to the type of engagement.  Defining ‘stakeholders’ The handbook (Durham et […]

Purpose: To decide on the extent of the stakeholder engagement to be undertaken, taking into account relevant contextual factors. Description: What is meant by the extent of the engagement is outlined first, followed by issues to consider in deciding the extent. Context is one of these issues and is described in a separate section. Extent […]

Purpose: To provide a range of methods useful for stakeholder engagement. Description: Lists are provided, sometimes with brief descriptions, of various methods for stakeholder engagement, grouped into methods for opening out, exploring and deciding, as well as techniques that promote direct or pro-active interactions, involve stakeholders in the research process, increase awareness of the project […]

Purpose: To provide insights into the kinds of conflicts that can occur in stakeholder engagement and their causes, as well as how to analyse and manage conflicts. Description: Conflict is common in stakeholder engagement and can occur among individuals, groups or organisations. Managing conflict requires particular skills. A well-managed conflict can be functional, leading to […]

Purpose: To provide guidance on the contributions that stakeholders can make before, during and after the research. Description: Stakeholders have different contributions to make before, during and after the research. Most stakeholders will be involved at particular times for particular tasks, rather than throughout the whole research process. It can be helpful to specifically consider […]

Purpose: To provide a comprehensive overview of the systems and cybernetics fields, by defining concepts and bringing together key, but currently scattered, references about them. Description: The International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics is both a hard copy book (the second edition was published by De Gruyter Saur in 2004) and a searchable online database. […]

Systems archetypes are recurring generic systems structures found in many kinds of organisations, under many circumstances, and at many levels and scales. They are distinctive combinations of reinforcing and balancing processes. These system archetypes teach how to diagnose recurring problems and to design effective interventions. Eight common archetypes are: fixes that fail shifting the burden […]

This handbook describes 21 cases organised using the three phases of a transdisciplinary research project: 1) problem structuring; 2) problem investigation; and, 3) bringing results to fruition. Topics are drawn from many countries and cover global and local environmental concerns, migration, new technologies, public health and socio-cultural change. Reference: Hirsch Hadorn, G., Hoffmann-Riem, H., Biber-Klemm, […]

This resource presents “…core skills of effective writing, how to write for scientific publication, and how to write for advocacy. Writing for Change will enhance your capacity to write in ways that promote action from your target audience. It is full of practical exercises and examples from the field of international development. A resource centre […]