Collaborative Learning in Project Implementation

INTRODUCTION

Collaboration is a process through which parties who see different aspects of a problematic situation can explore their differences and search for solutions collectively. Collaborative learning is essential in solving problems affecting different stakeholders. Collaborating, exchanging and combining knowledge and experiences, different actors together are more likely to achieve relevant outcomes than each of them alone. Moreover, project's professional use stakeholders’ perspectives, interests and attitudes to guide project implementation. This five-day course will equip participants with knowledge in identifying relevant stakeholders for the projects and sustaining them during project implementation.

 DURATION

5 days

COURSE OBJECTIVES

By the end of the training, the participants will be able to;

• Understand stakeholder needs
• Understand how stakeholders impact your project
• Know how to deal with multiple stakeholders with divergent interests
• Understand how to manage stakeholder expectations, including quality and performance expectations
• Understand the need to communicate your strategy to the project team, the customer, and other project stakeholders
• Resolve conflict and competing priorities
• Manage project public relations and organizational politics
• Contain expectations through effective status reporting and progress meetings

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? 

This course is ideal for project managers, staff managing projects, staff in non-government organizations, project donors, CBO operatives, government officials and anyone involved in project management. 

COURSEOUTLINE
Module 1: Identification of relevant stakeholders

• Methods for identifying actors and establishing a system of collaboration
• Network analysis
• Iterative stakeholder analysis
• Concept maps
• Net-maps,
• Interviews
• Identification and categorization of stakeholders
• Understanding stakeholder expectations
• The role of management in the stakeholder environment
• Evaluation and prioritization of interests
• Visualizing the stakeholder community
• Stakeholder requirements analysis
• Collaborative learning approaches
• Collaboration
• Dialogue
• Discovery
• Applying knowledge

 Module 2: Managing Competing Stakeholders Expectations

• Stakeholder mapping
• How committed are they to the project?
• Aligning stakeholder requirements to project objectives
• Prioritizing stakeholder requirements and expectation
• Selling the project
• Maintaining the commitment
• Working with resistance for positive outcomes 

Module 3: Relationship Building with the Stakeholders

• Various methods of effective communication
• How to handle project’s politics
• Selecting communication methodologies to get your messages across
• Managing difficult stakeholders
• Managing expectations that can’t be met
• Resolving conflict

Module 4: Strategies for Persuading and Negotiating with Stakeholders

• Who to influence?
• The Elements of Influence
• Different types of influencing strategies
• Push and pull type behaviours
• Tools, skills and behaviours of effective influencing
• Engage stakeholders: building the relationship
• Stakeholder participation and engagement
• Road map to successful influencing

Module 5: Stakeholders Rapport Management and Maintaining Execution Harmony

• Use of position, knowledge, or personal power
• Developing rapport
• Personality preferences
• Achieving and maintaining commitment
• Recognizing manipulation and taking positive action
• Establishing and maintaining trust
• Dealing with Challenging Behaviors
• Converting confrontation into cooperation