Phil Collins Associates

Collaboration, engagement and capacity building

We help to realise the potential of our environment and cultural and natural heritage,supporting the development of economically and environmentally sustainable futures for rural and urban landscapes, with the people who live and work in them.

We are experts in stakeholder participation and passionate about helping people influence decisions that affect them.   We help people with different interests to negotiate and find ways forward that will benefit people, places, nature and livelihoods, over the long-term. 

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Understanding the context 
We recognise the importance of getting to know an issue or area before we start work. We put time aside for meeting stakeholders, learning about their concerns, understanding the context to the work and mapping existing resources.

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Communicating well
Good communication generates commitment to a project and reduces the possibility of conflict. We ensure that all people connected to a project receive clear, engaging information throughout its life and have chances to inform and feedback on the processes we use.

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Connecting to local people
We are successful at connecting with local communities and particularly under-represented audiences. We  gathering information from people because we go out to reach them. We can map local networks and gather views in shops, libraries, clubs and parks. For marginalised groups we design tailor-made, supported processes to address their needs, such as visual tools for people with low levels of literacy.

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Valuing people
Valuing people is central to our approach, from thanking people, to making our events fun, to ensuring clients can hear difficult messages. We respect different perspectives and value diversity. We credit and use the skills of local people.

Approach
A different package of tools is needed for each project, depending on the information sought and the needs of the target groups. Some tools are in-depth, like community conferences, others are fast, visual and fun. We aim to generate thoughtful responses that support strategic planning whilst also fostering participation. We give people a powerful and creative voice on the issues that affect their lives.