Change facilitation : Essential Readings

Facilitating multi-actor change

Issue 41 of Capacity.org journal (December 2010) focused on the capacities needed to strengthen multi-stakeholder processes. Noting that this requires a paradigm shift in the conventional intervention logic and repertoire, the lead article by a group of advisers working with the SNV-Netherlands Development Organisation drew on recent experience to demonstrate how working with multi-actor systems enhanced development results and innovation by strengthening the "collective ability of the multi-actor system to understand, discuss, act, change and develop itself." To see all the articles, please visit the Journal section of this website.

M. Hemmati (2002) Multi-stakeholder Processes for Governance and Sustainability: Beyond Deadlock and Conflict, Earthscan

This book provides an overview of stakeholder processes and governance at the international level with case studies and a clear process model. The book can be purchased online, or requested through the author's website.

Pruitt, B. and P. Thomas (2007) Democratic Dialogue – A Handbook for Practitioners, CIDA, IDEA, OAS and UNDP

Comprehensive background to the theory and practice of establishing and facilitating dialogues.



Wageningen International (2009) Building your Capacity to Facilitate Multi-Stakeholder Processes and Social Learning

Extensive resource portal on multi-stakeholder processes, participatory methods and tools and links to other useful sites.



Divine Thaw and Warren Banks (2007) Facilitating Development Processes: Working in the Unknown, Olive-PPT, Durban

This is an eight-part series dedicated to a practitioner’s work. Adopting a process approach it covers a number of angles which help to reflect on the roles to be played at different stages of engagement.



De Caluwe, L. and H. Vermaak (2003) Learning to change: A guide for organizational change agents, Sage, Thousand Oaks, California

Written in a lively and accessible style, this book provides a comprehensive overview of organizational change theories and practices developed by both U.S. and European change theorists. The authors compare and contrast five fundamentally different ways of thinking about change by using a colour metaphor: yellow print thinking, blue print thinking, red print thinking, green print thinking and white print thinking. They also discuss in detail the steps change agents take, such as diagnosis, change strategy, the intervention plan, and interventions. In addition, they explore the attributes of a successful change agent and provide advice for career and professional development. The book  includes case studies that describe multiple approaches to organizational change issues.