Current Work

United Nations. Our work with UN agencies in Africa, Asia and Europe is growing, including staff development and training in conflict management, project management, evaluation and monitoring systems. In 2009 we continued work with the UN Staff College providing training in conflict management and project management. In 2010 we are scheduled to work with the Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Field Support on tailored training to strengthen programme management and delivery.

Planning Mediation. We are working with a key partner, Chrissie Gibson, Connectivity Associates, to evaluate the use of mediation in planning for the National Planning Forum and Planning Inspectorate. The work includes evaluating mediations (e.g. Area Action Plans, development control, enforcement), conducting expert interviews and examining overseas practice.

Warrington Borough Council – Training Community Researchers in Participatory Appraisal. Mind the Gap developed and led a Borough-wide ‘community researcher’ project, working with residents in Participatory Appraisal (PA) to respond to opportunities and concerns about their local area. Residents presented their findings at 'gallery' events and celebrated at a ceremony at Warrington Wolves with England player Ben Westwood. They are now ready to use PA to help shape service providers' plans to reflect different communities’ needs. We appreciated partnering with Connectivity Associates and Manchester Metropolitan University for this contract.

Lichfield District Council and Mind the Gap worked together on consultations and management planning for Christian Fields, Lichfield District's first Nature Reserve! Next meeting us 24th January at Christian Fields.

European Central Bank – Conflict Management Training. Mind the Gap provides ongoing conflict and change management support for managers and staff at the ECB. Our work is tailored to different individuals' and groups' needs, with workshop, seminar, and one-to-one support using executive and collaborative coaching models.

Women of Winshill (WOW). Mind the Gap is supporting a Staffordshire women’s group whose objectives include personal development, confidence building, inspiring young people and families, developing effective teamwork, and building partnerships with local agencies. Mind the Gap provides one-to-one and group support, bespoke computer training, study visits and ideas-exchange with community groups elsewhere in Britain.

Creative Design and Business Development support for True Reflections. Mind the Gap supported market analysis and development for the Directorate of this exciting Manchester-based product design company. We recently provided facilitation, creative thinking, team building and workshop support for their Innov8 Design Challenge for young designers.

Conservation and Livelihoods in Sierra Leone - Darwin Initiative /Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, with Mind the Gap working on partnership development and consensus-building for land restoration in post-conflict mining areas. Main partners include communities, international mining company Sierra Rutile Ltd, the Environment Foundation for Africa , NGOs and government agencies. Key lessons and ways forward were analysed by community groups, mine managers, government officials and NGOs at events in villages, company offices and Freetown in December 2009.

Lichfield District Council - Partnerships & Project Management training. Mind the Gap provided training for residents and organisations who work closely with LDC. Participants included resident volunteers and people from HomeZone Living, Lichfield District Council, Forward Action Burntwood and Lichfield CVS.

Tearfund – new project management framework. Mind the Gap helped to develop and pilot training approaches and draft materials for the organisation’s new Project Management Framework. We provide ongoing workshop facilitation and refining of training materials.

Community and Learning Partnerships. Mind the Gap facilitated participatory workshops for key partners to strengthen the business plans of C&LP Burntwood (2009-10), Kingsmead, and Chase Valley (2010-11).

Participation and Public Engagement in Health Care. Mind the Gap are working with Creative Materials to provide Stoke Primary Care Trust commissioners with participatory approaches tools and training to help plan patient/family engagement with service design.

Our long-term collaborations with Registered Social Landlords continue, in particular through close associations with our local large housing associations in Staffordshire, Trent & Dove Housing and Homezone Living. We work with community training, project management and governance for local groups in support of the sustainable community agendas for these and other RSLs.

Participatory Practitioners for Change - Mind the Gap continues to be part of an affiliation of people & organisations working to improve and develop practice in participation and partnership work.

Manchester Metropolitan University – curriculum development with the Department of Environment and Geographical Sciences. Mind the Gap is providing curriculum development support in conflict management, stakeholder engagement, communications, and project management for MMU in a project they have with the Greater Manchester Strategic Alliance.

Kingfisher Project- is now a resident-led initiative focussing on opportunities and concerns around a watercourse in Burton upon Trent. Mind the Gap staff helped establish this project which involves local people, agencies and schools working together, and continues with the Board in an advisory role. A report on Kingfisher Project development and neighbourhood management is available here. Earlier reports outline outcomes from participatory work with communities, agencies, and schools.

Governance and Environmental Democracy - Chevening Fellowship Programme. Training in environmental conflict management and negotiation for international fellows on this "Centre for International Development and Training" programme, March 2006, February 2007, March 2008. The next course, titled Government Relations with NGOs and Civil Society begins in early 2010.

Intercafe - an inter-disciplinary initiative to reduce cormorant-fisheries conflicts. Mind the Gap staff are on the steering committee and provided facilitation support for workshops in Portugal, Finland, Poland, Israel, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, France, Germany and the UK. Final meetings and reports will be available late 2009 and 2010.

Recent Work

Bioforum -  a European forum to reduce conflicts between biodiversity conservation and human activities. Mind the Gap staff coordinated the Conflict Management Working Group, organised and hosted a UK international workshop, and co-facilitated other workshops.  Final reports.

Collaborative Frameworks in Land Management: Deer Management.  Workshop facilitation for UK Rural Economy and Land Use Programme project.

Windle Trust - Mind the Gap continued a long association with Windle in January, facilitating a workshop on leadership and change in post-conflict and transitional situations in Africa.

Governance and Environmental Democracy - Chevening Fellowship Programme. Training in environmental conflict management and negotiation for international fellows on this Centre for International Development and Training programme, March 2006, February 2007, March 2008.

Social Landlords - Trent & Dove Housing - building community capacity - We ran 12 workshops on Community Engagement, Facilitation and Change Management in 2006 and 07. Follow up workshops in 2008 with Tamworth, Lichfield and Burton tenants, councils and landords have addressed project management and governance for local groups. We have been working with Homezone and Lichfield District Council on the FAB (Forward Action Burntwood) programme, and other initiatives bringing agencies and residents together to improve service delivery and communications.

Community Partnerships - Local Authorities, Community Groups, Social Landlords and Businesses. North Lichfield Initiative - we completed our evaluation work with residents and partners in March. We are working with Lichfield District Council and the Heart of Burton Partnership on neighbourhood management, strategic planning, resident and board member capacity building, team building and community engagement.

Tearfund - Disaster Management Development Programme. Facilitating Programme Management workshops, in 2007 in Afghanistan with teams from Afghanistan and Pakistan, and in Africa (2005, 06, 08) with teams from Sudan, Kenya, Indonesia, DR Congo and Liberia.