Cross Sector Relationships
 

Current Activities

 

Managing Change through Appreciative Inquiry

“The task of leadership is to create an alignment of strengths, making our weaknesses irrelevant.”
                                     —Peter Drucker, Author and Management Consultant

Mandates. Elections. Social transition. Economic evolution. Recruiting. Retirement. Retraining. As managers and leaders in the public sector, we are all familiar with the many forms of change. It comes from different places at different speeds and for different reasons, but it always comes.

Managing Change through Appreciative Inquiry is a three and a half day workshop, held in a retreat setting, that will provide participants with new skills and a transformative opportunity to re-think and re-charge their lives in the public sector.

Rather than focusing on what is broken, Appreciative Inquiry (AI) turns traditional problem-solving upside down by identifying what is working, building on those strengths, and implementing the innovations that flow from collective conversation. It is a process of transformation that is applicable to personal and professional development, as well as to communities and organizations.

Who should attend?
This workshop is designed for anyone who manages change in their organization or community, including local and state government employees, elected officials, leaders and staff of nonprofit organizations, facilitators, and educators.

What will participants learn?
You will learn how to apply the strengths-based principles and practices of Appreciative Inquiry to achieve the following goals in your daily work:

• Successfully align your organization’s vision with goal-setting and planning for the future
• Maintain a high level of engagement and commitment among teams
• Encourage a culture of collaboration and innovation


By completing this hands-on, learn-by-doing workshop, you will gain a solid grounding in AI and learn how to effectively initiate positive change in your organization, community, and personal life.

When and where will the training be held?

Spring, 2009   

Who is the trainer?
Sallie Lee focuses on organizational and international development as a consultant to a diverse group of corporate, academic, governmental, and nonprofit organizations. For 15 years, Lee has collaborated with her clients to offer creative, participatory, practical processes for whole systems, while serving as a thinking partner, facilitator, and strategist. Trained in psychology and philosophy at NC State University, she also holds an MA in international development from the University of Miami and certification in global change and social innovation from Case Western Reserve University’s Global Excellence in Management program, the year-long flagship foundational program on which most other academic AI programs are modeled. Lee has published four articles on AI and trained more than 700 people in its principles and practices. She lives in Asheville, NC.

Who is hosting the training?
The Public Intersection Project at the School of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill focuses on encouraging cross-organizational, collaborative problem-solving at the community level.

Where can I learn more about the process of Appreciative Inquiry?
There are many websites devoted to describing the process and outcomes of Appreciative Inquiry. Visit http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/ for practical information and to learn more about the academic foundation of AI.

For more information, please contact Margaret Henderson at margaret@sog.unc.edu, or call 919.966.3455.

How much does it cost?

The fee for this course is TBD.

How do I register?

Online Registration

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New article in Popular Government:  “Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence:  The Community’s Role in Weaving a Safety Net,” Popular Government:  Vol. 73, No. 2. Winter 2008. This article describes our efforts to help communities build the capacity to stop domestic and sexual violence, and addresses both the humane and practical motivations local governments have to work collaboratively with local service programs. Thanks to funding from the NC Governor’s Crime Commission, we are also able to continue providing technical assistance and facilitation services to local governments and nonprofits working to strengthen their local systems of prevention and response to the violence.

Facilitations of Cross-Organizational Efforts and Board Retreats:  Lydian Altman-Sauer and Margaret Henderson are available to facilitate meetings and retreats. Our recent clients include the Roxboro City Council, NC Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Family Abuse Services of Alamance County, Helping Hands of Warren County, and the Guilford County Commissioners Sub-Committee on the Nonprofit Funding Process.

Workshops on Sustainability:  Using the materials developed in the project, “Building Community Capacity to Stop Domestic and Sexual Violence,” we provide a framework for project or community teams to use to assess their current strength and make plans for the future. Recent clients include the pilot project teams from across the country through the PREVENT Institute at UNC’s Injury Prevention Center and also the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators.

Conference Presentations and Training:  We are happy to respond to inquiries to make presentations or hold training events. Some of our recent topics and clients include:

  • NC Board of Elections:                                 
    • Stress Management
  • NC Coalition Against Sexual Assault:             
    • Communicating With Your Board:  How you say is What you get
  • National Sexual Violence Resource Sharing Project: 
    • Managing From the Center
  • NCSU Cooperative Extension:
    • Tips and Tools for Engaging in Public Problem-Solving
  • NC STEP (a program of the NC Rural Center):
    • Community Capacity:  Effective Organization and Leadership

Navigating Nonprofit-Local Government Relationships 

Navigating Nonprofit–Local Government Relationships training is offered by staff and faculty of the School of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill, as part of the Public Intersection Project.

Check out our website at www.publicintersection.unc.edu. The public benefits when nonprofit and governmental organizations join together to solve community problems. In this training, we focus on ways to design mutually responsible, successful relationships.

Who Should Attend

Staff and/or elected officials of municipal and county governments and community-based nonprofits (including local philanthropies) who

  • Manage applications for government funding
  • Negotiate, review, or monitor contractual agreements between nonprofits and governments
  • Wish to assess the success of their nonprofit-government interactions
  • Have an interest in developing new ways of working together

Training Objectives

  • Share insights on managing the diverse expectations placed on nonprofit-local government relationships.
  • Share practices that strengthen mutual accountability within these relationships.
  • Discuss four common dimensions of these relationships.
  • Share information about effective ways to contract with and monitor nonprofit government relationships.

Instructors

Lydian Altman is an associate director of the Public Intersection Project at the School of Government. She has spent more than 20 years working with public sector organizations. She received an MPA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Margaret Henderson is an associate director of the Public Intersection Project at the School of Government. Nonprofits have been the focus of her career in the public sector. She teaches a course in nonprofit management at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned an MPA.

Stay Informed:
We invite you to join the Listserv for updates on activities and new publications.

No training events are currently scheduled.  Please contact us if you would like to arrange customized training for your organization.