Below are examples of projects that Groundwork Associates have been involved with:
Department of Conservation (DOC)
DOC wanted to better understand the efficacy of its Fieldays site. This required cost-effective and efficient collection of information from dispersed DOC staff, partners and stakeholders.
Groundwork developed a survey and conducted a workshop for DOC and partners to maximise DOC presence and strengthen partner relationships at Fieldays 2020 and onwards.
PEATWISE
The PEATWISE research team wanted to connect and collaborate with a broader and more diverse stakeholder community, to help focus their research and prioritise their goals.
Groundwork designed and facilitated a process to gain input from stakeholders and produced a report for the research team.
National Institute of Water and Atmosphere (NIWA)
With a number of their freshwater and estuaries projects finishing, NIWA wanted to confirm the focus of future projects by engaging stakeholders and collaborators.
Groundwork planned and facilitated a two day workshop, with a skilled team working intensively to deliver the workshop and report on findings.
Annie has the ability to read what’s going on and adapt as to what we should be doing during the workshop and meetings.
John Quinn, former Chief Scientist – Freshwater and Estuaries, NIWA
Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust (MEIT)
Groundwork played an integral role in establishing and developing MEIT, working with them to clarify objectives, develop functions and integrate participatory methods into their work. MEIT needed an efficient, effective, low cost way to consult a wide range of stakeholders on its plan for New Zealand’s largest predator proof sanctuary.
Groundwork led a year long engagement programme to establish community partnerships. This included training local volunteers in facilitation to minimise costs and completing a massive community consultation exercise in a relatively short time.
We’ve used and referred back to that work continuously since it was done…Whenever we’ve looked at another step forward we’ve gone back and checked over whatever people’s views were at the time and made sure we’ve stayed in line with those views – so the work’s been very valid right up until the present.
Jim Mylchreest, MEIT
Human Rights Commission
The Human Rights Commission needed to consult extensively and consistently with the public to develop a national human rights action plan for New Zealand.
Groundwork helped receive input from over 5,000 people nationwide by training 15 Human Rights Commission staff in participatory appraisal consultation methods and supporting them during the consultation process. Groundwork also facilitated consultation with people in rural Waikato.
We found Groundwork’s services [to be] tailored to the client and the project. Friendly, innovative, flexible…[and] empowering – because Annie actually teaches people to share the knowledge and the tools.
Kathy Lys (formerly Human Rights Commission)
Waikato Regional Council
Waikato Regional Council needed to gather information on the region’s extensive coastal marine area.
Groundwork facilitated (with audiovisual recording and note taking) and hosted two workshops at the Greenspace. We also helped to set up and manage cloud-based collaborative tools for the project steering group.
Annie realised that we needed a hands-off facilitation style, it was very valuable to have her there to help the workshop to stay on track and to collate people’s ideas and thoughts.
Hilke Giles, former Team Leader – Coastal Science, Waikato Regional Council
The New Zealand Biological Heritage National Science Challenge
The New Zealand Biological Heritage National Science Challenge needed to develop work plans for the initial projects outlined in their funding proposal.
Groundwork involved 140 scientists and stakeholders throughout New Zealand across six days of workshops, supported by cloud-based collaborative tools, to write the strategic focus and initial research programmes.
Zespri
Zespri’s Orchard Productivity Centre (OPC) team needed to develop extension to support kiwifruit growers (including designing and delivering high quality events for groups of various sizes and types), train staff to help facilitate larger events and foster good relationships, train external partners to run high quality events and extension programmes and build industry interest and provide training and support for grower-led discussion groups.
Groundwork trained and mentored the OPC team to improve their extension, facilitated three workshops with the OPC team to build an event design process/framework, developed an industry-oriented course on facilitation and design, empowering employees to be good facilitators even when not a topic expert, researched discussion groups and other models and identified key elements for industry discussion groups. This has resulted in more diverse extension methods and stronger learner engagement in OPC events. The OPC team’s capacity to lead events has grown, and they’re now recognised as leaders.
Waikato Regional Council and Waikato and Waipa River Iwi
The project partners wanted to engage the community in developing changes to the regional plan to help restore and protect the health of the Waikato and Waipa rivers.
Groundwork facilitated a series of community engagement workshops, and coached and mentored council staff involved in delivering the community engagement aspects of the collaborative process.
DairyNZ
To support improved effluent management in Northland, DairyNZ needed to understand influences on farmer behaviour.
Groundwork developed a research plan, conducted interviews with farmers and project stakeholders and delivered the findings and recommendations in a report to inform DairyNZ strategy.