OUR APPROACH
We believe in constructive conversations complemented with customized tools.
KD practitioners approach every project as an equal partnership between client and practitioner. From the initial inquiry call to delivering the final product, we will work closely with you to identify and implement the solution that best supports the success of your team, organization, or community.
Our work is informed by a strong belief in the value of dialogue and processes that open constructive conversations. It draws on an interdisciplinary approach that is necessary to understand and solve current challenges. It is based on based practices in a variety of fields including group dynamics, conflict resolution, organizational development, adult learning, and social and political psychology.
Our work is also informed by a strong commitment to being:
Conflict sensitive - We will not engage in work that can result in additional harm to the client, the participants, or the surrounding community.
Gender sensitive - We will ensure our work is inclusive and free of bias based on gender.
Cultural sensitive - We will never impose our own values or cultural norms. Instead, we will seek to understand the local context and work within existing cultural norms.
Driven by high ethical standards that call on racism, bigotry, discrimination, and by best practices grounded in research.
Each situation we are asked to intervene in is different and unique. To ensure our best work, we take a multi-phased approach to projects and continuously use data to verify that we are moving in the right direction. While we always recommend a holistic approach, we work with you to determine the best starting point.
Assessment
We start off by doing our homework. Through independent research and connecting with stakeholders, we conduct a thorough, objective assessment to get to know your team, organization, or community and to understand the context and dynamics of the situation. As part of this process we will look to gather information on values, cultural norms, relationship dynamics, history and identify gaps such as whether anyone who might be impacted is missing from the conversation and how to bring their voice to the table. As a result, you can trust that any recommendations we make are grounded in objective data.
Design
Based on the data, we will recommend and design an intervention that addresses the issues at the source. Every design decision will be driven by a strong ethical code and our commitment to do no additional harm, to be inclusive and bias free, and to work within the cultural norms of the group. Solutions can include skill-building workshops, group dialogues, facilitation, mediation, and many others (see our services page for more information).
Delivery
Regardless of the intervention selected, our approach is elicitive, integrative, and participatory. We will meet your team where they are and work to support them in finding the best way forward.
Evaluation
We consider our-self life long learners and always strive to improve our practice and best practices. We use the results of every project we take on to deepen and increase reliability of existing or new quantitative studies on appropriateness and effectiveness of messages for various audiences.
Areas of expertise
Each KD practitioner has individual areas of expertise in:
Conducting assessments
Training and education
Monitoring and evaluation
Organizational development
Diversity and inclusion
