Agriculture: Strategies for Successful Regional Agenda Development

Regional development of an agriculture agenda is truly an essential part of the business stimulus dialogue. But, like managing any regional initiative, the creation of such ventures requires much more delicate facilitation than one might expect.

The aim of any successful regional business initiative is two fold: meet the needs of each individual stakeholder WHILE AT THE SAME TIME create a common platform among multiple stakeholders. It's sort of like blending multiple scores of music together to create an orchestral piece.

The problem is, regionalism is still understood / perceived as a fancy word for merger, and merger naturally implies LOSS. And 'loss' brings along with it conscious and unconscious fears.

It's important that any regionalism effort first be articulated and developed as a partnership initiaitve where no one will lose. They might CHANGE, but they won't lose. It is also important to honor people's fears.

Launching the work is the hard part. The approach we use at CTP is Synergistic Improvement© and encompasses three (3) phases:

Phase 1: System Audit and Asset Mapping
Phase 2: Visioning, Leadership and Stakeholder Mobilization
Phase 3: Integration and Accountability

These phases ensure successful regional agenda development effort; or, as we call it: reciprocal partnership or consolidation.

A skilled facilitator should be able to facilitate the unfolding of these phases using process and culture building techniques to make sure what is created is rooted in the SOURCE (i.e. the stakeholders) and NOT in the priorities set by others who "supposedly" know better and have done all the right research.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION: This implies that the most important aspects of any regionalism effort is getting all the respective stakeholders AT THE TABLE, not just the ones with which we are comfortable.