• DIAGNOSTICS & ADVICE

    An in-depth analysis to understand your problems and adapt your methods

  • Our advice is grounded in evidence

    Thanks to the expertise of our sociologists, we are able to carry out quantitative and qualitative research on your organisation, using methods that range from documentary analysis to focus groups.

      We’re practitioners – not just researchers

      Our collective decades of experience as practitioners with diverse organisations in diverse contexts allow us convert this research into advice that is befitting of your organisation and its context.

      We include the right people in the processes

      Our methodological protocol is based on a participatory architecture to integrate a maximum number of stakeholders from this stage. This means that the people most affected by an issue are involved in defining the problems, and therefore feel more compelled to support the solution that results. We encourage check-ins with clients so that you can be see how the work is going.

       

       

       

      Topics we help clients with

      Thanks to our diverse team of professionals, we can support you on a wide range of issues:

      • Internal structures and governance
      • Organisational culture
      • Engaging local people in a community project
      • Communication strategies
      • Mobilisation strategies
      • Engaging supporters
      • Encouraging stakeholder participation

    • Our three-stage process

      1. Setting a framework

      The first stage of every diagnostic mission is to agree on a framework for the project. This means discussing with you to agree on:

      • The goals of the diagnostic.
      • The resources that you will provide to the process. As researchers, we know that the more resources that you can provide (in terms of time, money, access to your work, and so on), the more in-depth diagnostic we can deliver. As practitioners, we are well-versed in the necessity to balance investment between different streams of work. This conversation helps us to agree on that balance.
      • Whether the process will be participative. This means understanding who we
      • The methodology. Our researchers are experienced in a range of qualitative and quantitative methods.

      No time-wasting. We know how to ask the right questions in the right way to make these conversations both efficient and productive.

        2. Research

        Our meticulous research is always participatory, but the exact methodologies will be tailored to your organisation and context:

        • Documentary analysis: The first stage of every diagnostic is to carry out an analysis of both internal and external documents to your organization. This allows us to work with a well-rounded view of your organisation that reaches beyond the individual perceptions of the people we work closest with from your orgnaisation.
        • Observation: Often, we will carry out observation of your organisation’s day-to-day workings. This may mean one of our researchers discreetly joining a meeting or simply working on their own work from your office.
        • Interviews: Carrying out qualitative or quantative interviews with past and present employees is often beneficial for giving different perspectives to enhance our research.
        • Focus groups: We often use collective intelligence workshops to attain different types of proofs and materials, making sure that our recommendations are well-suited to your organisation.

        As necessary, we also use other methods such as questionnaires. There is no one size fits all.

          3. Advice

          • We always deliver short, medium and long-term recommendations so that you can start acting from Day 1 while working towards long-term goals.
          • By delivering the advice in two different formats, we make sure this advice can be executed by different types of people within the organisation. The oral presentation is more light, accessible and easy-to-understand, while the written report is more technical, in-depth, and ultimately transformative.
          • Through all these measures, you can be confident that you can implement our recommendations after we stop working together.

        • Selected Examples of Past Missions

          Afdi

          Between January and September 2021, we conducted an active reflection within this international solidarity NGO by executing a documentary analysis, five immersion observations, and 15 interviews with elected officials, administrators, volunteers and employees of the organisation. This, along with two collective intelligence workshops which we designed and facilitated, allowed us to prototype, test and adapt short, medium and long term recommendations with the group to renew communication and engagement strategies in order to attract, welcome and retain new volunteers in the organisation.

           

          From this meticulous diagnostic, we drafted a qualitative research diagnostics (observations, cross interviews & documentary analysis) in the form of both a classic dissertation and an interactive and entertaining powerpoint - to be adaptable to different audiences. Following this, oral presentations of the results of the study and the proposed tools were made to the GA members and the funders, employees and volunteers.
           

          The existing communication tools, the offer of engagement, the national and local political strategies and the organisational tensions were all analysed. We applied theoretical concepts like the domino effect to the organisation, demonstrating how they could mobilise their existing supporters to expand their community.

          French Public Institution*

          We executed a diagnostics and advice mission that was designed to help a prominent French public institution to achieve clarity on its raison d'être. To complement our own expertise, we worked with digital consultancy Toguna. This was a large-scale mission using a variety of methods, which bore excellent results in terms of recommendations and internal organisational clarity.

           

          Methods

          • Design and facilitation of two workshops on the internal and external transformations that impact the institution's functioning and influence.
          • Facilitation of a collaborative workshop between the departments on the values and uniqueness of the institution.
          • Design of an engaging storytelling to involve all employees in the consultation.
          • Launch and follow-up of a digital consultation in three chapters "Building community", "Raising awareness" and "Reassuring collectively" (1.5 months) around the identity of the company, its history, its place in society, its current and future contribution, and its commitment to society and its ecosystem.
          • Follow-up and stimulation of participation, quantitative and qualitative analysis of the results for each stage.
          • Formulation of recommendations to concretise the results and produce a roadmap.

          Results

          • 70% participation in a heterogeneous group of employees, trade unions, executives and managers of the institution. A success in this group, which was riddled with conflicts and misunderstandings.
          • A qualitative and quantified analysis of the data produced as well as prototyped and functional commitment levers.
          • Recommendations on the convictions and major debates raised to frame the landing of the Raison d'Être and produce a roadmap.
          *For the sake of client discretion, we have refrained from naming this institution.

          EMSP

          With this mission, we delivered both a training and a diagnostic of the needs and levers to reposition the association in its ecosystem and promote alliances and collaborations.

           

          The main route to achieve this was our designing and facilitation of a series of workshops on how to use the principles of city-to-city mobilisation to:

          (1) create links between member organisations and young leaders, and

          (2) encourage the two groups to collaborate to launch impact projects.

           

          Methodology

          • A diagnostic of the needs and challenges of (a) member organisations in relation to their engagement with young people, and (b) of young leaders to connecting with their member organisations and with other young leaders.
          • Designing and facilitating a six-workshop course where representatives of member organisations and young leaders learned to understand each other and work together by learning and using the concepts of mobilisation.
          • Customised coaching and support for each impact project group.

          Results achieved

          • Creation of a 'safe space' where member organisations and young leaders could understand, listen to and work together.
          • Creation of three impact projects led by groups of young leaders and supported by at least one member organisation.
          • Participants learned basic mobilisation skills and put them into practice while designing and managing their impact projects.

        • Drop us a line

          Do you want to know more? Email us, we'd love to hear from you.

        • Other Services

          Maybe you need only one of our services, or maybe you could benefit from our full package of support. Check out our other services below.

        • Trainings and workshops

          Innovative and tailor-made trainings to give you the tools you need

          Support and implementation of projects

          Guided support to perfect your project strategies and methodologies

        PROFESSIONALS IN ORGANISING

        PEOPLE POWER

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