Internet notebook about my work: deep listening to facilitate positive change

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Saturday 18 July 2009

Multi-stakeholder Dialogue: a panacea?

"Yes we support MSDs but we also know that they are not the panacea. I wonder if we should not add somewhere a ‘critical’ note, a reference to the challenges to MSDs to avoid being seen as overly optimistic." Says my client. We are making a video about a multi-stakeholder dialogue for a major policy change that affects a whole sector of society and even beyond. Such changes need some form of MSD. There are many different forms, ranging from one- or two-way information campaigns to joint policy planning and formulation exercises. A well tailored and managed MSD always helps, but no MSD can take over role of the government. In a policy process the decisions on technical, legal and economic measures are taken by the government. They are the different parts of the engine of the policy making. The MSD only provides the oil that makes that engine work.