Is Convening the Right Tool?

In certain cases, there may be more effective ways to achieve your desired outcomes.

Convening stakeholders requires sufficient planning, time, and resources. In certain cases, there may be more effective ways to achieve your desired outcomes. We’re not referring to internal team meetings here, but rather to gatherings with diverse stakeholders (in the form of meetings or workshops, for example).

Considerations	Alternatives
Can the purpose/opportunity be clearly articulated?	When the purpose is not clear, focus on deeper research and framing. Avoid developing a rigid point of view by leaving space for learning from diverse perspectives in the future.
Is the issue ripe for meaningful progress?	When the issues is nascent, ill-defined, and/or lacking critical mass, focus on mapping the system and connected players.
Can the critical stakeholders be assembled?	If not, consider lower commitment modes of engagement such as consultations, interviews, surveys, forums, or virtual convening.
Does the opportunity call for collective intelligence?	When the issue can be easily addressed by individual actors, focus on building their capacity through 1-on-1 interactions.
Is an extended block of time essential to doing the work?	If the work is better suited for shorter blocks of time (less than two hours), consider convening virtually or adding a short meeting to an existing event.
Do you have the necessary resources? (Time and staff)	If not, hold off until you have leadership capacity and dedicated team members. Consider conference calls, webinars, or surveys instead.
Do you need to be the primary convener?	Explore partnerships is other actors are better positioned to take the lead role.

Source: Flower, Muoio. Gather, The Art & Science of Effective Convening, 2013. https://assets.rockefellerfoundation.org/app/uploads/20130626174021/Gather-The-Art-and-Science-of-Effective-Conveing.pdf