I am a facilitator of change in complexity. I connect worlds of people, ideas and actions for the common good.
I am intrigued by social challenges and how to create ownership for collective action. For this I design and facilitate dialogue and deliberation processes that enable people to discover common ground. I foster safe spaces in which knowledge and ideas are freely shared, so that new insights can emerge. I like working in short cycles towards tangible results.
I use language and imagery to act as catalysts for change. From formulating urgent and inspiring questions and creative ideation sessions to designing inspiring communications. I help to make progress visible, nurture vital connections and spread the harvest widely. People like how I translate complex matter and a multitude of information into clear, engaging and surprising communication.
I am internationally educated in images (visual arts), words (Business Communications & PR) and numbers (Business Administration). I have over 30 years of experience as a communications specialist and dialogue facilitator, especially in the areas of social welfare, international cooperation and higher education. I am a voluntary member of the Participation Council in the municipality of Velsen.
After living for many years in amazing cities including Berlin, Boston, Barcelona and Amsterdam, my partner and I decided to move out to greener areas. We now enjoy our (vegetable) garden, the dune forest and the sea around the corner.
Expertise
- Communications & Dialogue
- Participatory Policymaking
- Agile Scrum Collaboration
- Online Learning & Change
Examples of what I do
Citizens’ Council Maastricht
Perspectivity in collaboration with EMMA designed and facilitated the first citizens’ council in the city of Maastricht.
Reading and Writing Foundation harvests effects
The Reading and Writing Foundation wants to better understand how its support to municipalities contributes to better policy and implementation. So that people with low literacy can be helped even better. The foundation already reports annually on the activities carried out but want to gain more insight into what all those efforts achieve. Using Outcome Harvesting as a methodology.
Book review: Future Search
The ‘Complete Guide’ on how to conduct a Future Search, including its history, principles, planning steps, lots of examples and in the appendix even a step-by-step facilitator guide with worksheets and all.
What do we all want?
The Future Search methodology is built on four principles. In a new blog series, we take a closer look at all four principles. First: why focus on the future and common ground is more effective than solving problems and conflicts.
Mapping the system for inclusive leadership in engineering
For the Royal Academy of Engineering in London, Perspectivity facilitated a participatory systems mapping process to explore the role of leadership in making the engineering industry more inclusive.
System World versus Living World?
I hear and read it everywhere: the living world set against the system world. But this cultivated dichotomy undermines a successful approach to complex societal challenges. I prefer to think in ‘living systems’.
European subsidy program LEADER evaluates with stories
How do you evaluate a nine-year subsidy program with a broad variety of participants and projects? How do you collect the lessons from the past as input for the next program period? LEADER in the northern part of the province of North-Holland opted for participatory narrative research using Sprockler.
Book tip: Now it’s up to us, call for real democracy
Book tip by Petra de Boer: It is up to citizens to solve the greatest challenges of our time. That is the appeal of Eva Rovers to the Netherlands with her booklet 'Now it's up to us, call for real democracy'. Booklet? Yes, it is literally a small handy little book....
Putting Egypt on the IT world map
A participatory online roundtable to shape together the future of the Egyptian IT Outsourcing workforce.
Maastricht city dialogue forecast of a new democracy?
How do we live, learn, work and enjoy together in Maastricht 2040?
The Municipality of Maastricht had asked us to facilitate a broad city dialogue about the future of Maastricht. Before the summer, many wishes had already been collected from residents and other stakeholders. Now it was time to delve deeper into the most important themes and to jointly investigate dilemmas, opportunities and potential solutions.