Democratic Dialogue:a Handbook for Practitioners

OVERVIEW

2007

BackgroundBackgroundDevelopment of the Handbook was based on the Development of the Handbook was based on the

collaborative effort of its four institutional collaborative effort of its four institutional sponsors:sponsors:

• Canadian International Development Agency Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)(CIDA)

• International Institute for Democracy and International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA)Electoral Assistance (IDEA)

• Organization of American States (OAS)Organization of American States (OAS)• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Based on common sense of important role Based on common sense of important role dialogue processes can play in advancement of dialogue processes can play in advancement of peace, human development, and democratic peace, human development, and democratic governancegovernance

2003: institutional Community of Practice agreed 2003: institutional Community of Practice agreed to work together to gather lessons learned in to work together to gather lessons learned in their collective experience of promoting and their collective experience of promoting and organizing dialogue processesorganizing dialogue processes

The team worked for producing a user-friendly The team worked for producing a user-friendly methodological tool that would help the methodological tool that would help the institutions and other dialogue practitioners carry institutions and other dialogue practitioners carry out their work in a more systematized wayout their work in a more systematized way

Use of HandbookUse of HandbookThe Handbook provides:The Handbook provides: Resource for thinking about how to use dialogue to address Resource for thinking about how to use dialogue to address

particular problems or bring about a desired changeparticular problems or bring about a desired change

An overview of the subject of democratic dialogue and essential An overview of the subject of democratic dialogue and essential elements, tools, methods, best practices and exampleselements, tools, methods, best practices and examples

Criteria for judging when dialogue is an appropriate approachCriteria for judging when dialogue is an appropriate approach

Advice and practical wisdom gained in the field by people using Advice and practical wisdom gained in the field by people using dialogue in countries all over the worlddialogue in countries all over the world

A reference work, to which practitioners can return to find A reference work, to which practitioners can return to find inspiration, guidance, and direction to additional resources on inspiration, guidance, and direction to additional resources on specific topicsspecific topics

PurposePurpose

To promote and support the wider use of To promote and support the wider use of dialogue to address societal challengesdialogue to address societal challenges

To provide sufficient understanding of dialogue To provide sufficient understanding of dialogue to enable people to determine when it is the to enable people to determine when it is the appropriate choice – alone or combined with appropriate choice – alone or combined with other tools such as negotiation or mediation – other tools such as negotiation or mediation – and to develop an approach responsive to the and to develop an approach responsive to the particular contextparticular context

Demonstrate concretely how dialogue works and Demonstrate concretely how dialogue works and how it can make a difference in the pursuit of how it can make a difference in the pursuit of peace, development and democratic governancepeace, development and democratic governance

AudienceAudience Handbook is intended for dialogue Handbook is intended for dialogue

practitioners:practitioners:People actively or potentially engaged in doing dialogue People actively or potentially engaged in doing dialogue

work – organizing it, facilitating it, and promoting it within work – organizing it, facilitating it, and promoting it within their institutions and societiestheir institutions and societies

Practitioners can be organized into three Practitioners can be organized into three broad categories:broad categories:

Decision makersDecision makersDialogue promotersDialogue promotersProcess expertsProcess experts

““(The Handbook) serves as an advocacy tool to (The Handbook) serves as an advocacy tool to demonstrate that dialogue can work and can be an demonstrate that dialogue can work and can be an effective enabler of social change … its main purpose is effective enabler of social change … its main purpose is to inspire the practice of dialogue; to guide it and offer a to inspire the practice of dialogue; to guide it and offer a full set of options rooted in real life experiences.”full set of options rooted in real life experiences.”

Remarks by Rebeca Grynspan, Regional Director and Assistant Remarks by Rebeca Grynspan, Regional Director and Assistant AdministratorAdministrator

Launch of “Democratic Dialogue – A Handbook for Practitioners”Launch of “Democratic Dialogue – A Handbook for Practitioners”New York, March 26 2007New York, March 26 2007

Value and Value and ImportanceImportance

““Throughout the world, but reflecting Throughout the world, but reflecting especially on Latin America and the especially on Latin America and the Caribbean there are at least five reasons Caribbean there are at least five reasons which explain the rising need for dialogue:which explain the rising need for dialogue:

11. Because of democracy itself…our belief in democracy sustains . Because of democracy itself…our belief in democracy sustains the need for dialoguethe need for dialogue

22. Because of the increasing disenchantment with democracy. Because of the increasing disenchantment with democracy

33. Because of increasingly weak political parties. Because of increasingly weak political parties

44. The increasing social polarization which has lead in some . The increasing social polarization which has lead in some countries to serious crises of governance and even bouts of countries to serious crises of governance and even bouts of violence and unrestviolence and unrest

55. The winner-take-all political culture which governs many of our . The winner-take-all political culture which governs many of our political systems.”political systems.”

““For UNDP, dialogue is not merely an interesting For UNDP, dialogue is not merely an interesting field of work but a central piece of our way of field of work but a central piece of our way of doing our work in democratic governance, doing our work in democratic governance, poverty reduction and crisis prevention. In this poverty reduction and crisis prevention. In this sense, dialogue is not an area of work in itself sense, dialogue is not an area of work in itself but rather a platform to enable and reinforce but rather a platform to enable and reinforce our work across the board.”our work across the board.”

It is our sincere hope that you use this handbook as an invitation to engage in realizing the vision for dialogue spelled out by Kofi Annan when he said

“the United Nations itself was founded on the belief that dialogue can triumph over discord,

that diversity is a gift to be celebrated, and that the world’s peoples are united by their common humanity far more than they are divided by their

separate identities. Dialogue can prevail over violence, understanding over indifference, knowledge over ignorance and prejudice.”

- - Rebeca Grynspan, Regional Director, UNHQ

CONTENTSCONTENTS

Part 1: The Conceptual Framework

Chapter 1.1 Introduction

Chapter 1.2 The Need for Dialogue The Need for a Culture of Democracy The Need for Effective Governance

Participatory Processes that Can Produce Results

Chapter 1.3 Defining Dialogue

• DefinitionsDefining Dialogue as a Distinctive Kind of ProcessDefining Dialogue in a Global Context

• Governing Principles: the Defining Characteristics of Dialogue Processes

• The Dialogic Approach The Dialogic Approach as a Code of Conduct Taking the Dialogic Approach beyond Dialogue Processes

Chapter 1.4 How Dialogue Contributes to Change

• Levels of Change

• How Does it Work?The Dialogic Moment

• From Personal Change to Societal Change

• Conclusion

Part 2: Putting Concepts into PracticeChapter 2.1 Introduction

• Dialogue Practitioners and the Roles They Play• The Dialogic Approach

Chapter 2.2 Exploring the Possibility for Dialogue

• Understanding Assessment as Intervention• Two Levels of Assessment• Full Assessment: Understanding the Issue, the Actors

and the ContextParameters of the ExplorationThe IssueThe ActorsThe Context

• Engaging the Actors in Conversation• Tools for Assessment • Finding the Most Appropriate Path Forward Indicators Suggesting Ripeness for Dialogue Basic Conditions for Dialogue Checklist: A Dialogue Process May Not be Advisable if … If Not Dialogue, Then What? • Making the Case for Dialogue

Chapter 2.3 Designing the Dialogue Process

• Basic Design Criteria • How to Proceed: Assembling a Project Team Profile of a Project Management Team • The Principle of Co-design• Elements: Decisions to be Made Defining Objectives Developing Strategy Selecting the Participants

Defining ‘Third Party Roles’ Managing Information/Communication Establishing the Time Line/Schedule Mobilizing Resources

• The Convening Process

Essential Characteristics of the Convener Practitioner Tips on Enrolling Participants Six Convening Experiences

• The Dialogue Process Design

Chapter 2.4 Implementation

• Monitoring, Learning and Adapting: Keys to Success

• Dialogue Events: Creating a Safe SpaceLogisticsVenueGround Rules

• Facilitation Key Roles and Qualities of the Facilitator

Roles within a Facilitation TeamImpartiality and Neutrality

• Dialogue Events: An Overview of Process OptionsWhy Consider Process Options?Processes and Process ToolsProcess Tools for Large Groups

• The Dialogue JourneyGetting StartedEliciting PerspectivesEnriching Perspectives and Achieving UnderstandingFraming Choices and DeliberatingDecidingImplementing and Taking Action

• In Between Dialogue EventsCommunication and Information Management Ongoing Assessment

Chapter 2.5 Monitoring and Evaluation

• The Purpose of M&E• Five Aspects of Good M&E Practice

Defining Clearly What is to be Evaluated Building M&E into the Dialogue ProcessInvolving StakeholdersDeveloping Quantitative and Qualitative IndicatorsBalancing a Learning Orientation with an Outcome Orientation

• Essential Elements of an M&E Process• Basic Steps of Monitoring• M&E Tools

Structuring Periodic ReviewsEvaluating and Systematizing Key Learnings

Chapter 2.6 Dilemmas and Challenges

• DilemmasTangible vs. Intangible Outcomes Short-Term vs. Longer-Term VisionWorking with Representatives vs. Being More Broadly Inclusive

• A ChallengeMoving beyond Dialogues of the Elite

Part 3: ApplicationsChapter 3.1 IntroductionChapter 3.2 Dialogue on Peaceful Coexistence,

Guatemala Context Purpose The Dialogue Process Outcomes and Impact Lessons Learned

Chapter 3.3 Dialogue on the Millennium Development Goals, Mauritania

Context Purpose The Dialogue Process Outcomes and Impact Lessons Learned

Chapter 3.4 Dialogue on a Constitutional Process, Nepal

Context Purpose The Dialogue Process Outcomes and Impact

Appendix 1: Overview of Dialogue Initiatives

Appendix 2: Process Options and Process Tools - An Overview

ContactsContactsGuatemala: Guatemala:

Democratic Dialogue Regional Project (UNDP)Democratic Dialogue Regional Project (UNDP)Sonia González, coordinatorSonia González, coordinator

sonia.gonzalez@undp.orgsonia.gonzalez@undp.orgdemocratic.dialogue@undp.orgdemocratic.dialogue@undp.orgwww.democraticdialoguenetwork.orgwww.democraticdialoguenetwork.org

New York: New York: Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the CaribbeanCaribbeanMarc-André Franche, Programme AdvisorMarc-André Franche, Programme Advisormarc-andre.franche@undp.org marc-andre.franche@undp.org