Building successful multi-partner projects - Moderated planning workshops
Moderated Planning Workshops have been developed by the Community's specific programme for the dissemination and exploitation of RTD results (INNOVATION) to assist partners in the start-up or definition phase of the "Technology Validation and Technology Transfer" projects funded by the programme. The Workshops are based on the GOPP (Goal-Oriented Project Planning) method developed in Germany, although the technique has been considerably adapted and refined. Lasting two or three days, the Workshops bring together all the project partners with a neutral facilitator who guides the work of the group. The aim is to build consensus among the partners and to create work plans and actions on which all the partners can agree. Over 70 of these workshops have been held during 1996, with widespread confirmation of their value from participants. A leaflet entitled "Building successful multi-partner projects - A guide to Moderated Planning Workshops" is now available. This explains in greater detail the technique applied by the workshops and the benefits of using this technique as a way of improving multi-partner projects.