Strategic Convening

Bringing the right people together is only the beginning.

Many international challenges require cooperation between actors with different expertise, interests and perspectives. Bringing those actors together is an important first step, but a successful convening requires more than a room full of knowledgeable people.

The Global Strategic Initiatives Group designs, leads and facilitates collaborative processes that help diverse actors address complex challenges and develop practical strategies for action.

Our work includes expert consultations, multi-stakeholder workshops, strategic foresight processes, diplomatic dialogues and collaborative strategy development.

Our approach

We approach strategic convening as an end-to-end process, rather than simply the facilitation of a meeting or workshop.

Working closely with clients and partners, we begin by clarifying the challenge and determining what the process needs to achieve. We then design the research, consultations, participant engagement and sequence of activities needed to reach those outcomes.

Our processes are tailored to the particular challenge and the people involved. They may combine strategic analysis, expert contributions, structured discussion, collaborative problem-solving and strategic foresight.

We pay particular attention to moving participants beyond the exchange of perspectives towards useful strategic outputs. Depending on the assignment, these might include a shared understanding of the problem, strategic options, agreed priorities, prototype initiatives or practical pathways for collective action.

Where appropriate, we also support the further development and implementation of the strategies or initiatives that emerge.

Selected work

The Border Water Horizon

In 2026, we designed and facilitated a binational strategic foresight process for the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, examining the future of water governance between Mexico and the United States.

The process brought together participants from government, academia, industry and civil society.

Participants in a binational strategic foresight workshop on water governance

Following preparatory consultations, participants worked through a structured sequence of systemic diagnosis, strategic foresight, prioritisation and the development of prototype initiatives.

The objective was not simply to exchange perspectives on a difficult transboundary issue, but to identify opportunities for strategic action.

The resulting report, The Border Water Horizon, documents the process, its findings and the prototype initiatives developed by participants.

“Patrick navigated the differing institutional perspectives and regional priorities with exceptional skill. He created a candid, constructive environment where diverse stakeholders could move past their differences, find common ground, and focus on practical solutions.”
— Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University
Read The Border Water Horizon report

Discuss a strategic convening

Whether you’re considering an expert dialogue, multi-stakeholder process or collaborative strategic initiative, we’d welcome a conversation about what you’re seeking to achieve and how we might contribute.

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