Services
Akordi provides assistance as an independent third party in challenging situations related to public issues, such as the environment, natural resources, and land use. We always tailor our services to the specific situation and offer support at various stages of the process.
We work with stakeholders across various sectors – our clients include companies, municipalities, regional councils, government agencies, associations, organizations, and research institutions.
Check out the examples of our services below and contact us for more information!
Strategic Stakeholder Engagement and Interaction
At the local, regional, and national levels, broad collaboration and interaction are often needed to support project development, decision-making, and operations. Widely accepted solutions require an understanding of – and consideration for –the specific characteristics of the operating environment; the ability to avoid, mitigate, or compensate for adverse impacts; and procedures that are perceived as clear, fair, and just.
We help design and implement strategic stakeholder engagement and interaction processes that enable different actors to engage in meaningful and productive collaboration. Well-resourced, high-quality, and timely engagement prevents conflicts and strengthens the foundation for decision-making. We offer support for example for energy and industrial projects, land-use planning, and policy-making processes.
Mediation and Conflict Resolution
In complex environmental, land-use, and natural resource issues, stakeholders often have conflicting goals, differing information needs, and low levels of trust in one another. Situations can easily escalate into juxtaposition, which can lead to deadlock in decision-making, project delays, or protracted disputes.
We offer support for conflict management and help the parties move from confrontation to collaborative problem-solving. Resolving public conflicts, such as mediating environmental disputes, typically involves a phased negotiation process that begins with an assessment of the situation. We help identify and clarify the key issues relevant to the problem at hand, the nature of the relationships between the parties, and how methods of collaboration should be developed. An assessment conducted by a neutral party, based on interviews with key stakeholders, helps in planning the necessary process and focusing on the right questions. If the conditions for a joint mediation process are met, the work can proceed. The next steps in the negotiation process include organizing the mediation process; defining its objectives, ground rules, roles, and responsibilities; building a shared knowledge base necessary for resolving the dispute; conducting negotiations; and establishing joint guidelines based on these discussions. Finally, these guidelines are formalized into commitments, the fulfillment of which is monitored.
Situation Analysis, Conflict Assessment, and Reports
Finding solutions often requires establishing a shared understanding of the situation so that the perspectives, concerns, and interests of the various parties can be understood as part of the bigger picture. It is also often necessary to determine which parties and organizations should be involved, and what the key issues are that should be addressed.
We offer assistance in various situations where additional information or understanding is needed to make the best possible decision – for example, regarding stakeholders’ views or the acceptability of certain actions. We help identify the key issues relevant to the problem at hand, the nature of the relationships among the parties, and how methods of collaboration should be developed. A neutral assessment based on interviews with key stakeholders helps in planning the necessary process and focusing on the right questions.
Joint Fact-Finding
Disagreements over the information base for decision-making serve as a fuel to disputes. This is especially true when strong interests are at stake in the decision-making process.
In joint fact-finding, the responsibility for finding and assimilating information is given to a group of parties representing different interests instead of an individual decision maker. The task of the group is to negotiate what kind of information and knowledge production would best satisfy the needs of all parties regarding the scientific quality of the information, transparency, etc. We assist in planning these processes and guiding the work.
Acceptability of the EIA Procedure
The way the EIA procedure is carried out has a key impact on the local acceptability of the project. Even though projects involve extensive and costly research and assessments, information on impacts does not in itself increase local acceptance if stakeholders are not meaningfully involved in the various stages of the EIA procedure, issues of local importance remain unaddressed, and the connection between the information and concrete decisions or follow-up actions is not visible to stakeholders.
We offer support for the planning and implementation of EIA procedures so that the process can be developed to better serve its objective of addressing the needs of key stakeholders. This may involve, for example, identifying stakeholders’ needs and concerns, engaging in early and reciprocal dialogue, and implementing measures based on the assessments while also clearly communicating them.
Biodiversity Offsetting and Nature Credit Markets
In the nature credit markets, it is important to consider not only natural capital but also the social dimensions related to the use of natural resources. For measures to be viewed as acceptable from the perspective of stakeholders as well, it is necessary to bring together various actors at the local level. This allows for a joint assessment of the overall ecological and social impacts.
We offer assistance as an independent third party to support constructive dialogue and collaborative problem-solving with stakeholders when your company is considering nature-based solutions or biodiversity offsetting. Rather than counting habitat hectares, we specialize in bringing stakeholders together, identifying shared interests, and building a common knowledge base – also at the strategic regional level.
Through the BOOST research consortium, we have a solid understanding of just nature credit markets and biodiversity offsetting.
Joint Monitoring of Impacts
Interpreting the results of impact monitoring and assessing their significance and practical implications can be challenging, especially from the perspective of stakeholders. There may also be skepticism regarding measurements commissioned by project developers, regardless of how they were technically carried out.
Joint monitoring of impacts, in which local actors and community members work together at various stages of the monitoring process, can help increase the comprehensibility and reliability of monitoring data, as well as anticipate and prevent adverse environmental impacts. We offer support for the planning and implementation of monitoring processes.
Fair Distribution of Local Impacts and Benefits (Community Benefit Agreement)
A Community Benefit Agreement is an agreement negotiated between a project developer, the host community, and local communities regarding the fair distribution of local impacts and benefits. Under the agreement, the developer commits to providing specified benefits or compensation to the community within whose sphere of influence it wishes to operate. Today, sharing benefits and mitigating negative impacts is a key part of reputation management for companies and projects, as well as corporate social responsibility more broadly.
In addition to the contract-based approach, there are many other practices for sharing benefits and mitigating negative impacts. We help your company find acceptable ways to share the benefits of a project locally by bringing key stakeholders together to identify mutual interests.
Read more about this topic in the dissertation of our specialist Juha Kotilainen: ”Emerging Forms of Collaborative Mineral Governance”.
Interactions and Impacts in Research Projects
Research projects often produce valuable information, but the societal impact of that information remains limited if stakeholders are not involved, if research questions do not address practical needs, or if the results are not incorporated into decision-making and practice.
We help enhance the societal impact of research. Our work, grounded in a strong research foundation and practical experience, combined with our role as an independent party at the intersection of research and decision-making, enables effective interaction between researchers, decision-makers, and other stakeholders. We understand the objectives of various actors, administrative constraints, and the societal context, and we know how to link research findings to practical decision-making and action.
Capacity Building, Training, and Coaching
Organizations are increasingly operating in situations where technical expertise alone is not enough. What is needed is the ability to build trust, foster meaningful collaboration, conduct effective negotiations, and prevent and resolve conflicts. A lack of these skills often manifests as challenges in getting projects approved, internal tensions, or ineffective collaboration.
We offer training and coaching that can be tailored to your organization’s needs. Our training programs often focus in strategic stakeholder engagement, negotiation skills, conflict prevention, collaboration management, and various issues related to natural resource management. Coaching, on the other hand, can range from a single session, where we help you analyze a situation, to broader support throughout the various stages of your work.
