IIKD Technical Assistance

IIKD offers technical assistance in facilitating events including meetings, workshops, and conferences. Our team is trained in Technology of Participation (ToP) Facilitation including the Focused Conversation, Consensus Workshop, and Action Planning methods.

We have assisted various organizations and programs by co-developing meeting agendas, engagement methods, and action planning strategies and have experience with Empowerment Evaluation approaches and community-based participatory research strategies.

Technology of Participation (ToP)

ToP is a world-renowned methodology that supports strong participation in large and small groups; weaves individual contributions, honors diversity of people’s opinions and backgrounds, and builds commitment to action. ToP methods have been used effectively by communities and organizations in over 40 countries and include the following:

• The Focused Conversation Method—a common sense approach to conversation that leads naturally to a meaningful exchange of ideas
• The Consensus Workshop Method—a structured process for making decisions, so engaging people are energized getting to consensus.
• The Action Planning Method—practical steps that help groups plan, organize resources and build commitment.

IIKD promotes Indigenous well-being through research by engaging leadership, communities, students, and knowledge in the discovery of local solutions. We provide technical assistance through contracts and academic service to tribal programs, academic institutions and departments, non-profit and community organizations, and students on Indigenous health topics using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach.

Our technical assistance includes:

• Mentorship (or co-mentorship) for students including UNM's Required Medical Student Research, graduate thesis and dissertation research, and Independent Study sponsorship;
• Partnership building with tribal and off-Reservation American Indian communities for research with a focus on cultural humility and Indigenous knowledge;
• Developing culturally-appropriate and engaging research methods such as focus group design/facilitation,
• Community Advisory Panel development, and meeting facilitation;
• Organizing and securing institutional and tribal human research protections approval;
• Building capacity for CBPR by co-teaching an annual CBPR Institute at the UNM HSC; and
• One-on-one consultation.

IIKD's approach to health planning incorporates Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and Indigenous Planning principles to engage stakeholders and allies in developing, implementing and evaluating effective public health programs.

Health planning services we provide include:

• Community Health Assessment training and mentorship
• Health Visioning
• Health data collection and analysis
• Action Planning Facilitation
• SMART (Specific-Measurable-Attainable-Results Focused-Time Bound) Goal Development
• Empowerment Evaluation
• One-on-one consultation