Joel Pound

Background

About Joel Pound

I am a Freelance Facilitator and Participation Consultant. I’m an accomplished Programme & Project Manager, Project Lead, Lead Facilitator, Lead Trainer, and Deputy Director. I am passionate about tackling the climate and nature emergency head on, while making sure people can influence the decisions that affect them. I’m emotionally intelligent, a clear and passionate communicator, a strategic thinker and great at building and managing teams. I am skilled in approaches such as consensus building, conflict resolution, stakeholder dialogue and systems thinking. I have a thorough understanding of best practice standards which I adhere to, but also take an attitude of continuous improvement as there’s always improvements to be made and innovations to be found. Three of the project I've led or managed have won best practice awards and an Action 2030 award. I worked for seven years at Dialogue Matters a consultancy that specialises in stakeholder participation. While at Dialogue Matters, I successfully led and managed decision-making processes around environmental issues as well as policy making, organisational development, knowledge exchange projects and participatory research. This was for organisations including the British Council, Scottish Government, OSPAR Commission, EUROPARC, ACCOBAMS, Environment Agency, National Trust, Natural England, JNCC, CEFAS, CEH, DEFRA, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, University of Leeds, University of Oxford, Staffordshire County Council, Kent County Council, Greater London Authority and Jersey Government. I am experienced at working in many different contexts, cultures, levels of tension and with stakeholders from many different backgrounds and ages. Collaboration is at the heart of how I work whether it is with project stakeholders, members of partnership teams, or colleagues including those I manage. To date I have successfully delivered projects all over the UK, France, Denmark, South Africa, Montenegro, Anguilla, USA, and India. Since the COVID pandemic I’ve also become adept at running and facilitating online processes including projects which have had international reach and participation. Since October 2021 I've worked as a freelance Participation/Engagement Consultant. Projects I’ve worked on include facilitating youth participation commissioned by NE, research for DEFRA, workshops for MMO, organisational development for KCC, and knowledge sharing alongside an international conference.