Green Park Consultants GPC Ltd was established in 2007 by a small group of experienced professionals with a strong commitment to equitable and sustainable development. Operations ceased in 2022.
The team has particular expertise, derived from decades of grounded work in the Caribbean, Africa, South Asia and elsewhere, in:
- policies and institutional arrangements for sustainable development
- environmental governance
- protected areas and their contribution to poverty reduction and sustainable livelihoods
- climate change adaptation strategies
GPC has offered a range of services to governments, civil society organisations, research and academic institutions and international agencies, including:
- programme evaluation
- facilitation of policy processes
- research and analysis
- institutional development
- programme and project planning
All work done by GPC draws on interest and experience in participatory approaches that involve stakeholders in processes of collective analysis and decision-making.
Long seen as an essential aspect of sustainable development, participatory approaches are those that engage stakeholders -- those with an interest in an issue, an area or a resource -- in its management. The main objectives of participatory approaches are:
- to contribute to improved management by incorporating the knowledge and skills of all stakeholders;
- to increase the likelihood of stakeholder acceptance of and support for decisions that have been jointly agreed;
- to incorporate a wide range of perspectives and ideas, resulting in improved management decisions and actions;
- to provide a forum for identifying conflicts and negotiating their solutions;
- to contribute to stakeholder empowerment and institutional development.
Adapted from: T. Geoghegan, Y. Renard & N.A. Brown
Guidelines for Participatory Planning:
A Manual for Caribbean Natural Resource Managers and Planners
2004, Caribbean Natural Resources Institute, Laventille - Trinidad.