Engaging stakeholders with clarity and purpose is a key skill for business professionals working across strategy, operations, sustainability, and innovation. Strong engagement leads to better insights, stronger partnerships, and more effective outcomes.



Strategies for Effective Engagement
This course is part of Leading Sustainable Community Transformation Specialization

Instructor: Joel Hartter
6,140 already enrolled
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(51 reviews)
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What you'll learn
Apply a range of tools to engage stakeholders, gather insights, and build understanding.
Conduct rapid assessments and map systems to inform strategy and decision-making.
Practice ethical engagement in complex organizational and community settings.
Skills you'll gain
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11 assignments
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There are 3 modules in this course
Learners explore practical ways to gather information in unfamiliar or dynamic settings. This module introduces how to build trust, observe with purpose, and apply rapid assessment techniques. Learners practice using interviews, community meetings, and observation to gather data, while also considering ethics, confidentiality, and cultural awareness. These tools help learners surface insights, build credibility, and prepare for effective engagement.
What's included
14 videos4 readings4 assignments
Learners apply systems thinking by mapping relationships, feedback loops, and stakeholder dynamics. The module introduces system maps as a way to visualize complexity and stakeholder maps as a tool to understand roles, interests, and influence. These methods help learners identify where to engage, how to prioritize efforts, and what actions may lead to meaningful change in an organizational or community setting.
What's included
12 videos1 reading3 assignments
Learners develop the skills needed to design and carry out interviews, focus groups, and surveys. This module explores how to define goals, choose formats, and ask effective questions while managing trade-offs like time, cost, and data quality. With a focus on real-world application, learners gain tools to gather meaningful input, inform strategy, and support collaborative decision-making.
What's included
18 videos2 readings4 assignments
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University of Colorado Boulder
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Northwestern University
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Reviewed on Feb 13, 2024
very helpfull to rethink strategies of community engagement

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Frequently asked questions
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
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