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Strategies for Effective Engagement

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Strategies for Effective Engagement

This course is part of Leading Sustainable Community Transformation Specialization

Instructor: Joel Hartter

6,692 already enrolled

Included with

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3 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

57 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

9 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

3 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

57 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

9 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

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

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

11 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

91%

of learners achieved a positive career outcome

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Leading Sustainable Community Transformation Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 3 modules in this course

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.

This course provides the tools and techniques to engage confidently in dynamic environments. You’ll learn how to conduct rapid assessments, map systems and stakeholders, and use interviews, focus groups, and surveys to gather meaningful data. Each skill is designed to help you understand context, uncover opportunities, and strengthen alignment. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to lead conversations that build trust, surface insights, and support informed, collaborative decision-making. What You’ll Learn: - Use engagement tools to surface insights and support data-informed decisions. - Build trust and rapport with stakeholders through thoughtful, ethical practices. - Map systems and stakeholder networks to reveal connections and opportunities. - Apply interviews, focus groups, and surveys to guide strategy and implementation.

Module details

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 videos5 readings4 assignments

14 videosTotal 107 minutes

Introduction to Strategies for Effective Engagement2 minutes
Introduction to Techniques for Data Collection3 minutes
Building Trust and Rapport6 minutes
Building Trust and Rapport: Part 213 minutes
Rapid Assessment Basics: Part 19 minutes
Rapid Assessment Basics: Part 29 minutes
Rapid Assessments and Basics: Part 36 minutes
Rapid Assessment Basics: Part 410 minutes
Participant Observation10 minutes
Community Introduction10 minutes
Community Meeting8 minutes
Building a Local Network9 minutes
Ethics, Confidentiality, Anonymity, Trust7 minutes
Ethics, Confidentiality, Anonymity, Trust: Part 25 minutes

5 readingsTotal 76 minutes

Course Updates and Accessibility Support1 minute
Sage Methods: Participatory Rapid Appraisal20 minutes
Rapid Appraisal Methods30 minutes
Spradley: Participant Observation15 minutes
Williams and Stewart: Sense of Place10 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 35 minutes

Module 1 Reflection Question10 minutes
Introduction to Strategies for Effective Engagement Quiz15 minutes
Reviewing Trust and Rapport 5 minutes
Reviewing Rapid Assessment Basics 5 minutes

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

12 videosTotal 70 minutes

Systems Mapping and Analysis Introduction1 minute
Systems Thinking: Fundamental Concepts6 minutes
Systems Mapping5 minutes
Systems Mapping: Getting Started6 minutes
Systems Mapping: Making the Map11 minutes
Systems Mapping: Making the Map 2.08 minutes
Stakeholder Mapping: Introduction7 minutes
Stakeholder Mapping: Identifying the Stakeholders6 minutes
Stakeholder Mapping: Analyzing5 minutes
Stakeholder Mapping: Mapping6 minutes
Stakeholder Mapping: Mapping6 minutes
Stakeholder Mapping: Prioritizing3 minutes

1 readingTotal 15 minutes

Student Guide to Mapping a System15 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 40 minutes

Module 2 Reflection Question10 minutes
Systems Mapping and Analysis Quiz20 minutes
Review of Stakeholder Mapping 10 minutes

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.