Welcome to the Open Agenda website

Established in 1996, Open Agenda is an independent consultancy that specialises in facilitation. At the heart of all the work we do we believe that:

creative thinking is essential to ideas, leadership and relationship building, and conflict resolution.

trust is essential for creative thinking. Individuals need to trust the facilitator, and feel that the process that they are involved in enables them to trust one another.

changing your mind is a strength not a weakness. This is deeply counter cultural for many, but in the safe environment we create most are willing to give it a try, and are more often than not deeply impressed by the creative thinking that emerges as a result.

Over the last 12 years or so, Krysia Hudek, Director of Open Agenda and Peter Ashby founding Director of Open Agenda and now Associate Director as well as Director of New World Order Forum have developed ground rules for events that encourage the high levels of trust that are needed for creative thinking.

They are designed to create a truly open agenda, in which people can think freely and test out their ideas with others, knowing that they can change their mind without any loss of face.

What we offer

What is unique about Open Agenda is that nothing we do is formulaic. Each event, development programme or mentoring service we provide is designed to meet the specific needs of a particular client. Key areas of work include:

• assisting policy makers to shape and take forward UK national policies, particularly those focused on skills, learning, economic development and neighbourhood renewal;
• strategic planning for organisations and partnerships to put public policies into practice and drive up quality and performance in delivery;
• leadership development and capacity building for Boards, organisations and partnerships, and
• relationship building, managing change and conflict resolution

We are perhaps best known for the residential national events we hold for up to 35 people at St. George's House, Windsor Castle.

As a Fellow of St. George's, Krysia is closely involved in working with the House to achieve its vision. This includes shaping and facilitating St. George's House and Open Agenda events. Please click on forum reports for details of past events and upcoming events for planned Open Agenda events at St. George's in the coming months.

These events are either commissioned by clients, or proposed by ourselves to an invited list of participants, when we feel that:

• a confidential ideas-building event at St. George's could strengthen policy and leadership development and practice, and
• contribute to the wider body of work of St. George's House under its themes of Leadership, and Community (which includes education, employment, health, controls on freedom and other areas of social concern).

We find that the unique, informal and confidential nature of St. George's House provides an ideal environment for creative ideas building that is impossible to replicate in the usual conference centre or hotel.

Of course, Open Agenda does not only run events at St. George's House. We always begin by exploring with our clients the type of event, mentorship or accredited training programme best suited to meet their needs. Once we've agreed our approach, we then can explore how and where the support we offer can best be delivered.

If you would like to contact us about any aspect of our work or navigating the website, please click on the contact us button on the left of your screen.