The MARGISTAR Vision Workshop is a structured, half day facilitation process that helps
rural and mountain communities articulate shared futures and turn them into practical next
steps.
Why use the MARGISTAR Vision Workshop
- Centre local knowledge - Visions are grounded in lived experience, not external templates.
- Balance imagination and pragmatism - Dream collectively, then chart realistic actions with success measures.
- Create traction - Package results so they feed directly into plans, funding calls and partnerships.
- Work across difference - A safe, inclusive space for intergenerational, linguistic and stakeholder diversity.
Who it is for
- Community groups and LEADER or LAG partnerships
- Municipal and regional planners
- NGOs and development agencies
- Research and practice collaborations
The five stage journey
- The Approach - Guided prompts help participants imagine the community in 2050. Small groups cluster core themes.
- Basecamp - Participants name and prioritise the key challenges that stand between today and the envisioned future.
- The Summit Push - Groups propose specific actions to overcome challenges.
- The Summit - Groups draft a 3 to 5 sentence vision statement that states the goal, why it matters and how progress will be measured.
- The Descent - The facilitators synthesise what they’ve heard and issue a report to the wider participants for validation.
Design principles
- Participatory and inclusive - Gender balance, youth and minority voices, and a multi stakeholder mix.
- Plain language - Accessible materials and facilitation without jargon.
- Context sensitive - Mountain and rural metaphors make the process intuitive.
- Comparable across places - A shared scaffold that still respects local specificity.
Frequently asked questions
What happens after the workshop?
Within an agreed period (1-2 weeks) facilitators should prepare a report and send to participants to review and validate. Then, communities should organise additional workshops and activities to further define their vision and expand and detail actions from the plans.
Within an agreed period (1-2 weeks) facilitators should prepare a report and send to participants to review and validate. Then, communities should organise additional workshops and activities to further define their vision and expand and detail actions from the plans.
How is the MARGISTAR Vision Workshop different from a town hall meeting?
The MARGISTAR Vision Workshop is a sequenced method. It starts with shared futures, moves back to challenges and forward to actions. This ensures focus and makes results comparable.
The MARGISTAR Vision Workshop is a sequenced method. It starts with shared futures, moves back to challenges and forward to actions. This ensures focus and makes results comparable.
Can we run it ourselves?
Yes. The MARGISTAR Vision Workshop Guide includes templates and prompts.
Yes. The MARGISTAR Vision Workshop Guide includes templates and prompts.
Can we run it ourselves?
Yes. The MARGISTAR Vision Workshop Guide includes templates and prompts.
Yes. The MARGISTAR Vision Workshop Guide includes templates and prompts.
