Case Studies

Creating UN Development Group's First Agreement on Strategic Priorities

CBI facilitated consensus for the first time on global strategic priorities for the United Nations Development Group, representing more than 30 United Nations development agencies, funds, and programs.

Evaluating Multistakeholder Dialogues for the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development

CBI conducted a study to evaluate multi-stakeholder dialogues run by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, and identified six key principles for effective dialogue.

Climigration Platform Fosters Dialogue on Coastal Adaptation

CBI launched an innovative website that provides a database on managed retreat and connects municipalities threatened by rising sea levels.

Balancing Conservation and Fishing Interests in Hawaii

When fishing activity off Hawaii inadvertently harmed the local false killer whale population, CBI and CONCUR facilitated negotiations that led to full consensus on management changes and research activities to reduce whale takes while preserving the fishing fleet's financial viability.

Managing Energy Sector Conflict in Nepal

The World Bank, which manages a substantial energy program supporting Nepal’s government, engaged CBI to conduct an analysis of the conflict dynamics around transmission siting and to propose potential mechanisms for resolving them.

Sustaining Groundwater in Salinas Valley

CBI helped build consensus among diverse stakeholders for structuring a new groundwater agency, the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency, required by California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

Smith Island Envisions its Future

CBI collaborated with residents, government officials, and an environmental solutions specialist to map a way forward for an offshore community in Chesapeake Bay.

Creating a National Bat Monitoring Program

CBI helped build and support a team of federal and state scientists from across different disciplines and institutions to design the North American Bat Monitoring Initiative.

Bolstering Palm Oil Value Chain Sustainability

CBI and Ceres brought together a coalition of organizations and investors, working to advocate for and support implementation of corporate non-deforestation palm oil commitments.

Building a Northeast Oceans Regional Plan

CBI facilitated public forums across New England to provide citizen input into how to develop shared data and methods, and coordinate effectively among federal and state agencies for wide-ranging uses of U.S. territorial waters in the northeast Atlantic for the Northeast Regional Planning Body.

Engaging Citizens on Browns Canyon, Colorado

The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management engaged CBI to assess the public’s values, interests, and concerns related to Browns Canyon National Monument to inform the development of a national monument management plan.

Advancing Economic Opportunity in North Carolina

CBI helped the North Carolina Leadership Forum identify the state’s socioeconomic challenges and outline possible solutions.