Credentials

I am a Rhodes Scholar with an Oxford University doctorate (DPhil) in International Relations and an honours BA in Politics and Comparative Development Studies from Trent University, Canada. I launched the research program on civil society at The North-South Institute in Ottawa; wrote and edited books, chapters, and studies on civil society; and taught at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. Those academic pursuits followed on early international exposure: I am grateful for my scholarship at Pearson United World College and my role with the Canada World Youth exchange program in Sri Lanka. I believe in the importance of learning across cultures and the power of poor communities to shape their own lives.

Interested in learning more about my written work? My Google Scholar page includes links to key publications.

I have deep experience helping people plan their way forward. I bring to the table three decades of working with and writing about civil society organizations around the world. I’ve led planning for government policy makers, local community organizations, and university leaders. Using a range of approaches and tools – foresight and horizon scanning, appreciative inquiry, design thinking, public engagement methods and more – I’ve helped groups come to decisions about what matters most to them and their communities.

For example, I've supported planning with the Local and Global Engagement team at the University of Oxford; the advisory group working on Legacy, Equity, and Diversity at the Rhodes Trust in Oxford, UK; the Living Rainforest and the Trust for Sustainable Living in Berkshire, UK; Vancouver Island University in BC, Canada; as well as Global Affairs Canada and the Canadian International Development Agency in Ottawa. The Clientele tab describes that work in more detail.

Interested in learning more about my other professional experience? See my LinkedIn page for a detailed account.

Experience

About

Dr. Alison Van Rooy, DPhil (Oxford)

Alison brings a wealth of experience as a public sector leader and a passion for enabling others to achieve their best. She has a special ability to organize processes to achieve effective planning. She is an experienced facilitator and is highly knowledgeable.

Ron Stevenson, Counsel, Power Law, Canada

Catherine Neiner, Founder and Principal, Back to Work, USA

Alison is second-to-none in her capacity to synthesize the complexities of group members' thinking to address tough problems. She does this by eliciting participants’ best contributions and then integrates the spoken and unspoken themes that emerge, which advances the group to working more capably as individuals and teams.

Dr Van Rooy's distinctive method of facilitation was key to creating focused, active, and productive engagement. We generated actionable goals while maintaining collegial relationships.