Violeta Manoukian

**About Violeta Manoukian** Violeta Manoukian is an independent consultant and founder of Collaboration Works International, a consulting and training firm based in Nova Scotia, Canada. Prior to launching Collaboration Works International she was the founder of IN-PACT Group (International Participatory Alternatives through Cooperation, Training, and Trade), a consulting firm based in Ottawa, where she helped grow the field of holistic approaches to sustainable development fostering the participation of marginalized groups in projects and programs in over 20 countries. She is fluent in English, Spanish, and French. Violeta has experience in participatory approaches that bring together a broad spectrum of stakeholder groups including international development donor institutions, federal and municipal local governments, communities, NGOs, academia, and the private sector. Her M.A thesis “Participatory Development: Paradigm Shift in Theory and Practice” sparked her ongoing passion for creating spaces where she can apply collaborative approaches to bring about systemic change and yield optimal impacts. She has seen that best outcomes are achieved through collaborative efforts, for example, when partnerships are created between the public sector as well as citizens, community-based organizations, private sector, and research and development institutions. Violeta specializes in participatory research, participatory project/program design, community engagement, collaborative strategic planning, community development, and participatory monitoring and evaluation.