On 23 March 2026, the training “Advisory Work within Operator Partnerships” was held for the first time: a practice-oriented programme for staff of German municipal operators involved in international operator partnerships. The aim was to strengthen participants in their role as advisers and to equip them with practical tools to make their advisory work more deliberate, effective and successful.
Advisory work is more than technical expertise
The training clearly demonstrated that advisory work does not rely solely on technical expertise, but also on mindset, process design and the relational dimension. The focus was on topics such as:
- Role awareness: reflecting on one’s role as an adviser and applying it appropriately to the situation.
- Process consulting rather than pure subject-matter consulting: enabling partners to develop their own solutions.
- Working on an equal footing: actively clarifying expectations and sharing responsibility.
- Dealing with cultural differences: recognising that every behaviour has a reason – this mindset facilitates collaboration.
- Building trust through neutrality: an impartial approach strengthens relationships.
- Managing complexity: understanding change processes and steering them appropriately.
Methods and tools for operator partnerships
In addition to these insights, practice-oriented methods and tools were presented that can be applied directly in real partnerships. The breakout sessions were particularly appreciated, in which participants discussed real-life cases from their daily work, advised one another, and developed concrete solutions.
Feedback: practical and motivating
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive: the content was regarded as highly relevant for work within operator partnerships, and the methods and tools were seen as applicable. Many participants emphasised how valuable the exchange with colleagues had been and that personal reflection now has a permanent place in their advisory work. Participants summarised it as follows:
“Self-reflection is fundamental in advisory work. I leave the training motivated and take away many valuable tips.”
The second part of the training builds on the first and deepens the practical content using concrete examples from the operator partnerships.
Join us next time – strengthen your advisory skills
The training will be offered regularly in the future, giving all staff of German operators the opportunity to attend both modules. Strengthening advisory skills not only improves collaboration but also actively contributes to the success of international operator partnerships.