Lisode

What Lisode does

Lisode is a Montpellier-based consulting firm founded in 2008 that specializes in consultation engineering, training, and facilitation for participatory processes and collective decision-making. The firm applies the ComMod (Companion Modelling) methodology, an approach centered on role-playing games and co-constructed models used to engage stakeholders in environmental, territorial, and natural-resource management decisions. Its core deliverables include facilitation of participatory workshops, design and execution of consultation processes, customized training programs, and the development of role-playing simulation games — with 28 such games developed and 98 tested within a community of practice to date.

The firm's service portfolio is built on three revenue lines: (1) facilitation and consultation engineering on complex multi-stakeholder projects, having accompanied 153 processes since inception; (2) training delivery, with 295 sessions organized since 2011 reaching 2,600+ participants; and (3) methodology and game-design licensing/development under the ComMod framework. Customer segments span French local authorities, French and European public agencies, international development institutions, and academic research bodies — with project experience across 26 countries and team capability in six languages.

Lisode's go-to-market is project-based and procurement-driven, frequently engaging through institutional partnerships (CIRAD, IRD, IUCN, IFAD, AFD, Expertise France, MSH-Sud) and responding to public-sector tenders. Qualiopi certification underpins eligibility for French public-sector training contracts, and a refreshed corporate website in 2024 signals repositioning of the firm's digital channel. Pricing is consistent with specialized boutique consulting, with contract values implied by the scale of named institutional mandates rather than disclosed rate cards.

Name

Lisode

Legal name

Lisode

Website

https://lisode.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lisode is a Montpellier-based consulting firm founded in 2008 that designs and facilitates participatory decision-making processes using its ComMod (Companion Modelling) methodology, serving French public agencies, international development institutions, and research organizations across 26 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Participation Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Stakeholder Engagement, Indigenous/Tribal Consultation & Social Impact (SIA) (EUAHAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Development Cooperation & Foreign Aid Administration (BPAIAIAG), NEPA/EA/EIS & Public Consultation (EUAHAAAB)

Keywords

• Consultation engineering services
• Participatory decision making
• Public participation facilitation
• Stakeholder engagement consulting
• Companion modeling research

Headquarters

HQ city

Montpellier

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Consulting engagements for designing and facilitating public participation processes, multi-actor consultation strategies, and governance co-construction with public institutions and research organizations.
2. Professional Training Programs: Both open enrollment training sessions (eligible for professional funding) and custom in-house training programs on consultation engineering, group facilitation, participatory research, and companion modeling approaches.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lisode provides consultation engineering, research support, and professional training services for participatory decision-making processes. The company designs and facilitates multi-stakeholder consultation strategies, develops role-playing games, evaluates public participation processes, and delivers Qualiopi-certified training programs on consultation engineering, participatory research, and the ComMod (Companion Modelling) approach for public sector institutions, research organizations, and international development agencies.

Product overview

Lisode offers a suite of consultation engineering services centered on participatory decision-making processes. The core portfolio includes strategic consultation design, workshop facilitation, evaluation services, research support, international participation programs (especially in the Global South), and role-playing games based on the ComMod (Companion Modelling) approach. These services are complemented by professional training programs including courses on public participation facilitation, participatory research methods, collective intelligence, and the Companion Modeling research school. The offerings form an integrated practice focused on creating dialogue between actors with divergent interests to improve collective decision-making.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stratégie de concertation (Consultation Strategy) Strategic consultation services to help public actors design and implement participatory decision-making processes for territorial projects.
• Facilitation des ateliers (Workshop Facilitation) Workshop facilitation services to enable dialogue and co-construction of shared solutions among stakeholders with divergent interests.
• Évaluation (Evaluation) Evaluation services to assess public participation processes, measuring their effectiveness, coherence, and outcomes.
• Appui à la recherche (Research Support) Research support services combining participatory modeling and role-playing games to facilitate stakeholder consultation in research projects.
• Participation dans les Suds (Participation in the Global South) International cooperation services promoting genuine participation in development projects, with experience across 26 countries including the Maghreb, West Africa, South America, and South Asia.
• Jeux de rôles (Role-playing Games) Role-playing game development and facilitation services using the ComMod (Companion Modelling) approach to reconcile expert knowledge with stakeholder representations and find consensual solutions on complex resource management issues.
• Training Program: Designing and Facilitating Public Participation Processes Professional training program teaching frameworks, tools, and methods to plan, lead, and facilitate participatory processes for public actors and consultants. Eligible for French professional funding.
• Training Program: Participatory Research: Principles and Methods Training program on participatory research principles and methods for co-creating knowledge and collaborating with society, jointly run with MSH-Sud, CIRAD, and IRD.
• Training Program: Group Facilitation to Support Collective Intelligence Training program helping public organizations and research centers leverage diverse viewpoints and build internal and external stakeholder bridges.
• Training Program: Developing a Companion Modeling Approach (Research School) Advanced research school on the companion modeling approach, using participatory modeling and role-playing games for natural resource management.

Quantifiable outcome

• 295 training sessions organized since 2011, with 2600+ participants trained
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• MSH-Sud (Maison des Sciences de l'Homme de Montpellier)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024MSH-Sud co-delivers Lisode's training programs, including the 'Participatory Research: Principles and Methods' training. Training sessions are held at MSH-Sud facilities in Montpellier.
• Expertise FrancemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Lisode provided technical assistance to Expertise France for the design and evaluation of participatory processes for the Colombian Amazon deforestation combat initiative, supporting rural community participation in 6 departments.
• A proposminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023Consulting firm partnered with Lisode for the Gulf of Aigues-Mortes governance project, contributing to the co-construction of a multi-actor governance model.
• SeaneaominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023Consulting firm partnered with Lisode for the Gulf of Aigues-Mortes governance project, working together with A propos on territorial governance analysis.
• GRET-SénégalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership with GRET-Sénégal and POSCEAS for the DISS'EAU project, developing citizen participation in water and sanitation management in rural Senegal through role-playing games and training sessions.
• University of ExetermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Lisode partnered with University of Exeter to evaluate the public participation process for the Sâane Valley territorial project, conducting parallel evaluation across territories on both sides of the English Channel.
• EnvilysminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Consulting firm partnered with Lisode on the Territorial Project for Water Management in the Curé Basin, conducting stakeholder interviews and consultation strategy design.
• CIRADcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020CIRAD (French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development) is a key strategic partner for Lisode's work on agricultural innovation systems and participatory research. Together they implemented the MASSIRE project in the Maghreb and co-deliver training programs on Companion Modeling approaches.
• IRD (Research Institute for Development)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020IRD collaborates with Lisode on international research projects and co-delivers training programs. They organized an international meeting on water governance with researchers from 6 Asian countries and work together on North-South scientific collaboration initiatives.
• IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020IFAD funded the MASSIRE project which Lisode implemented in partnership with CIRAD to strengthen agricultural innovation systems in vulnerable regions of the Maghreb, conducting nearly 100 participatory workshops.
• GRETmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020GRET (international development NGO) partnered with Lisode on the DISS'EAU project in Senegal to strengthen civil society participation in water and sanitation management, resulting in the development of the 'F'Eau ba deg'eau' role-playing game.
• AGIRE Program (Morocco, Germany, Switzerland)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018AGIRE ('Support for Integrated Water Resources Management') is a trilateral cooperation program between Morocco, Germany, and Switzerland. Lisode was commissioned to implement participatory water management approaches in Morocco through this program.
• Directorate of Water Research and Planning (Morocco)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Lisode worked with Morocco's national water authority to design and implement participatory management contracts for water resources, resulting in guidelines and a draft decree for participatory water governance in Morocco.
• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011IUCN commissioned Lisode to implement ComMod approaches for the Meagre Fishery Management Plan in Mauritania, involving all stakeholders in the fishery sector through role-playing games and participatory workshops.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BL Évolution: French firm supporting public actors and NGOs on participatory democracy, citizen consultation, and transition projects. Directly comparable to Lisode in target customers (local authorities, public agencies), service offering (consultation design and facilitation), and geographic focus on France.
• Particip GmbH: German consulting firm focused on participatory planning, citizen participation, and stakeholder dialogue for public administrations and infrastructure projects. Highly comparable to Lisode's practice in Germany and Europe, with similar methodology-led positioning and project-based delivery to public clients.
• Missions Publiques: French consultancy specializing in public participation, citizen dialogue, and democratic deliberation. Missions Publiques is a near-perfect direct peer to Lisode, addressing the same French public-sector buyer with similar facilitation, consultation design, and participatory process services.
• IFOK: German dialogue and participation consultancy (now part of the Oliver Wyman Group) specializing in multi-stakeholder processes, public dialogue, and citizen participation. Closely comparable to Lisode on methodology and customer profile, operating in Germany and internationally rather than France.
• Res Publica Conseil: Paris-based public affairs and stakeholder consultation consultancy working with public and private actors on participatory processes, public debate, and territorial dialogue. Operates in the same French market as Lisode with directly overlapping services around consultation engineering and multi-stakeholder facilitation.
• Danish Board of Technology (Teknologisk Institut): Danish organization running public participation, citizen deliberation, and technology assessment processes, now housed within the Danish Technological Institute. Directly comparable to Lisode on methodology (deliberative processes) and customer profile (public institutions), serving as a European benchmark for participatory practice.

Emerging players

• IIED (International Institute for Environment and Development): UK-based research and policy organization working on participatory approaches to sustainable development, particularly in the Global South. Comparable to Lisode on international development and participatory research mandates, though operating as a non-profit think-and-do tank rather than a commercial consultancy.

Broad incumbents

• IAP2 (International Association for Public Participation): Global professional association for the public participation field, setting standards, training, and credentialing practitioners worldwide. While not a commercial peer, IAP2 defines the profession that Lisode operates in and shapes buyer expectations around consultation practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lisode

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lisode