An interaction with Chris Blackmore got me thinking. I had listed elements I saw in my project purpose. My third point was this:
3. Systems Concepts. Seeing AWARD and alumnae entity as two systems and the implications of that. How to move fellows from being within an AWARD system to the environment where they can influence and be influenced by AWARD?
And Chris commented:
Could you draw a diagram of this? Remember that systems thinking is about going up a level of abstraction so if you are perceiving two systems, what does the next level up look like?
In my third assignment in the course on Managing Systemic Change (TU812) I wrote the following:
Self-organisation: For long term sustainability, Bawden asserts that "we need to facilitate the transformation of communities into learning systems which are sufficiently self-referential that they will be able to learn about their own learning" (Bawden 1999, p.43). If we consider fellows and ex-fellows as a system of African women in agricultural research and development with the dual purpose of developing each other and contributing to African agriculture, it is apparent that at the moment the AWARD programme is inside the boundaries of such a system (Figure 3, left). To ensure sustainability, the fellows need to be a self-organised system with AWARD moved to the environment (Figure 3, right). From this position of structural coupling with environment, the African women scientist system can co-evolve with AWARD while it exists and continue to adapt after AWARD finishes.
Figure 3. Creating sustainability. Moving AWARD from the core of the system (left) to the environment (right)
I still think this diagram is relevant and useful. But Chris' question remains unanswered: What does the next level up look like?
As Ray Ison (and Senge I think, anyway other authors too) has said: If that is the answer, what is the question?
I have the WHAT, what is the WHY?
I guess it must be the wider system of developing critical advances and innovations in agricultural development for Africa. The 'empowering women' bit is one subsystem which (we believe) can contribute to that higher level aim. Thoughts?
Comments
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Hi Arwen
What a great question.....
THe first perspective I'd offer is to say that I see AWARD in the system - I see it as an ACTOR in the system - just one that takes a steering, facilitating, prompting role.
To date it seems to me that AWARD has limited the steering, facilitating role to the AWARD programme itself - but is sounds to me as if you are shifting the boundary to take responsibility for what happens afterwards (the 'alumnae' element).
I am reminded how manufacturers are now being asked to think about the full lifecycle of their products - so to design in the issue of recycling and sustainability from the beginning - they see themselves as part of a higher level purpose.
As a parallel, I wonder whether AWARDs recent shift to extend its boundary of responsibility to include alumni should not just create an 'add-on' set of activities but make it re-think the design of the main programme itself. So what conditions can it create within the award scheme itself that will make it more likely that alumni will remain in 'communities of practice/learning' as a natural progression. Some sort of design turn there.
Again I see links here with the learning trajectory stuff we did as part of TU812 - my end trajectory made me realise the importance of staying in touch with other students - it therefore became my purposeful action to do so (not purpose imposed by OU saying you need to stay in touch).
And as for higher purpose question - from the insights I have gained from reading what you write about AWARD I kind of see two complementary higher purposes:
- to improve quality of african agricultural research (by including voices of women...)
and also
- to help empower women (by enabling their inclusion in agri research...)
Not sure if this helps
regards
Helen