To this list, I would add Learning Circles. My firm uses this method not simply for planning, but outcome evaluation as well. One of the things we have learned is that because a senior member of the project presents the TOC and project process to community members, the project managers have a much greater appreciation and understanding of the community’s ability to analyze and problem solve. We use these circles to get the project leaders and partners to begin planning with the communities rather than a top down approach. Circles also lend themselves to a developmental process as the evaluator and project/community participants can keep Circles going throughout the project. In fact, we value this method much more than focus groups as it is a real time experience for the the project leaders to more fully understand community needs as well as have the ability to present project plans to the people who will use them and find out what every day people think works.
Hi Margret, thanks for your contribution, I couldn’t agree more. Learning Circles can lead to lasting culture change in a distinctly different way than that of hackathons and social innovation labs through sustained relationship building.
COMMENTS
BY Margret Dugan PhD
ON November 18, 2015 02:01 PM
To this list, I would add Learning Circles. My firm uses this method not simply for planning, but outcome evaluation as well. One of the things we have learned is that because a senior member of the project presents the TOC and project process to community members, the project managers have a much greater appreciation and understanding of the community’s ability to analyze and problem solve. We use these circles to get the project leaders and partners to begin planning with the communities rather than a top down approach. Circles also lend themselves to a developmental process as the evaluator and project/community participants can keep Circles going throughout the project. In fact, we value this method much more than focus groups as it is a real time experience for the the project leaders to more fully understand community needs as well as have the ability to present project plans to the people who will use them and find out what every day people think works.
BY Deepthi Welaratna
ON December 6, 2015 08:20 AM
Hi Margret, thanks for your contribution, I couldn’t agree more. Learning Circles can lead to lasting culture change in a distinctly different way than that of hackathons and social innovation labs through sustained relationship building.