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Social learning
- - Social learning
    Social (or collaborative) learning refers to learning processes among a group of people who seek to improve a common situation and take action collectively. It is useful to think of five main strands that support the process.
PM&E
- - PM&E
    Planning, monitoring and evaluation form a natural structure for social learning. They need to be linked together, and when seen in this way can naturally underpin a collaborative and outcome-oriented approach to management.
Collaboration/Engagement
- - Collaboration/Engagement
    A growing challenge for managers in our complex world is to step beyond a narrow operational focus that deals with individual technical aspects, and engage more meaningfully with a range of partners and key stakeholders through improved communication and engagement activities.
Supporting change
- - Supporting change
    The basic principles underpinning successful change are universal and there are a wide range of guides developed in many different contexts that can help us. However, to achieve change policy makers and others need to be aware of the characteristics of complex social systems, and what these mean for the design of constructive interventions. It is also important to involving the right people in the co-design of interventions that recognise when to use synergistic links across both individual and wider practice change initiatives.
Social research
- - Social research
    Participatory action research that operates within the area of practice, and works with the different stakeholders and partners involved, can accelerate learning and actions that lead to the wider system transformations that we want.
Practical links
- - Practical links
    This section provides links to guides and tips for facilitation and ways of collaborating in on-line meetings and events. And it hosts some more miscellaneous resource topics that I follow from time to to time.
Blog
About
- - About
    Here is where you can see the range of work that I get involved in (managing this website is just a way of sharing some lessons from that work), and meet a few of the people that I work with on a regular basis. You can also find out more about the Learning for Sustainability site's 20 year history.

Category: systemic design

Co-design and facilitation: keys to sustainable change

By Will Allen Posted on March 13, 2024 Posted in co-design, collaboration, facilitation, systemic design, systems thinking No Comments

Addressing complex sustainability and development challenges require collective action. This post points to the pivotal role of facilitation and co-design in fostering impactful, constructive change. “Human behaviours, at various decision-making levels, play a crucial role in navigating the complex sustainability …

Co-design and facilitation: keys to sustainable change Read more »

An introduction to systems thinking and systemic design – concepts and tools

By Will Allen Posted on February 27, 2021 Posted in systemic design, systems thinking No Comments

Complexity is a core feature of most policy issues today. Climate change, public health, catchment (watershed) management, conservation, income inequality and poverty today are known to be wicked or messy problems. These wicked problems are characterized by complexity, uncertainty, interdependence …

An introduction to systems thinking and systemic design – concepts and tools Read more »

Learning for Sustainability services

The LfS site highlights on-line resources for those working with complex issues. It showcases the wide range of activities, skills and processes that collectively support constructive engagement, co-design, adaptation, and reflective practice.

The site framework has been developed through the course of my work and indicated resources are open access and freely available. If you would like further support to explore the implementation of these approaches then Will Allen & Associates can help link you with experienced practitioners.

Popular site resources

Systems thinking – gaining more holistic and relational views
Behaviour change interventions – guides to approaches and theories
Theory of change – improving program understanding
Complicated or complex – knowing the difference is important
Systemic design – linking systems and design thinking
Managing cross-sector partnerships and collaborations
Facilitation guides, tools & techniques
After action reviews – and how they can be linked with ToCs to support strategic thinking
Planning, monitoring & evaluation – closing the loop
Selecting evaluation questions and types

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Newsletter postings advise of major changes and additions to this site, and will be sent out as an occasional LfS site update e-mail to those of you who wish – 2 to 3 times/year. You can subscribe here.

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Thanks in advance for your comments, ideas or feedback. Its good to make contact with others interested in this area, Feel free to suggest additional content to link to. Just use the site contact form.

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