In Action Learning, the collection of information, perspectives, and insights — data collection — is PART OF the “action” (or work) of program, initiative or movement. This is unlike more traditional approach to evaluation; an external process for gathering a metric-centered ‘baseline’, followed by an evaluation to compare outcomes to this baseline, and then a rendered judgment of success or failure. We typically begin the Action Learning process with a situational analysis, that is a process to better understand the current context, to “get a picture” of the existing situation. The knowledge captured through this process is critical to initiating an alternate approach aimed at engaging people in collective reflection, dialogue, and awareness-raising while also being vital to support program development or improvements.

“Place-Consciousness…encourages us to come together around common, local experiences and organize around our hopes for the future of our communities and cities.” - Grace Lee Boggs

How can this done? As with other approaches to evaluation and research collecting data, perspectives, and insights can take many different forms and range from being highly participatory, to more extractive (e.g. surveys) and from qualitative to quantitative. With Action Learning, we found that participatory methods generated richer and more nuanced knowledge, which was collectively felt to be authentic and therefore more likely to be acted upon. Given that the issues and questions believe to be important by those most affect are prioritized with this approach, the methods employed to gather information must be: accessible to everyone (not just those with technical expertise) and not overly complex (i.e. time-consuming, low tech), engaging (and fun!) in ways that tap into people’s innate wisdom while also respecting the different ways in which people share (e.g. storytelling vs reading, drawing versus writing), and encourage conversation. We have found that visual techniques structured through dynamic conversation.

What should we consider? Mindful participatory and ethical data collection; this is not about a single encounter without the expectation of further engagement. When collecting data as part of Action Learning, those whose insights are sought must understand and trust that their time is not being wasted, that their knowledge is not simply being extracted, and that their insights are shared not without purpose to which they have future rights. (We refer you back to the considerations in part 1). From the onset of the process, there must be clarity around the expectation that knowledge will be processed collectively (includes data collection participants) → in order to inform decision-making and planning and → in turn, be acted upon.

Looking for examples? For information on participatory tools, access to toolkits and agendas for various types of meetings that we have used in a variety of contexts, please refer here.

The following component, Making Sense. Participatory Analysis and Collection Reflection, describes how to provide participants with opportunities to take ownership of the knowledge being generated and of the process.

Chile, Enero 2019

Here is a way we often start of ToC thinking which is fun and can be built on..

A community-friendly approach to Theory of Change thinking...