Training Presentation
Systemic Action Research
Purpose of this training
To transfer knowledge about SAR concepts and methodology
To propose activities for virtual or in person training
To prepare trainers
To gather feedback to further develop content and activities
Provide further detail for the facilitation guide
Overview of the knowledge transfer
3
Participatory action research (concepts & methods)
6
Introduction to action research concepts, process steps, and ways of working
Developing strategies
5
Practical techniques to analyse maps and generate strategies with theories of change
Systemic inquiry (mapping)
4
Practical techniques to analyses narratives and produce larger and smaller systems maps
Participatory action research (facilitator training)
7
Practical techniques for facilitating groups in action research processes
Introduction to Systemic Action Research
1
Explanation of the methodology and how it differs from traditional approaches
Introduction to systems thinking
2
Theoretical overview of systems thinking and why we use this approach for complex problems
Systemic inquiry (narratives)
3
Training in practical techniques to collect ‘narratives’ from community members
Module 1: Introduction to SAR
In this module we will learn about the methodology of Systemic Action Research. Participants will understand how the methodology differs from traditional approaches to development, research, and peacebuilding. What is Investigacion Accion Sistemica. The main roles will be presented and discussed.
Who has the power?
Who decides who can participate?
What you can talk about/do
How you talk/act
When you talk/act
Who has the resources? Who decides how they are used?
Who are the experts?
Who creates knowledge? Who uses it?
How does power normally flow?
What is SAR?
A methodology...
What causes conflict? What builds peace?
What is SAR?
Brief history of the methodology
SAR in Myanmar
Started in 2013, locations affected by conflict
Several of the implementation areas were highly insecure. Military personnel from state and non-state armed groups move freely among civilian populations. Many people had experienced rights abuses
Work with displaced communities, guerilla area
Continued until now, natural resource issues
What is SAR?
A methodology...
Collecting narratives
Mapping cause and effect (systems mapping)
Action research: core group meetings
Action research cycle
SAR in Myanmar
Action research: community meetings
SAR in Myanmar
Community-led peacebuilding: drug issues
SAR in Myanmar
Community-led peacebuilding: drug issues
Community-led peacebuilding: landmine education
Child Labour: Action-Research-Innovation in South and South-Eastern Asia
Child Labour: Action-Research-Innovation in South and South-Eastern Asia
Three countries, 12 partners, 80 staff, tens of thousands of participants
Child-centered approach
Resources plus collective action
Multi-level response
Systemic Action Research in Mali
credit: Institute for Development Studies
Roles in SAR
What expectations do we have of each other?
What commitments are we making?
Recap
How does SAR differ from other methodologies?
What are its values?
What are the main steps?
What are the main roles?
STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE
Why?
Key people: manager and facilitators
module 2: Introduction to systems thinking
In this module we will learn about “systems thinking,” and how we use it to understand the causes and effects of issues affecting our community. We will learn about patterns of cause and effect that influence why some things change, and others stay the same. We will learn why, if we want to change destructive systems, it is useful to first understand these patterns.
What is a system?
System learning game
Swords and Shields (20 minutes)
In this simulation, participants are asked to select one person to be their “sword” and a different person to be their “shield”. They are told that their objective is to always have their shield between them and their sword (thus protecting them from the sword.) When I say “go”, use your “Shield” to protect you from the “Sword.” In other words, you must keep the person who is your “Shield” between you and your “Sword” Ask for predictions on what might happen. Try out the instructions. Discuss what happened and why.
Why try to understand systems?
List 1
How are the problems in List 1 different from the problems in List 2?
List 2
Credit: The Omidyar Group
Many problems in our society are �“cloud problems”
Some problems worked more like clocks: mechanical, finite, predictable, logical, controllable.
While other problems worked like clouds: infinite, complex, dynamic, unpredictable, difficult to control.
Credit: The Omidyar Group
¿Qué define un problema de ‘reloj’?
La "causa" del problema es más probable que resida dentro del problema en sí, y la solución está en trabajar directamente en el problema separado del contexto
En el mundo del reloj, existe un bajo grado de conexión entre el problema y el entorno en el que existe.
Credit: The Omidyar Group
¿Qué define un problema de ‘nube’?
El problema tiene un conjunto complejo de “causas” e “impactos” que están interconectados entre sí y en constante cambio.
En los problemas de nube existe un alto grado de conexión entre el problema y el entorno.
Credit: The Omidyar Group
Necesitamos métodos para abordar problemas de nube (es decir, sistemas adaptativos complejos)
Credit: The Omidyar Group.
Why try to understand systems?
What is a complex adaptive system?
A complex set of connected factors whose dynamic and non-linear interaction gives rise to emergent properties.
An example ‘system’
Alejandro comes home afraid. He is worried about some of the other boys at school. They asked him to join a gang. The gang was formed by older boys that don’t have jobs, so have got engaged in petty crime to earn income and social status. There hasn’t been much work to do since the local coffee plantations were temporarily closed down. These were closed down while the land was prospected for large scale extraction of iron ore. Local workers aren’t trained for this, so the jobs have gone to outsiders. Now there is conflict between locals and outsiders, which has led to several beatings and gunfights in the past month. Coffee producers are saying that they will not reopen their plantations unless the security situation improves.
Alejandro does not want to join the gang because he doesn’t like the way that the gangs have been harassing women. Gender-based violence is a growing problem in the community. He tells his sister that he is planning to get a gun, to scare the gang off if they try to recruit him again. Together with his youth group, they take a petition to the mayor calling for a local bylaw to prohibit the gangs, and calling for the resumption of coffee production. Two weeks later Alejandro is arrested for shooting another young man.
What is a complex adaptive system?
A complex set of connected factors whose dynamic and non-linear interaction gives rise to emergent properties.
Credit: Fundación Ideas para la Paz
Factors: causes and effects
Alejandro comes home afraid. He is worried about some of the other boys at school. They asked him to join a gang. The gang was formed by older boys that don’t have jobs, so have got engaged in petty crime to earn income and social status. There hasn’t been much work to do since the local coffee plantations were temporarily closed down. These were closed down while the land was prospected for large scale extraction of iron ore. Local workers aren’t trained for this, so the jobs have gone to outsiders. Now there is conflict between locals and outsiders, which has led to several beatings and gunfights in the past month. Coffee producers are saying that they will not reopen their plantations unless the security situation improves.
Alejandro does not want to join the gang because he doesn’t like the way that the gangs have been harassing women. Gender-based violence is a growing problem in the community. He tells his sister that he is planning to get a gun, to scare the gang off if they try to recruit him again. Together with his youth group, they take a petition to the mayor calling for a local bylaw to prohibit the gangs, and calling for the resumption of coffee production. Two weeks later Alejandro is arrested for shooting another young man.
Factors: the building block of systems
Factors are anything that influences the system
(at your level of analysis)
Factors can be events, trends, norms, beliefs, emotions or attitudes, phenomena, institutions, laws, policies, etc
Factors are not usually people or organisations, but what they do, think, feel, or institutionalise
CÍRCULOS DE RETROALIMENTACIÓN
La retroalimentación entre fuerzas en un sistema puede ser positiva (donde más crea más) o negativa (donde más crea menos). Los patrones de fuerzas (círculos) pueden amplificar el cambio o prevenirlo.
Credit: Fundación Ideas para la Paz
Stabilising loops
(keep things from getting worse)
As the use of fossil fuel increases, the reserves of fuel are depleted, which leads to an increase in commodity price (of fossil fuel), which then results in a decrease of fossil fuel use
Credit: The Omidyar Group.
Stagnating loops
(keep things from getting better)
A country makes limited reforms to preserve stability. This limit’s the state’s capacity to make deep changes, decreasing citizen trust. For this reason, citizens resolve challenges outside of state institutions, which normalises violence. This generates fear and instability, which reinforces stability over reform.
Credit: Fundación Ideas para la Paz
Vicious cycles
(things get worse and worse)
When the literacy rate is low, qualifying for jobs becomes difficult which increases the level of unemployment. High unemployment leads to the number of households existing at or below the poverty level to increase. As poverty increases people are more likely to prioritize income-generating activity over education, which further decreases the literacy rate.
Credit: The Omidyar Group.
Virtuous cycles
(things get better and better)
When a parent extends trust to a child, the child’s freedoms are increased. As the child experiences the enjoyment of increased freedoms, their desire to maintain these extra privileges increases. As their desire to have privileges increases, their responsible behavior is also increased, which in turn increases the parent’s trust in the child.
Credit: The Omidyar Group
Learning recap
Complex adaptive systems
Factors (cause and effect)
Loops (stagnating, stabilising, vicious, virtuous)
module 3: systemic inquiry (narratives)
In this module we will learn how to collect data to understand systems. We will learn how to collect narratives our people's’ lived experience, which prioritise the issues that are important to them. We will learn how to collect and record this data, about individual and collective narratives, who to talk to, and how to how to keep people safe. We will practice collecting narratives so that we are confident to go out and do it.
Data collection for systemic inquiry
Why do we collect life stories?
Who do we collect life stories from?
Who do we normally consider to be experts?
It’s different in SAR - who has direct experience of cause and effect?
Collecting life stories
Who do we collect life stories from?
The informal approach allows for different conversation types:
Having an open inquiry allows for complexity
SAR in Myanmar 2013-6
Why do we need detail from our life stories?
Open versus framed inquiry
How to introduce the research
Your introduction must be sufficient to allow for informed consent.
Participants must have a sufficient understanding of what the research is about, and the potential implications of participating.
Suggestion: We are community researchers. We are trying to understand how people have been affected by the conflicts in our area, and what it will take for reconciliation. We would like to know what issues people have experienced, how these issues are connected, and what we can do about them locally. We can talk to you for as short or as long as you like, and won't use anything you say if you're not happy with it. The information you provide will be used to plan community development activities, which you could be part of. Otherwise the information that you provide will be anonymous. Can I ask you a couple of questions about the situation here? We will record what you say, but will not identify you except for an anonymous code.
Since you have been here, what issues have you experienced related to the conflict…
Can you tell me a story about how you have experienced...
Consent and anonymity
Interview style
Recording guidance
Practice - fishbowl & breakout groups
What was the experience of those involved?
What is the feedback of observers?
module 4: systemic inquiry (mapping)
In this module we learn why we map systems, and how to do it. We will learn how to identify causes and effects and other kinds of important information in narratives, and how we map them visually. We will learn how to include the appropriate amount of detail, and how to connect multiple narratives together in one map. We will practice all of these skills to prepare us for mapping.
Life story analysis
Factors: causes and effects
Alejandro comes home afraid. He is worried about some of the other boys at school. They asked him to join a gang. The gang was formed by older boys that don’t have jobs, so have got engaged in petty crime to earn income and social status. There hasn’t been much work to do since the local coffee plantations were temporarily closed down. These were closed down while the land was prospected for large scale extraction of iron ore. Local workers aren’t trained for this, so the jobs have gone to outsiders. Now there is conflict between locals and outsiders, which has led to several beatings and gunfights in the past month. Coffee producers are saying that they will not reopen their plantations unless the security situation improves.
Alejandro does not want to join the gang because he doesn’t like the way that the gangs have been harassing women. Gender-based violence is a growing problem in the community. He tells his sister that he is planning to get a gun, to scare the gang off if they try to recruit him again. Together with his youth group, they take a petition to the mayor calling for a local bylaw to prohibit the gangs, and calling for the resumption of coffee production. Two weeks later Alejandro is arrested for shooting another young man.
Systems mapping
Drawing information from life stories in “mini-maps”
Drawing causes and effects and noting other information
Connecting across stories to create meta-maps
Identifying loops, common relationships, and influential factors or loops
Systems mapping
Factors: causes, effects, relationships
factual information (dates, numbers, etc)
Actors (people and organisations)
Potential strategies (tried, failed, suggested)
module 5: developing strategies
In this module we learn how to identify the most interesting causal patterns in our maps. We learn how to examine our maps, to discover where our efforts can have the greatest positive impact (leverage). Using these discoveries, we practice developing theories of change that provide a pathway from our actions to the changes that we desire.
Analysing your map 1
Analysing your map 2
Why try to understand systems? Empowerment
What causes drug addiction in our community?
“Drugs are a weapon of genocide, used by the Burmese to try and wipe us out”
Towards more empowering narratives
After mapping...
Why map systems?
to know why things aren’t working
Credit: The Systems Thinker
Why map systems?
to discover leverage
Leverage is a phenomenon where small effort results in big impacts. When one exploits areas of leverage in a system by affecting key dynamics, it can result in wider ripple effects that ultimately help the system to change itself.
Credit: The Omidyar Group
Systems change strategies
Potential impact:
Possible?
Where possibility and potential impact aligns
Why map systems?
to develop theories of change
Why map systems?
to develop theories of change
Theories of change
A statement of the causal process through which the changes that we desire may result from our actions.
Something that guides our actions.
Something that we review and revise.
If (we do this), then (our goal will be achieved), because (our assumed causal logic)
Systemic Inquiry
Theory of Change
Action Planning
Action
Evaluation
SAR in Myanmar
Community-led peacebuilding: drug issues
SAR in Myanmar
Community-led peacebuilding: drug issues
Community-led peacebuilding: landmine education
Theories of change
If former combatants have better local employment opportunities, we will have less petty crime in our community, because ex combatants will have sufficient resources to sustain themselves while they reintegrate into society, and better relationships with other community members.
Developing theories of change
module 6: action research (concepts & process)
This theoretical module introduces us to action research, in which we meet regularly to move forward the implementation of our strategies. We learn about working in networks, and accessing the resources they hold. We learn about the different types of meetings we will use, why we need them, who needs to be involved, what roles people have, what happens in them, and how to keep people safe.
Participatory Action Research
Participatory Action Research
Systemic Inquiry
Theory of Change
Action Planning
Action
Evaluation
The potential of working in networks
We identify and engage the resources available in our network:
Herramienta 3: Diálogo estructurado
Selecting facilitators
Time, energy, and commitment
Relationships and credibility
Democratic leadership style
Responsible for leading each participatory action research “strand”
Will receive facilitation training
Herramienta 3: Diálogo estructurado
Convening action research groups
6-8 people
from systemic inquiry
time, energy, and commitment
different perspectives
led by a facilitator
every 2-6 weeks
Beginning: from theory of change to planning
Things to talk about in action research meetings
Typical agenda of action research meetings
Herramienta 3: Diálogo estructurado
Wider community meetings
20-200 people
every 2-3 months
Organised and led by the facilitator and action research group members
A place for presenting research findings, raising awareness, accessing resources, inviting participation
module 7: action research (facilitator training)
In this practical module we learn the skills required to facilitate action research. We focus on skills that are important to group dialog, the particular topics required for action research, how to manage conflict, how to record meetings, and how to plan and organise effectively.
Herramienta 3: Diálogo estructurado
Selecting facilitators
Time, energy, and commitment
Relationships and credibility
Democratic leadership style
Responsible for leading each participatory action research “strand”
Will receive facilitation training
Herramienta 3: Diálogo estructurado
Facilitation skills
“the facilitator’s role is to create and maintain the space through which collective insight emerges”
Herramienta 3: Diálogo estructurado
Facilitation techniques
facilitators are challenged by:
lack of ideas
off-topics
conflict
timekeeping
Herramienta 3: Diálogo estructurado
Disagreement is not a bad thing...
facilitators are challenged by:
lack of ideas
off-topics
conflict
timekeeping
Herramienta 3: Diálogo estructurado
Recording guidance
recording is useful to keep a record of learning and decisions, to help new people, and to provide in reports
Herramienta 3: Diálogo estructurado
Practicing facilitation - fishbowl, groups
v
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