This post reviews the purpose, aims and learning outcomes of the OU module TU812 Managing Systemic Change: inquiry, action and interaction (OU, 2010) to act as an ongoing reference point for me during my studies.
Key themes of the module:
Change, what it is and how to manage it in an inter-connected world.
Managing change is meant, in terms of this module, as having a positive bearing on change, in both its nature and direction.
Not all change can be controlled, influenced or acted upon. But some changes we can ensure positive outcomes for by better controlling our responses to those changes, learning from mistakes that were made and developing outcomes which are ethical, sustainable and long-lived. This kind of approach is possible only when applying a systemic understanding of the underlying problem or situation.
Defining key terms:
Managing change here means working with others to shape the ways we view a situation, and how we act and perform in the face of that situation, usually over a period of time. But this managing is not carried out in isolation, instead it takes into account the various actors or players in the situation (the module refers to them as practitioners) and their relationships and interactions to one another as well.
Systemic understanding is introduced as an important element in managing change systemically. This is defined as “understanding phenomena within the context of larger wholes” (OU 2010). To do this we need to understand the situation in terms of the different elements or players and their inter-relationships, the process(es) at play and their purpose(s) and how these all sit in the wider environment. It also requires us to take account of differing perspectives or ways of looking at the situation and to remain mindful of any unintended consequences of our actions.
What I can expect to get out of studying this module:
- a better appreciation of the kinds of situations which would benefit from managing change systemically
- experience in applying a systemic approach to my own context, i.e. to situations relevant in my career or profession, and/or situations of interest or concern to me personally
- develop awareness of key concepts and lineages/traditions within the systems field
- know how to undertake a systemic inquiry, and gain experience in doing so
- understand what a social learning system is and study a case study on one
- know how to conduct an inquiry into communities of practice, and gain experience conducting one such inquiry
The purpose is to develop my own systemic practice through the dual approach of (1) studying and exploring others’ contexts and experiences while (2) exploring and building up experience in my own contexts.
Aims of the module – assist me to:
- understand the range of needs for managing systemic change
- be aware of systems ideas (such as inquiry, action, interaction) which can support managing systemic change
- develop skills and capacity in designing and conducting systemic inquiries to understand, act upon and improve complex problems or situations of concern
- appreciate the actions and interactions of their own practice in a variety of contexts, professional and personal
- access a model of the ideal systems practitioner
- develop their abilities in critical reflection and systemic practice
- understand how to develop critical social learning systems
- explore and plan their future trajectories among communities of practice
- be aware of the different kinds of social learning systems and practices
Learning objectives:
KNOWLEDGE & UNDERSTANDING:
- nature of systems / key systems concepts / multiple systems traditions
- nature of change / value of managing systemic change
- concept of practice / (distinctive, ethical) nature of systemic practice
- why joined-up working is difficult / how systemic practice can help overcome that difficulty
- nature of learning / nature of social learning / roles of social learning practices
COGNITIVE SKILLS:
- understand how my engagement with complex situations determines what improvements are possible
- design inquiries, actions and learning systems to improve situations
- engage in reflective practice / be aware of the links between my own and others’ traditions
- discern the ethical course of behaviour for a given situation
KEY SKILLS:
- responsible for my own learning in both new and familiar situations
- effective communicator (orally, written and graphically as appropriate)
- researching relevant information from appropriate sources
- deepened understanding of complex, problematic situations
- use and develop models and techniques to improve such situations
PRACTICAL/PROFESSIONAL SKILLS:
- develop my own systemic practice, relevant to my professional and/or personal contexts
- design and deliver systemic inquiries appropriate to the specific context within which I am working
- take account of the issues of ethics, critical thinking, politics and power in my systemic practice
- develop and manage my relationships with clients and other stakeholders
- develop and manage my future direction (trajectories) and roles in relation to the specific networks and communities of which I am a member, whilst also considering wider perspectives relevant to my practice and my context
Quick overview of what’s involved in the 3 parts of the module:
PART 1:
- nature of change
- managing systemic change
- recognising the nature of situations in need of systemic change – in my own context, in other contexts
- an intro to the module, how it’s structured, how best to navigate through it/study it
- setting up a learning contract
- an overview of available learning resources
- begin an inquiry into my own systems practice
- undertake a second iteration of inquiry into my own practice, with the aim of transforming my capabilities for managing systemic change
PART 2:
- reading and engaging with ideas in the Systems Practice book
- exploring situations where there’s a need for managing systemic change
- continuing two systemic inquiries from Part 1:
- inquiry into my own systems practice
- using my systems practice for managing systemic change in a situation of concern to me
- reviewing the model of an ideal systems practitioner
- deepening my systems knowledge and skills against the ideal model
- expanding my systems practice repertoire
- understanding the kinds of situations which benefit from thinking and acting systemically
- knowing what’s entailed in thinking and acting systemically
- how to build a practice which displays both systemic understanding and the ability to act in ways which are systemically desirable and culturally feasible
- how situations can be beneficially transformed through systemic practice
- using metaphors as a way of simplifying and presenting complex, uncertain and multi-perspective situations
- arguments for a societal and governance shift towards systemic and adaptive approaches to problem-solving
- exploring who and what is a systems practitioner (which is, anyone directly involved in managing complex and uncertain problems or situations, rather than an external consultant or specialist)
- the systemic practitioner as ‘juggler’ [or ‘woman with many hats’]
- exploring three ways of undertaking a systemic practice:
- systemic inquiry
- systemic action research
- systemic intervention
PART 3:
- reading and engaging with multiple theories and examples from the Social Learning Systems book
- understanding concepts and traditions related to:
- social learning systems (SLS)
- communities of practice (COP)
- understanding the ideas of ‘learning society’, ‘learning organisations’ and ‘appreciative systems’
- exploring how groups of people have collaborated and worked together throughout human history (COPs)
- understanding how SLSs and COPs can underpin my systemic practice
- reflecting on my own experiences wrt SLSs and COPs
- considering my future direction (trajectory) wrt SLSs and COPs
- learning about the SLS traditions developed by Donald Schon and Geoffrey Vickers
- reviewing the Hawkesbury case study of a critical SLS
- understanding a COP inquiry process
- applying it to a situation or theme of interest and relevance to me
- synthesising all the various ideas and examples into one unified overview
- reflecting on the various interactions I’ve had and learnings I’ve gained from my systemic practice (i.e. where I’ve been involved in managing systemic change)
- understanding how SLSs and COPS can benefit in complex, multi-stakeholder situations where collaborative working and group actions are required to ensure successful outcomes in managing change
THROUGHOUT THE MODULE:
- learning about key ideas and people in the field of systems from the Systems Thinkers book
- putting the various ideas introduced the module into context in the wider systems field
- making comparisons between the different types of systems approach
- gaining insight into seven key systems groupings:
- early cybernetics
- general systems theory
- system dynamics
- soft and critical systems
- later cybernetics
- complexity theory
- learning systems
References:
Open University (2010) Managing systematic change : Inquiry, action and interaction : TU812/Module guide, Open University, Milton Keynes.