The concepts and tools described in this paper primarily originate from a Western context, from both the private and public sectors. It is therefore important to consider the extent to which they are useful for and applicable to strengthening the existing capacity of CSOs where:
• uncertainty and instability can put additional pressure on organisations to respond rapidly to the changing environment
• the level of access to, and the type of, education may not encourage critical thinking and reflective analysis
• local culture influences the organisation’s ways of working and shapes its conceptual understanding and experiences
• organisations may not have the resources to create the time and space for sharing experiences, or facilitating critical reflection and individual initiative
• the maturity and capacity of CSOs may differ considerably
Taking these into consideration we can summarise a number of key capacities which may be most relevant to CSOs:
1. Strong focus on mission and values: organisations that have a strong sense of identity based on a clear vision and explicit values can respond more confidently, appropriately and effectively to changing circumstances. Without this ‘anchor’, they may be overly influenced by the agendas of others or simply continue old strategies without questioning them. This may be particularly relevant in cultures with less tolerance of uncertainty60 where people may not feel comfortable thinking outside the box and being innovative and creative without the stabilising anchor provided by clear vision and values.
2. Ability to map and scan the wider system: organisations need to understand and map the dynamics and interrelationships of the system in which they operate. They also need to periodically ‘scan’ the system in a similar way to a radar to identify emerging opportunities, challenges or triggers for change. One relatively simple way of doing this is to use rich pictures, as was described in section 2.1.1. This process may be complicated where the boundaries of the wider system are difficult to define or are perceived differently by those involved in the mapping. Whether it leads to proactive adaptation will depend on the effectiveness of the organisation’s knowledge management systems, how the information produced is interpreted and whether it is fully integrated into planning processes61.
3. Flexibility to revise organisational mental models: organisations need to be flexible and open to new knowledge and innovation but may be stuck in existing ‘tried and tested’ ways of working or a narrow focus on problem-solving. This involves standing back to ask the question ‘why are things the way they are?’. In contexts where change is frequently perceived as negative, and maintaining status quo is seen as important, it may be difficult to get organisations to move out of their ‘comfort zones’ and adjust their mental models. On the other hand, in some contexts rules and routines may be approached in more flexible ways allowing more openness to change.
4. Combining reductionist and systems thinking: organisations that combine reductionist thinking with systems thinking may be able to gain a better understanding of the issue they want to address, and how it relates to the wider system. Many cultures do not share the need of Western organisations to reduce complex dynamics to what can be explained rationally. Combining cause and effect reasoning with holistic systems thinking may be more natural for
organisations in these contexts, although they may not explicitly think of it in this way. However, combining these two styles of thinking within one organisation may prove to be complex to manage in practice.
5. Balancing planned and emergent strategies: organisations that balance the more rigid strategic planning with organic and creative learning processes may be more open to allowing adaptive strategies to emerge. This involves the capacity to anticipate change rather than just reacting to it. However, many CSOs appear to adopt ways of working similar to Western models of strategic planning and management, rather than drawing on the less formalised and more emergent strategies that may prevail in their local cultures62. In these cases, it may be beneficial to develop hybrid models which use strategic planning to provide structure or ‘logic’ to a programme but are also responsive to unanticipated or ‘emergent’ events.
In the following table we suggest how weak and strong analytical and adaptive capacities can influence the effectiveness of CSOs.
Comparison of weak and strong analytical and adaptive capacity
No comments:
Post a Comment