| Session Title: Strengthening the Learning Culture Within Organizations and Projects |
| Think Tank Session 756 to be held in TRAVIS C on Saturday, Nov 13, 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM |
| Sponsored by the Organizational Learning and Evaluation Capacity Building TIG |
| Presenter(s): |
| David Scheie, Touchstone Center for Collaborative Inquiry, dscheie@touchstone-center.com |
| Nan Kari, Touchstone Center for Collaborative Inquiry, nkari@comcast.net |
| Discussant(s): |
| Jessica Shao, Independent Consultant, 415) 889-7084 |
| Scott Hebert, Sustained Impact, shebert@sustainedimpact.com |
| Ross Velure Roholt, University of Minnesota, rossvr@umn.edu |
| Abstract: In this Think Tank, participants can explore the challenges and promising strategies that help to shift organizational and project cultures to include more room for critical reflection and dialogue, thus strengthening ongoing learning and innovation. Drawing on experiences of evaluation projects in a variety of settings, facilitators will sketch some of the reasons for working to enlarge learning cultures and name pressures that tend to constrain free inquiry. Then small groups will engage in dialogue using the following prompts: • What are the conditions in which learning cultures thrive, and how can those conditions be established? • What specific practices have you seen effective in opening up habits of honest inquiry and reflection? • How can a vibrant learning culture be disruptive? What are potential risks if evaluation embraces a learning culture approach? • What benefits have you seen result from a robust organizational learning culture? |