Using Learning History to Learn from Experiences of Change

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Using Learning History to Learn from Experiences
of Change

• Gill Coleman
• CARPP
• University of Bath

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LowCarbonWorks

• 3 year project funded by EPSRC, started 2006
• Interested in the non-technical factors that
  inhibit or enable the uptake of new low-carbon
  technologies
• Working with academic and industrial partners in
  the food industry
• A locked-in sociotechnical regime, with niche
  innovations (Geels, Foxon et.al.)

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Action Research.

• Asks where the room for manoeuvre might be in a
  tightly-coupled system
• Is concerned with messy detail, the practical
  how, complexity, diversity, happenstance
• Wonders what innovation leads to sameness, and
  what to difference
• Pays attention to what is left out by a
  theoretical model, technical development, policy
  recommendations
• Reminds us that, in a historical and cultural
  context, we co-construct our future

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The Thurulie example

• Late 2007, contacted by one of our MSc alumni,
  project-managing the building of a new
  eco-factory in Sri Lanka, supplying lingerie
  for Marks and Spencer
• Prompted by their Plan A requirement to reduce
  the carbon footprint of its suppliers
• Agreed with MAS in Colombo that we would make a
  learning history about the design and building of
  the factory (an innovation what enabled it?)

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Why a Learning History?

• External researchers work with those inside an
  organization to produce an account of a change
  initiative or event
• involves reflecting, capturing, analyzing,
  writing and disseminating what has been learned
• A jointly told tale collaborative intent
• A process of organisational reflection and
  acknowledgement
• Captures and amplifies the learning
• (Roth and Bradbury, 2008)

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Making the Learning History

• 3 weeks in Sri Lanka Feb-March 2008
• Audio recordings of interviews and discussions
  with project team at MAS, with architects,
  engineers, building contractors, and project
  managers on site
• Plus interviews with 2 managers at MS in London
• Learning history written and returned to them in
  May
• Return visit in July 2008 to debrief and reflect

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The factory was opened in April 2008 bySir
Stuart Rose, Exec Chairman of MS
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A Wonderful Experience

• MAS decided to try to create an iconic factory
  that others would want to copy, that would be
  ahead of the game for 2-3 years
• Found all the technical expertise they needed in
  the local university engineering department, a
  multi-disciplinary group who were already working
  together
• Went from first concepts to working factory in
  less than a year
• Very creative response to challenging market
  conditions, despite tight supply-chain lock-in
• Features on MS website, aiming for highest
  (platinum) LEED accreditation

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And also.

• Learning History uncovered the personal passions
  of two key figures in the team
• They all remarked on the unprecedented goodwill
  and excitement attractor
• Experimental, problem-solving, learn-by-doing
  approach experts prepared to not know
• Key role of the translator, boundary-spanner
• Significant relational work (which is normally
  disappeared by the sociotechnical system)

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The challenges of this approach

• Difficult to help the project team reflect
• Difficult to create more than nominal
  participation
• When they heard it back, they noticed what a
  powerful story it was
• LH as a way of supporting/validating the
  champions (possible amplification)

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Anda story brings its socio-political context
with it

• Where are the boundaries of the story? Whose are
  the relevant voices?
• Post-colonial context globalisation, First World
  power, civil war
• Difficult gender dynamics were these good jobs
  for the (85 female) workforce? Judged on what
  basis?
• Is that a relevant question? Where does research
  about a sustainable future draw a line?

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I am left thinking

• The drawing of that line is a political
  judgement part of the process by which
  sameness is held in place
• Action research helps point to these questions
  it asks what is up for negotiation in our vision
  of a sustainable world, and what, perhaps, is not