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"Narratives and the co-design of spaces for innovation"

"Narratives and the co-design of spaces for innovation"

Presented by Valentina Anzoise and Stefania Sardo @ 5th STS Italia Conference «A matter of design. Making Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014

Valentina Anzoise

June 13, 2014
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  1. Narratives and the co-design of spaces for innovation Valentina Anzoise

    & Stefania Sardo European Centre for Living Technology, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice - Italy Emergence by Design project (MD, FP7- GA n. 284625) http://emergencebydesign.org/
  2. 5th STS Italia Conference « A matter of design. Making

    Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014 Theoretical background Innovation processes are charecterized by ontological uncertainty Nonetheless people, regardless of the difficulties in imagining which could be the effects of the answers to their actions and organizational choices, decide to act on the basis of a perceived generative potential of relationships 5 pre-conditions, i.e. a sufficient level of heterogeneity among agents: agents have to be not too much different, otherwise they cannot communicate one another, but at the same time enough diverse to enrich and “shake each other”; mutual willingness to collaborate (mutual directedness) in the transformation of a common zone of the agent-artifact space (aligned directedness); adequate permissions structures determining what agents can communicate about, with whom, in which modalities; and joint action opportunities (Lane & Maxfield, 1997, 2005)
  3. 5th STS Italia Conference « A matter of design. Making

    Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014 Narratives & innovation processes The hypothesis of the “Emergence by Design project” (MD-FP7), are that:  such a perception influences (and is also shaped by) agents’ interactions, which are nothing more than enacted narratives – i.e. actions constructed and undertaken discoursively (Czarniawska, 2004; Pentland, 1999).  there’s a need to develop approaches fostering and supporting adaptive changes and learning (e.g. introduction of new agents and roles, new artifacts, interaction modalities...), which enhance iterative reflexivity and generate feedback loops. MD Proposal: integrating in evaluation methods also the narrative approach and a dedicated set of tools ICT-based, that allow evaluation to be imminent and inherent to the process, expanding the empirical base of data available and to dynamically return to participants informations and interpretation, through narratives themselves, which are the most basic and shared way human beings have to structure the unknown, constituting a precondition for “designed” or intentional action.
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    Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014 Dynamic Evaluation: a proposal Evaluation goes beyond the formative/summative dichotomy (Patton, 1996) when:  Evaluation is a knowledge-generating process, i.e. aimed at conceptual rather than instrumental use (e.g. clarifying a program’s model, testing theory, figuring out how to measure outcomes, generating lessons learned, and/or elaborating policy options; reducing participants’ uncertainty, enlightening funders and staff about what participants really experience, enhancing communications, and facilitating the sharing of perceptions)  Evaluation ongoing: the process itself is the outcome, i.e. Developmental evaluation  What is used of an evaluation is the process rather than evaluation findings, i.e. Evaluation supports interventions or empower participants by engaging and transforming the groups into an “affinity-based community of inquiry”. In all these cases the role of evaluator is crucial, as it introduces the evaluation logic within project/process design, and implementation and it can vary from being an evaluation facilitator to a full team member.
  5. 5th STS Italia Conference « A matter of design. Making

    Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014 Dynamic Evaluation: a proposal DE approach – which has a lot in common with Developmental and Empowerment Evaluation (Fetterman, 2001, Wandersman et al., 2004, Patton, 1994, 1996, 2010) and Action Research, as ways of analyzing/representing the perspectives and subjectivities of diverse actors in all their complexity – relies on: 1. a minimal ontology for describing what DE refers to as the agent- artifact-attribution space, that has to be dynamically monitored, and 2. the detection/analysis of changes, threats, opportunities in the generative potential of relationship (GPR). Moreover, in DE narratives are seen as crucial to enhance process reflexivity and as “thick objects” (both of analysis and tools) to collect information and provide/generate feedbacks loops.
  6. 5th STS Italia Conference « A matter of design. Making

    Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014 Innovation and the plural spaces of design Innovation projects and local development processes – which are, more than others, aimed at strategic changes or at paving the path for them - would require ongoing evaluation and learning to cope with their inherent complexity so as to be able to undertake necessary adaptation. Adaptive changes might regard transformation in roles, in organizational routines, as well as in knowledge construction and sharing, etc. Therefore, project and process design – which constitute a way to set and configuring adequate conditions according to a specific orientation/goal - matter.
  7. 5th STS Italia Conference « A matter of design. Making

    Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014 In particular, there are some issues and conditions that need to be adequately considered:  Building the team (i.e. select, engage and align the core team and management)  “Making phase” and early stages of project/process design (i.e. when contents, methods, relationships and intertwined processes might have been explored but are still underspecified)  Management of the project/process (i.e. the cascades of transformation its implementation will produce should affect, directly, the specific zone of the AA space the project is willing to trasform but will affect, maybe indirectly, also others). Innovation and the plural spaces of design
  8. 5th STS Italia Conference « A matter of design. Making

    Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014 Case study: the Green Communities project Funded by the Italian Ministry of Environment (through EU fundings specifically devoted to Convergence regions), with the support of the National Association for Municipalities and Mountain Communities (UNCEM). • Main aim: promote the construction of sustainable communities through the efficient management of energy and local resources. • Three main actions prioritized: feasibility studies for the energy efficiency of buildings, feasibility studies for sustainable forest management, territorial audit. Moreover, first development of a rating system to assess the sustainability of a territory according to several dimensions (e.g. mobility, waste, tourism, welfare, etc.), to be used by mayors in the strategic planning of their territories and for the implementation of local policies. • Pilot territories selected: Four mountain communities of Southern Italy (i.e. Pollino, Titerno-Alto Tammaro, Cilento, Madonie)
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    Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014 Green Communities organization Composition : - Management group - National technicians - Local technicians - National and local political representatives  Lack of coordination/intermediary figures, able to “translate” and “create bridge” among different languages and foster interconnection (especially for non-linear activities): tasks and areas have become compartmentalized, no common language and a glossary was developed, which would have supported the creation of a narrative community identity, avoiding misunderstandings about basic concepts;  Managing and organizational structure incomplete or weak: lack of a specific secretarial figure, of a clear division of tasks and responsibility, of shared spaces of reflection and dialogue, underestimation of communication (internal/external) activities.
  10. 5th STS Italia Conference « A matter of design. Making

    Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014 E.g. Administrative figures These figures know well the formal constraints, the bureaucratic language that should be used (in particular during the negotiations with the clients) and are able to mediate between what has been envisioned and what can realistically be done – should have co- designed and written the project together with the “author” from the very beginning. “The lack of well-established habits and dialogue among certain linking roles has undermined the course of the project, paving the way to misunderstandings and drawbacks that otherwise could have been – at least partially – prevented” (responsible of one of the main line of activities)
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    Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014 e.g. Rating system coordinator Such a role was only lately introduced, without an adequate consideration of the importance of previously sharing, with the already involved agents, its role and activities. The underestimation of this “design mistake”, delayed (or even precluded) the other participants' recognition of its relevance and the effectiveness of the delicate tasks – material and immaterial – this figure was in charge of, among which the start of a reasoning on sustainability to drive people in making a paradigmatic shift in the way they looked at their specific expertise, at the same time conveying individuals the augmented value that would have resulted from the synergy of their concrete contributions. Moreover, these values – fundamental to consolidate an alignment still very loose – would have needed more time to take root and feedback. In this already complex situation, budget constraints cut further opportunities of joint action that would have been needed.
  12. 5th STS Italia Conference « A matter of design. Making

    Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014 Green Communities, early stages  Lack of proper joint action opportunities enabling the construction of a cross-disciplinary knowledge that could have taken advantage of the skills heterogeneity in the group (although, on the other hand, sectorial and gender heterogeneity was low, and also budget constraints made the situation harder). “ In general, not all the people shared the same categories to think/work on these issues. This was a necessary step I also suggested at the beginning…. But we couldn’t meet often so as to really build together an identity logic, made of a shared vocabulary, etc. .. you need to sit down so much together... But if one is paid he/she does it willingly, if one has to carve out time and space it quickly becomes difficult” (national expert)
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    Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014 Running the GC project  Low responsiveness to unforeseen risks/changes (or not considered at all): the structure was not dynamic enough to face adequately external/internal changes, thus introducing adjustments according to emerging situations (e.g. shifts of power relationships, changes in written/unwritten agreements, non-replacement of key figure…). Underestimation of relational and managerial attitude. “You have to establish and constantly renew a good feeling with people and institutions, otherwise you won’t carry the project on well. You have to know how to mend relationships, you have to know how to recover” (responsible of one of the main line of activities)
  14. 5th STS Italia Conference « A matter of design. Making

    Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014 Further critical issues observed Lack of a mediator and a facilitator, within individual groups and among groups; Lack of a figure (or figures) activating a constant process of reflection, discussion, adaptation, as well as of a permission structure and a space of ​​interaction allowing participants to express opposition with respect to certain decisions or ways of working, or to propose alternative solutions to established patterns. Lack of monitoring and support of relationships: this results in a decline of alignment, a decrease in participants flexibility with respect to the outputs to be produced, the relations to be maintained, the time to be devoted to specific tasks; Lack of a structure which favored the flow of information within the working teams: both physical (same repository) and cognitive (why should I need some information). In general, poor communication from the management side of organizational and priorities changes. 14
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    Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014 Narrative (structure) detection After some months of observation, we could detect three narratives under deployment:  the Triumvirate, the internal “fight” among the managing team on the correct interpretation of the project goals’ implementation;  the Magic Artifact, originated from the acknowledgment of a broad and firm belief in technical solutions to solve problems, and in the capability of expert knowledge to provide the proper frame to analyse complex objects;  the Missing Bottom, pointing out the lack of communities engagement even if the project was supposedly aimed at stimulating local agents (individuals and organizations) to make a radical change in roles, perspectives, etc.
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    Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014 Feedback loops, how? when? to whom? A project does nothing but “disturb” an area of already sedimented relationships. Narratives are crucial hermeneutic unit to “read” the way these perturbations are producing (or not) emergences in the form of the opening/closing of spaces of interactions, etc. Therefore, the possibility of feedbacking is crucial (both for horizontal and vertical) as it can re- open the process design, questioning its spatial, temporal, relational, material and ideal configurations any time it is required. For instance by:  introducing of new artifacts (tangible/intangible) and agents (identity and roles) that were not even thinkable before, or transforming those already in place;  Resizing objectives, activities, resources;  Formalizing permissions to act;  Developing, configuring / reconfiguring patterns and formats of action and communication (internal/external). To this respect, evaluation process has to be considered in its intrinsic meaning of giving value, and not just a mere assessment or judgment with no added value.
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    Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014 Limits in the DE of GC project Even though we managed to tie trust relationships with some of the participants, and to collect information – through conventional and non- conventional techniques - on what was happening both within the core team and within the local communities, there weren't nor agreement to guarantee our autonomy of action, nor a strong commitment of the whole team to feedback our observations into the processes the project was triggering. Therefore, even if we provided constructive feedbacks to some participants, it was episodic as we didn't have at our disposal – and couldn't ask for them - adequate settings (design issue). On the other hand, we were at the first stage of our research and we hadn't even designed differentiated ways to scaffold feedbacks loops, and share them with the people directly and indirectly affected by the project.
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    Society through Science and Technology» - Milan, 12-14 June 2014 MD Platform, an integrated set of tools ICT based Designed accordingly to MD theoretical foundations and the case studies observed.