The Culture of Continuous Learning

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The Culture of Continuous Learning

• Second Government Learning Retreat
• January 15 - 17 2004,
• Antananarivo, Madagascar

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What Is This About?

• Getting more out of available resources
• I. Continuous learning in government
• instill and nurture a learning culture in
  government
• II. Performance culture within government
• III. Keeping track
• Evaluation and monitoring of government learning
  programs
• development of ME tools

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Why?

• Better Government Service- stability, social
  satisfaction
• Government/organizational credibility
• Employee satisfaction and performance
• Belonging, pride, confidence in own role,
  awareness, accountability
• NB legislative work on behaviour and attitude
  change
• Ability to take on continuous change, be a
  learning organization

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My Practitioners View

• UNICEF 81 83
• CIDA 83-89
• 3b, 1300 employees, worldwide network, 70
  countries
• Health and Welfare 89-92
• 12,000 employees, 40 Federal Budget major
  social transfers
• Population Council
• Research global mandate, 600 employees - 50 m
  budget
• Today networks IDRC, CGIAR, ICARDA, GWP,
  IIED

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Major Change Exercises

• Govt of Canada 1992 Renewal exercise
• UNICEF setting up GOBI - reshaping
• Health and Welfare Organizational Review
• CIDA Women in Development
• Population Council Corporate Review
• CGIAR system change in response to donors

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What is involved?

• How will change will be organized?
• How to analyze the change needs?
• How will a change climate be created?
• How will capacity be increased?
• Exploring essential roles

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• One way flow.. Virtuous Feedback Circle

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Organizing Change

• Focus on Improvement not change per se
• Options Outside, inside, inside/outside.
• Essential Implicate your own people
• Renewal Canada Deputy Ministers.
• CGIAR.- inside/outside.
• Outside consultancy route not usually.
• Essential - Change management processes necessary
  to adequately design and implement desired
  reforms.

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Analytical Level

• What do we want to achieve what are main
  barriers?
• Thought patterns.
• Balance between conceptualization and pragmatism.
• Over centralized planning (with no resource to
  match).

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Creating Change Climate

• Has to include tolerance for criticism, dissent
  how will this be managed?
• The service culture a difficult change for
  Governments
• Role for Senior Officials
• Examples, awards
• Keep everyone possible informed/involved

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Reinventing Government, Redefining Roles Case
study water management

• Water governance is sectoral.
• Water is low cost, no cost
• Governments know best
• No consultation, little public participation.
• Governments should themselves deliver water to
  their citizens.
• Result problems everywhere

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New Thinking on Water Governance

• Essential Government Role what is it?
• Managing Resource
• Allocating Water Rights taking account wider
  governance issues
• Proper regulatory and administrative systems in
  place
• Transparent means to resolve conflicts
• Others may take on other roles community? NGOs,
  Private Sector can Government backstop?

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Madagascar Water Goals

• Excreta disposal- are NGOs active?
• Improved delivery of water services.
• By whom? Have communities been consulted on
  models/costs.
• Legal and institutional framework for water and
  sanitation.
• Maybe look at consultation process roles for
  others?
• Watershed plan to revitalize irrigation in 8
  districts.
• What new roles to overcome previous problems?.

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The Resources at Hand

• What is essential role of Government in this
  area?
• Who else could take on roles how could Govt
  support?
• Education major problem in some Malagasy
  provinces
• At level of Ministries
• How many computers do we have and what is the
  best use of them?
• Training budget and best use of it? All for
  some,or some for all?
• Why is Government the main actor? Why this level?
• Are we stifling community creativity?
• Cooperative movement.Community Groups water,
  health. Time of individuals and best use of it?
  What is Minister doing with time?
• .

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Individuals

• Outside, expensive training for best and
  brightest NOT the real issue
• With modest means
• Information meetings
• In house training by in house people (with
  coaching)
• Certificates
• Awards
• Getting smart on your own time
• Lateral transfers
• University of Tuesday morning

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Level of the Organization

• Culture of continuous learning in government?
• Orientation programs, updates
• Roster of training opportunities
• Consultation with employees how could we do
  this better
• Consultation with clients organized and regular
  what should programme focus be? Other ways

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Continuous Learning

• Most important question Are we really prepared
  to change?
• Second most important question Are we prepared
  to listen?
• Third most important question Are we prepared
  to focus on what can we do with the resources we
  have at our disposal?

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II. Results Orientation

• New Orientation- has to be from the top
• Promising in terms of results
• Asking for reports in terms of results
• Exploring deficiencies in terms of results
• Focus on and remove constraints to results
  achievement
• Same for NGOs, other interveners in education
  exchange support for performance based results?

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Discipline of Results Based Management

• Process is begun PRSP document has many targets
  on essential drugs, immunization, mosquito nets
• How soon can these be quantified and turned into
  targets?
• Where is ownership of these target results?
• Will Government help remove constraints?

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III. Evaluation and Monitoring

• NB. Participatory Monitoring workshops to be held
  in each provincial capital every six months
  great base.
• Fahamarinana .
• Evaluation and monitoring of government learning
  programs and the development of ME tools.
• Just do it.
• Most are too elaborate.
• Involve clients.
• Dont wait till end.
• Involves establishing mid project or program
  reference points.

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How can Government Organizations Learn How to
Learn?

• Depends 100 on the top level do they ask?
• Do Ministers make a speech and leave or come to
  hear others speak?
• Change IS both necessary and threatening how is
  this going to managed.

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Most Important Questions

• Are we serious?
• About sharing information?
• About tolerating question/dissent?
• About devoting time to change process?
• About leading by example?
• Can we assess what can we do with what we have
  NOW?
• Can we learn to listen?

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