About action learning

by Kevin Cowley, Department for Constitutional Affairs

In summary, action learning brings together small groups of participants with the following intentions:

To work on and through, organisational/individual issues. This is most effective when the commitment is voluntary.
To work on real problems. Situations in which “I am part of the problem and the problem is part of me.”
To work together to check individual perceptions, clarify (and render more manageable) the issue and explore alternatives for action.
To take action in the light of new insight. Begin to change the situation.
Bring an account of the consequences back to the group for further shared reflection.
To focus on learning, not only about the issue being tackled but also on what is being learned about oneself. This is essential to turn developing understanding into learning that can be transferred to other situations.
To be aware of group processes and develop effective ways of working together.
To provide the balance of support and challenge that enables each person to manage themselves and others more effectively.

Each group is provided with a facilitator (set adviser) whose role is to help individuals and the group to identify and develop the necessary skills.

As with any team working, within Action Learning Sets certain considerations need to be made in the early stage of your meetings. For example:-

Agreeing roles within the team at meetings, such as Chairperson, Meeting Organiser, Minute/Action Point taker
Identifying and agreeing the ground rules to be applied when working together
Agreeing areas of research amongst the team
Agreeing who will pull the collective research data together for presentation
Identifying business specialists to support the project
Electing a spokesperson to liaise with the business company specialists
Identifying suitable bench marks for keeping the programme set on track

Engaging Government