Adaptive collaborative management of community forests in Asia ...
Adaptive collaborative management of community forests in Asia ...
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Chapter 5: Muddl<strong>in</strong>g Towards Cooperation <strong>in</strong> Mal<strong>in</strong>au • 149<br />
Learn<strong>in</strong>g with<strong>in</strong> the facilitation team<br />
Creat<strong>in</strong>g this adaptive facilitation required an <strong>in</strong>itial large <strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>in</strong><br />
team build<strong>in</strong>g and communication skills dur<strong>in</strong>g the first year, with ongo<strong>in</strong>g<br />
efforts at a lower level <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>tensity. Our team size and composition shifted<br />
with each phase, but the cont<strong>in</strong>uity <strong>of</strong> a core team <strong>of</strong> five people ensured that<br />
our own learn<strong>in</strong>g was cumulative 13 . The team’s deep and rich knowledge <strong>of</strong><br />
Mal<strong>in</strong>au over the years provided the foundation for judg<strong>in</strong>g when to adjust<br />
our strategy and how.<br />
In the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g, our team was very focused on creat<strong>in</strong>g structures that<br />
allowed reflection. Over time, the team developed its own organisational<br />
culture and rhythm <strong>in</strong> which reflection and feedback became automatic. We<br />
had daily sessions dur<strong>in</strong>g events such as the <strong>in</strong>ter<strong>community</strong> workshops, and<br />
we met at about three-month <strong>in</strong>tervals for plann<strong>in</strong>g. Villagers sometimes<br />
participated directly <strong>in</strong> the sessions, and we <strong>of</strong>ten solicited feedback from<br />
external observers or villagers to <strong>in</strong>form our reflections. Our usual plann<strong>in</strong>g<br />
horizon was three to six months. The <strong>in</strong>itiation <strong>of</strong> a new cycle <strong>of</strong> activity<br />
emerged naturally dur<strong>in</strong>g the plann<strong>in</strong>g sessions, <strong>in</strong> which we reviewed the<br />
effectiveness <strong>of</strong> previous plans based on the results from the monitor<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
other activities. We built risky or uncerta<strong>in</strong> activities 14 <strong>in</strong>to our plans with<br />
the understand<strong>in</strong>g that we would learn by do<strong>in</strong>g and be flexible enough to<br />
make midcourse adjustments.<br />
Ironically, however, as the process became more automatic, we tended to<br />
make fewer structured opportunities for it to happen. The learn<strong>in</strong>g process<br />
also tended to become a low priority <strong>in</strong> the rush <strong>of</strong> events. We suggest that<br />
ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g a structured, explicit approach to learn<strong>in</strong>g even after it becomes<br />
well accepted will help ensure that it is not neglected. The challenge is to<br />
f<strong>in</strong>d fresh approaches to reflection to avoid mak<strong>in</strong>g the learn<strong>in</strong>g process too<br />
time-consum<strong>in</strong>g, tedious or bor<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Results <strong>of</strong> our learn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Each cycle <strong>of</strong> activity evolved <strong>in</strong> the context <strong>of</strong> work that preceded it and<br />
reflected our own deeper understand<strong>in</strong>g, commitment and embeddedness<br />
<strong>in</strong> Mal<strong>in</strong>au. Our understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> spontaneous orders for cooperation,<br />
on the other hand, emerged from what we referred to as the ‘theory <strong>of</strong><br />
co<strong>in</strong>cidence’ and has become clear to us only <strong>in</strong> recent years.