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Welcome to this LSI Wiki
This Wiki is a web space to share ongoing research on success factors and effects of Large Scale Interventions (LSI). When does LSI bring sustainable change? What are conditions for success? You will find here a description of the research design, how it emerged (the making of), and the current results.
For discussion on challenging issues, to present yourself, share information and activities I opened a network "Larges Scale Interventions". You are welcome to join this network on www.largescaleinterventions.ning.com
For more information about my philosophy, practice and experience please visit www.tonnievanderzouwen.com
Research focus
In many books and articles about Large Scale Interventions (LSI) practioners describe the success of LSI for collective learning and organizing across boundaries of organizations and disciplines. It is considered a promising approach to enhance participation and democracy in organizations and communities. However, in my own experience as a facilitator of LSI, and as a coach for consultants who want to practice LSI, it is not an easy task to establish sustainable effects. Studying a substantial number of sources I found little report of thoroughly research evaluating the effectiveness in relation to the working elements and conditions for success. Most of the evaluations focus on the Large Group events, only few concern the sustainable effects after the events. With more and more consultants and facilitators using Large Group methods in a whole system approach the need grows for more insight in conditions and results, in the light of the efforts made. The goal of the research is to contribute to a more effective use of participatory approaches for development, in particular of LSI>
Research questions
My main question is: When does LSI bring sustainable change? For this field study the research questions are:
- What is LSI?
- What are sustainable versus non-sustainable effects of interventions?
- What are sustainable effects of LSI-trajectories?
- What are the working elements in those LSI-trajectories, regarding sustainable effects?
- What are the conditions for success of LSI (regarding sustainable change)?
Research purpose
The research aims at gaining more insight in conditions and success factors for sustainable change with LSI. It is an essential element in the research process for my PhD, which is part of a research tradition on participative methodologies of the Department of Organization Studies of Tilburg University in the Netherlands. Supervisor is professor Jac Geurts.
Aimed results of the study are:
- More insight in effects for change and learning
- More insight in the relation between effects and the characteristics of LSI-trajectories
- Initiation of an information leaflet for the LSI practice, to assess conditions beforehand and enhance successful use of LSI
- Building of an instrument to evaluate effectiveness of past trajectories
- A contribution to sustainable change
Research design
The research has the form of a field study with an iterative design. The experiences and results of each step determine to a high degree the content of the next steps. See research design.
