For: Foundations of Community Vitality Workshop and/or Resource Packet Presented By: Steve Grabow, Professor and Community Development Educator UW-Extension,

For:Foundations of Community Vitality Workshopand/or Resource PacketPresented By:Steve Grabow, Professor and Community Development EducatorUW-Extension, Jefferson County Office

Nathan Sandwick, Instructor and Community Development EducatorUW-Extension, Portage County Office

Resource:Catherine Neiswender, Professor and Community Development EducatorUW-Extension, Winnebago County Office

Connie Abert, Associate Professor and Youth Development EducatorUW-Extension, Waupaca County Office

DRAFT 7/31/14

“For every action there is a purpose”

Purpose means intent, Activities are the behaviors connected with the intent…

Why?

Lets face it…. People call you when they have problems.

One role we can play is to help them focus on the ‘right’ problem

Understanding the 5 purposeful activities as a useful framework

for problem solving

Whatisaproblem?

What is a problem? Something that causes a concern

Substantive aspect and a values aspect A problem is not objective.

It has a substantive aspect (type of problem) and a values aspect

Example:Q: What is the issue?A: Vegetation; water levels; childhood

obesity, no money etc etc etc

Problem taxonomy Problem typology – e.g. finance, personnel,

marketing, manufacturing, product development etc. Solution-finding method – e.g. management

by objectives, systems approach, XYZ process Analytical Technique – e.g. linear

programming, cost-benefit analysis, statistical inferences

Problem-solving options Do nothing Chance Affective Rational

PositivismReductionismCult of the expertDeterminism

Total approach

Purposeful Activities Each Purposeful Activity has a

unique approachApproach means

Each Purposeful Activity may relate to a type of system

No Purposeful Activity is better than another Purposeful Activityappropriateness of use is the issue

5 purposeful activities

1. Operating and Supervising - manage and lead solutions or systems

2. Planning and Design - create or restructure a situations through specific solutions or systems

3. Research - search for generalizations, causes and hypothesis

4. Evaluation - evaluate performance of solutions and activities

5. Learn - gain skills and knowledge(other activities Nadler mentions -survival and experience leisure)

Learning as a Purposeful Activity The process of acquiring:

knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values,

Howthrough study, experiencing, or teaching,

Results that are persistent, measurable and specifiedchange of behavior or formulate a new mental construct or revise a prior mental construct

○ conceptual knowledge such as attitudes or values

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Research as a Purposeful Activity Basic research

fundamental or pure research○ primary purpose the advancement of knowledge○ theoretical understanding of the relations among variables.

exploratory ○ driven by curiosity, interest or hunch○ without a practical end in mind

can have unexpected results that point to practical applications“basic” or “fundamental” research indicate that, through theory generation, basic research

provides the foundation for further, often applied research.

Applied research solves specific, practical questions not to gain knowledge for its own sake often descriptive, but can be exploratory almost always on a basis of basic research.

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Planning & Design as a Purposeful

Activity Creating or modifying any systemPlans or designs that focus on a desired end stateImplementation or action plans

○ intended methods of getting from one set of circumstances to another (objectives or goals)Present situationNew opportunities

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Evaluation as a Purposeful Activity

The process of examining one or more activitiesAssessment plus value judgments

○ statistics ○ merit and worth.

Examples○ Program evaluation

fulfill its purpose meet its objectives and goals expected outcomes achieved unexpected consequences

○ System process performance performing according to expectations and Performing according to specifications Problem areas

Uses: accountability, testing, continuing change & improvement, etc.

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Operating and Supervising as a

Purposeful Activity The process of leading and guiding

formal or informalcarrying out the day-to-day functionsenable the fulfillment of purpose

○ examples - Department head, Government committee chair, Non-Profit Organization executive director, Project director/coordinator, Small business owner, Farm manager, Extension administrator

Major factorsleadership development and organizational development

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How do the purposeful activities fit in with what we do? Break into small groups In envelope are a variety of task Match them with purposeful activity

headings on the handout Fill in other spaces as time allows

Familiar/common tools, skills, and approaches

Assure self-preservation and survival of the species

1. Operating/Supervising an existing System

2. Planning and Design – creating or re-designing a ‘situation-specific’ solution

3. Search for Generalizations and Causes (Research)

4. Evaluate the performance of solutions or other activities

5. Gain Skills and knowledge (learn)

Experience Leisure

Factors to a total approach

Pursuing a Strategy

Method of operationsPrinciplesCourse of actionProcess

Identify and

pursue a strategy

Pursuing strategies for each Purposeful

Activity Learning Research Planning and Design Operating and Supervising Evaluating

Learning StrategyDetermine, awareness levels, learning

objectives desiredPlan sequence of learningPlan delivery of learningImplement learning plan

Research StrategyIdentify phenomena of interestAssimilate informationFormulate hypothesisConduct testsDetermine implications

Planning & Design

StrategyClarify purposeDesign the planning structureGenerate solution ideasSynthesis solution optionsFlesh out ideasGain approval

Operating and Supervising

StrategyBecome familiar with norms, values and

objectives of the systemObtain needed resources to manage the systemEstablish performance measuresOperate the system…. Control, delegate, lead,

motivate etc

Evaluating StrategyIdentify intended use of evaluation dataIdentify relevant questions and measuresDevelop methods for obtaining dataObtain, analyze data and use it for intended

purpose

Primary and Supporting Strategies

Specifying Solutions

Prescribing a format for resultsDetails to be understood by allFramework

○ Factors, properties, attributes and interrelationships

System Concept○ Structures are different for purposeful

activities

Specify the

solution

Involving People Stakeholder buy-in

InformedCreativityvarious alternatives Subjective feedback

Variety of opportunitiesParticipantsParticular step

Involve people

Using information

Sources-Professional literature studies, raw data past experiences and expertsResearch and learning – current and past info

Planning and design predict the future status or consequences of changes

Using information

and knowledge

Arranging for Continual Change Change is inevitable with any solution

Prepare for future changeImprovement for long term growth

○ Structure ○ Periodic review – audit○ Environmental opportunities○ Evaluation – adjustments○ Implementable solutions - challenges

Arrange for

continual change

Skills and Tools

Skills –knowledge, experience & behaviorWhat to do, why, how, when and where to do it

Tools – something used in performing an operation (eg Quality Toolkit)

Skills and Tools1. Operating/ Supervising an existing System

•Team building

2. Planning and Design – creating or re-designing a ‘situation-specific’ solution

•Strategic Planning

3. Search for Generalizations and Causes (Research)

•Community Based Research

4. Evaluate the performance of solutions or other activities

•Program evaluations pre-post tests etc

5. Gain Skills and knowledge (learn)

•Peer Learning

Experience Leisure

•Fill in your favorite activity here

Roles Competent professional

Understand start to finishUtilize skills and toolsReady with alternative

Expected and connected behaviors associated with our positionsAgreed upon roles – planner, leader, evaluator