Action learning within the Dutch public sector: tools for facilitators

ABSTRACT

During an assignment as a change leader of a complex IT change program within a Dutch public government organization, I used action learning to develop and support the desired changes and to tackle the complex problems that usually accompany such a change program. During this action learning project, I took the role of facilitator and I devised and presented the initial conceptual tools and their application to two action learning sets. Subsequently, after proposing the idea of ⁣⁣applying action learning to problem solving, the program team members including the senior managers, were prepared to apply action learning as an integral part of the IT program. We formed two action learning sets, with around 10 persons in each set. One set consisted of diverse and multidisciplinary subject matter experts, and external IT suppliers who participated as program team members. Another set was made up of managers of delivering departments, who would take the lead in adopting the solutions developed by the software development and implementation program. To shape the action learning approaches and processes within the sets during the lifetime of the change program, I developed, and we used, seven instruments (MALS) based on progressive insights, and applied them within the sets for process, quality, and improvement based on progressive insight. This paper describes the seven instruments and explains how they were used within the project.

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

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Robert P. Groen

Robert Groen started his professional life as an aircraft engineer and quickly came into contact with complex changes under time pressure. He has further developed as a change leader at various leading consultancy companies. He has a track record as a successful change leader at many different types of organizations and varying change goals. He has a special interest in how to successfully implement changes in complex organizations with a low process maturity level and in particular the impact that soft skills can have on desired behaviours. Robert holds a master's degree in the field of leading innovation & change from York St. John University.