1. Social learning for collective action on
climate change
A critical assessment
Blane Harvey, International Development Research Centre

2. Overview
• Tackling "wicked" problems under global
environmental change
• What is social learning?
• Social learning in practice - 3 cases from Africa
• Critiques of SL in theory and practice
• Where next?

3. Learning to tackle complex
challenges

4. On complexity and multiple ways of knowing...

5. Tackling "wicked" problems
• Wicked problems are characterized by:
a) uncertainty;
b) inconsistency of needs, preferences and values;
c) an unclear sense of all consequences and/or
cumulative impact of collective action;
d) fluid, heterogeneous, pluralist participation in
problem definition and solving
Turnpenny et al (2009)

6. adapted from Funtowicz & Ravetz 2003
Technical uncertainty
Epistemological uncertainty:
(Reduced by use of societal and community
synergy, and community review)
Methodological uncertainty
“Not only must science concede some of its
governance to wider society, it must also
concede some ground to other ways of
knowing. (Hulme 2009: 81)
“Facts are
uncertain, values in
dispute, stakes high
and decisions
urgent”

7. Climate change adaptation is
one such 'wicked’
problem, and social learning is
seen as an important avenue
for responding.

8. The learning paradox
“Our existing methodological toolbox
is sparsely equipped to facilitate and sustain
[...] adaptive and anticipatory learning in
the face of complex risks and uncertainties.”
Tschakert & Dietrich 2010
And yet
We recognise the paramount
importance of learning in addressing
complex environmental challenges....
“deficit models”
Banking models
Knowledge
hierarchies

9. Social Learning – A way forward?

10. Social Learning: Toward a definition
Social learning brings together stakeholders
with diverse perspectives to learn together and
form an understanding of a shared challenge.
It involves taking learning and behaviour change
beyond the individual to networks and systems.
Through an iterative process of working and
reflecting together new shared ways of knowing
emerge that lead to changes in practice.
See Reed et al. 2010 “What is Social Learning?”

11. Social learning - a closer look
• Roots:
– Learning and behavioural psychology (Bandura)
– Collective learning (Argyris and Schon, Wenger)
– Transformative learning (Mezirow)
– Emancipatory learning (Freire)
• Participation?
• As performance? Governance? Collective
action? Many flavours of SL.

12. 3 Cases from Africa
Participatory
scenario
development
(Ghana, Senegal)
Consensus seasonal
forecasts
(GHA)
Systemic research
through community
radio (Ghana)

13. Participatory scenario development
Ghana and Senegal (CARE, CCAFS)

14. Participatory scenario development
Approach Model of SL Key outcomes Key lessons
Learning dialogue
through facilitated
workshops with
joint learning
around timely
seasonal weather
forecasts and
information on
agricultural
management
options to
capitalize on that
learning.
SL as concerted
action and mode of
governance that
effects changes in
communities,
networks and
systems.
Involves rethinking
the assumptions
and principles that
underlie practices
and designing new
governance norms.
Communities and
local governments
create new
institutions that
help link different
timelines, for
example the
immediacy of
farmer priorities
and responses with
longer-term
understanding and
capacity to plan
and respond to
climate change.
Champions at
different levels and
creating a level
playing field are
crucial.
Need for culturally
sensitive
communication ,
create room for
reflection, trust,
inclusion, and to
recognize and
accommodating
different
timeframes and
purposes.

15. Systemic action research through community radio
Ghana (IDS, GCRN, AfricaAdapt)

16. Systemic action research
Approach Model of SL Key outcomes Key lessons
Action-reflection
learning process
led by community
broadcasters,
engaging with
community
members, duty
bearers, and
outside partners
on the social
impacts
SL as concerted
action that effects
changes in
communities and
networks.
Involves testing
and improving
existing practices,
as well as
rethinking the
assumptions and
principles that
underlie these
practices.
Radio broadcasters
take on an
advocacy role for
political action on
local climate
impacts.
District
government
support for
communities
impacted by
flooding.
Strengthened
networks for future
action.
Additional support
for women needed
to become active
contributors.
Facilitated policy
dialogues and
learning events
to build a network
of actors.
Language and
vocabulary barriers
a key challenge.
Long-term vision
needed.

17. Consensus forecasts for the Greater Horn of Africa
ICPAC , GLUK, KMD, IDRC (Kenya)

18. http://vimeo.com/album/108105/video/5199497

20. Analysis of 29
cases looking at:
• Lessons and
Principles
• Tools and
approaches
• Evaluation
• Impacts

21. Reflecting critically on SL
• Power and consensus - strange bedfellows
– Is a change of views always a good thing?
• Recognition of problem w/o power to change
leads to frustration
– Challenge of entrenched marginalisation
• Sustainability of change?
• Scale and institutionalisation major challenges
• Evidence of impact and outcomes?
– How to evaluate them?
See also Muro & Jeffrey 2008

22. So where next?

23. A gut instinct tells us that social learning
inherently makes sense, but making that
leap forward into practicing the
principles of good social learning and
overturning the more top-down models
of information delivery needs more
concrete evidence.
Transforming institutions
Transforming research

24. In a nutshell
It’s social learning on social learning!

25. Transforming the evidence base
• Hypothesis A: Social learning improves
institutional processes and
performance/effectiveness in the context of
climate change.
Hypothesis B: Social learning processes lead
to improved development outcomes/results in
the context of climate change.

26. Kristjanson et al 2014

27. Want to know more?
Mark Reed Derek Armitage
Claudia Pahl-Wostl Ray Ison
Georgina Cundill Romina Rodela
Arjen Wals Bernd Siebenhüner
Thank you!
http://ccsl.wikispaces.com/