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Possibilities Café

Here the participants were asked to explore the future possibilities in relation to practice change. The output from the conversations in small groups is reported below. These possibilities are suggestions to individuals, groups and organisations that are interested in effective practice change. The data is in no specific order, explore it and develop the possibilities that will best work for you and your organisation or group. This marks the beginning of the next phase in practice change.

  • we can and are enabling change ‘internal and external’
  • the Year of Extension - RDE – ‘inspiring to learn’, investment in community capability
  • recognise the influences of the players
  • work towards cultural change in the community
  • consider redesign and rethinking (at the systems level)
  • “wicked problems” it’s not about solving it
  • we need to evolve the way we do things to influence positive change in institutions
  • clarity, listening – assumptions, outcomes, the right questions, time, project design for flexibility
  • improved and broadened understandings
  • more holistic approach
  • aim for systemic/institutional CHANGE
  • celebrate best practice
  • ongoing learnings
  • increase ‘I’ leads to increased ‘WE’
  • we need structures, processes, tools etc. to help us make transformational – paradigm shifting
  • change – in ourselves, each other and the community, and our organisations and institutions
  • shift from technological focus to values based focus
  • institutions part of community of practice
  • career paths for extension professionals/professional development
  • define the profession of extension
  • change is Responsiveness
  • extension lives and thrives
  • investing in extension build genuine collaboration and partnership
  • the scope/vision of extension is broad
  • having policy makers /politicians adopt Stuart Hills new triple bottom line approach through given position description – use same principles as we do in extension to engage pollies & policy makers
  • small realistic steps we can guarantee we can deliver
  • bureaucratic processes that understand and value social context, and need for innovation, (in extension approaches) and environment
  • new horizons are being inhibited by risk adverse structures and thinking
  • NRM and extension are becoming commodities limiting change and innovation
  • There is the forum and the will to start the hard difficult discussions
  • Inclusiveness and our own awareness is integral to use achieving a holistic outcomes
  • Self-critical reflection to engage values
  • Outcomes focused achieved through a variety of instruments including extension. And extension has a range of processes
  • Valuing and recognition of values of farmers
  • Importance of extension in building relationships/links between government and farmers
  • Celebrate success and farmers being rewarded for environmental services
  • We have a ‘wicked problem’- eg. How to achieve major social/cultural change towards agricultural sustainability and natural resource sustainability? – negotiation, legislation & cultural change to living and knowing what sustains our living on the planet
  • Value the role of farmers and extension – promote recognition.
  • Extension practitioner’s skills need to be able to move along the continuum from Tech transfer to address Human Development.
  • We cannot place a value on the importance of social capital until we can measure it. Therefore we need to evaluate.
  • Create inspired learning
  • Focus people skills (not technology only)
  • Inclusive processes/multi-discipline approaches
  • Create a Centre of Excellence for Extension Development
  • It is people that create the change not projects
  • There are many paths to achieve the practice of change, not one way
  • Practice change will keep evolving over time in need for extension to keep evolving
  • Success – social dimension learning, broadening, manage up, measure e.g. tell story, incremental steps
  • Slow and local
  • Community aspiration development, ongoing broadscale
  • Loving collaboration
  • Relevant institutions
  • Practice Change: A. fully inclusive practice change community (i.e. Government/private)
  • B. facilitate process/provide environment for engagement of A instilling trust, innovation, redefining roles and responsibilities
  • C. shift policy to support A & B (fully utilise intelligence of the PC ‘community’- respect)
  • How this introspective ‘extension community’ can trigger the political and institutional paradigm to support a human/community development approach
  • Broaden the ‘Tent’ of practice change beyond rural/agricultural range of institutions
  • View our diversity as source of innovations not conflict
  • Break down the silos
  • Remember the personal guarantees of the practitioner
  • Catalyst – what is it?
  • Diversity of ideas, approaches, tools
  • The delegates as individuals – emotional intelligence, tapping into valves etc
  • Need for deeper understanding of evaluation
  • How do we go deeper?
  • The word extension has too much baggage
  • Complexity of extension not recognised as a profession
  • Many pearls of knowledge
  • Values and ethics – we have a better awareness of them
  • These are now valued
  • Practice change is individual, fluid and diverse
  • Self determined change through untied resources, safe place, time and change agent
  • Change agents learning skills to manage power relationships and share power
  • Understand – sense of history
  • Importance of self
  • Co-production
  • Extension is part of a bigger system
  • Challenging the way you think things are done
  • Having courage to push the boundaries
  • Taking responsibilities
  • Extension has so many tools and options
  • Understanding others and understanding ourselves is central to extension
  • Find the point of leverage in the system which makes the change
  • Be community driven, focus on values, local knowledge and be brave to change
  • Be realistic and authentic
  • Strive for collaboration and integration
  • Be visible role mode for change
  • A vibrant capable rural community
  • Time required for reflection
  • Do not move from topic to topic, go to deeper levels, it requires ‘stickability’
  • Build theory to underpin changing practice
  • Learning: institutional, practice level, individual
  • People/social/relationships
  • Build on strengths not on deficits
  • Recognise competencies of extension officers
  • Increasing maturity of extension – sense of confidence, self assurance
  • Ready for more of paradigm shift “key notes” i.e. more of Kate A and more of Stuart. Increased demand and urgency
  • “Us” being responsible and having the courage to ACT on this. S.E.L.N (APEN), National Extension Framework
  • Better harnessing of private sector/community sectors/level of government to the table
  • Change ourselves, small steps with commitment
  • Co-operation between sectors not competition
  • Human development driven practice change
  • Ethics of power in extension
  • Wicked problems – whose voice to prioritise
  • Need new ways of doing things
  • Connectedness between people
  • New relationships
  • Power relationships – more power to communities
  • Recognise social context
  • Inspired learnings and social learning
  • Recognise and awareness of different values

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