Project Innovation Study Groups

Project Innovation Study Group

The Concept of a ‘Project Innovation Study Groups’ was inspired out of an experiment organized by CoRenewal. In the spring of 2020 CoRenewal called for a ‘Fire and Fungi Study Group’ which began as a group of 12 people meeting once a week with experts to explore the relationship between Fire and Fungi. Over time an impulse emerged within the group to apply their learning in directed projects. Today CoRenewal is pivoting its approach to supporting emerging projects around mycology and regeneration. As a participant in the group I have had the distinct sense that something very special was being developed with far reaching applications and the potential to invoke meaningful change in the world. What follows brings together emerging patterns I have seen both in the Fire and Fungi Study Group as well as other decentralized learning initiatives and offers a framework for focussed, hands on learning which I call ‘Project Innovation Study Groups.’ Aside from my experience with the ‘Fire and Fungi Study Group’ I also owe gratitude to my friend Trang Nguen and the other organizers of the Art of Hosting Asian Learning Village which was held in spring of 2020 in Vietnam (and though due to Covid 19 I was not able to attend, I gained much insight through subsequent their reports and conversations), to Robin Dirks who is developing Earth Regeneration Learning Villages in Europe, to the organizers of Ecosystems Restoration Camps in Spain and California, to Perma-Atlas and the Village of Anguelz, to my thesis mates and the wider community of practice around ‘Social Innovation Labs’ as well as the Author and co-founder of Loomio Richard D. Bartlet whose writings have sharpened my understanding of the patterns and possibilities around decentralized systems. What follows brings together these patterns into a framework which allows for online collaboration with actionable results. My hope is that organizations seeking new approaches to innovation based transformation might consider this format as a viable alternative.

What is a Project Innovation Study Group?:

A Project Innovation Study group is an on-line platform which integrates community, learning and innovation. Think of it like a self-organizing school meets a social impact startup hub. It brings together a diverse cohort, building trust and a sense of community across the team, providing the structures and networks to learn from each other and experts, then providing resources in order to execute an impactful project. What follows are its phases:

1. Calling for a Project Innovation Study Group:

A Project Innovation Study Group begins with an individual or group who has a burning question about the world and would like to bring together a group of people to investigate. This person is known as a caller. The caller works with the convening team to help organize a ‘Project Innovation Study Group’ around the subject of the burning question and to craft an invitation for other team members.

2. Team Formation

One of the most important lessons I have learned about humans came from my work with the villagers of Anguelz in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Before any work or even conversation of work takes place, people must sit together, drink tea, eat a meal and get to know each other- not just once but often for weeks or longer. This approach contrasted strikingly with European collaborators who came to the village wanting to get straight to business. From this as well as parallel experiences with other traditional cultures I have come to the conclusion that dedicated time and space at the beginning of a project is critical to invite humanity and rapport into the space. Thus, the first phase of the project is slow and personal. This parallels the research of Tuckman who indicates in his 5 stages of group development, a need at the beginning to contextualize together. Team members invest in getting to know each other (who they are, where they come from, what they are passionate about, their history, their dreams, their fears) through activities where they can break the ice and grow a trusting working relationship rooted in the heart. Building on the overlapping backgrounds and interests of the participants the subject area of the study group is refined. Once there is a clear subject focus and sound commitment amongst the team members the group is ready for phase 3.

3. Learning

The third phase deepens the group’s shared understanding of the subject area. This phase is characterized by research, presentation and discussions. Individuals in the group synthesize articles on particular subjects and present their findings to the group during weekly Zoom Meetings. Guest experts also present their work during these weekly Zoom meetings. Presentations are followed by discussions which happen live after the speaker as well as asynchronously over Slack. Once the team has a strong shared knowledge of the subject matter, a sense for where ‘the need’ is and also where the “high leverage points” might be it's time to move to phase 4.

4. Doing

At this phase the shared knowledge is translated into one or more projects. This phase is characterized by identifying and choosing high impact projects, refining it through an iterative design process, assigning responsibilities, accumulating resources, building relationships and execution. This phase is supported by outside organizations and individuals who would like to partner with the project. Projects can be financed through grants, investors or directly by organizations which seek to utilize the model for their own innovation.

What differentiates this model?:

I don’t think it’s just me, but I often enter online learning experiences more curious about the other students in the space than the presenter. Even if it is a good presentation I often wonder about the collective intelligence in the audience, what might be stirring in these people and how might that collective intelligence be utilized. What distinguishes a ‘Project Innovation Study Group’ is that its focus and agency is nested in the relationships among the students. This is achieved through three distinct design features:

The size of the student population must be small enough to foster authentic relationships amongst the team members.
The team meets consistently as would students in a classroom.
Knowledge is sought out to inspire action addressing real world problems.

Traditional learning environments structure themselves like a theatre where the end goal is the transmission of knowledge, ‘Project Innovation Study Groups’ are modeled more like a village with diverse relationships, expertise and where the end goal is an emergent, creative enterprise.

Furthermore, traditionally start-up operations begin with a solitary person with a big idea who forms a team around them to bring that idea into the world. Project Innovation Study Groups contrastingly start by developing the team and only later focus on the idea.

Conclusion:

The complexity of the present moment asks for new ways of working together, meaning making and application. Due to the many existential risks facing society time is of the essence. Project Innovation Study Groups offer an exciting approach to wise change. If you are interested in calling for a Project Innovation Study Group, or would like to learn more about the process feel free to contact Robin Woolner at squidswillbsquids@gmail.com