Impact Listening & Learning Conversation Guide
What is the impact we are having on the people and places we care about? How can we do this work more effectively TOGETHER?
What is Impact Listening & Learning? This is the process that L’Arche Canada is developing to reflect and learn about the impacts of the activities that L’Arche Canada has undertaken over the last few years. The L’Arche Canada team, L’Arche Communities in Canada, L’Arche International and partner organizations we work with will do this together and individually in a variety of ways over the next month. Through these conversations, together we are listening and learning to explore:
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What did we do? What activities has L’Arche Canada been undertaking?
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So….. What has the impact of these activities been? So….. What has been working well and why? So….. What has been challenging and what are we learning about?
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Now What are the priorities for our work going forward? Watch this VIDEO to learn more
The Invitation 1.
Watch the short introductory video from the National Mission-in-Action Plan (MAP) Team and Review this guide.
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Engage other members of your community in watching the introductory video and discussing the Outcome Summaries for topics that are most important to you.
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Join a national Discussion Group for L’Arche Communities. You need to register for these meetings by April 3 in order to allow us to arrange interpretation and other supports HERE: Partners in Belonging / Living our Values is on April 7 1:30-3 Eastern Co-Learning and Co-Leading / Living our Values is on April 13 1:30-3 Eastern
Important Notes L’Arche Canada focus: The MAP team made choices about who to talk to and how to listen. Impact Listen and Learning is focussed on L’Arche Canada activities only. Engage with what you know: You should focus on Impact Listening and Learning around actions and outcomes where you have experience, or have been affected. Not everyone will engage with every activity. You decide which topics are important to discuss. Support honest, diverse perspectives: Everyone brings their own experience and perspective. Group discussions should nurture curiosity, acceptance and a safe space for differences.
About this Guide This guide offers some materials and suggestions for your Impact Listening and Learning discussion. It is not intended to be directive, but rather to suggest some options. You are being invited to make some decisions about what you want to focus your listening and learning on, and also how you will do that.
STEP 1: Getting Ready for your Group Discussion Before you meet…
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Review the Outcome Summaries to identify which outcome areas people in your group will discuss. Consider the activities your Community/members have been impacted by or been part of in some way. The second page of each Outcome Summary is a more detailed listing of all the activities L’Arche completed to support achieving that outcome goal. When you decide which groups will have Impact Listening and Learning Conversations , please complete the registration form HERE. This will help us stay connected to the discussion groups that are happening, so we can be sure to we have received completed feedback forms as well as to help us to follow up and do an evaluation so that we can find out if there are any changes to the process you might recommend.
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Decide how long you need for the discussion, who will take notes and who will record and submit the group summary notes on the on-line Discussion Summary Form.
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“Set the stage” for the discussion by making sure that everyone has the background information. Share the video to provide the overview of the MAP process, role of the MAP Team and how the Impact Listening and Learning work will support renewed plans for the next three years.
STEP 2: Facilitating your Group Discussion: 1. Here is a possible agenda for your session: Welcome and Introductions Land Acknowledgment Group Agreements – Propose some simple agreements for how the group will work such as: sharing the air time and staying open to different experiences and perspectives. Ask the group if there are others they want to add. Warm Up: If you want an example, see these MAP Team warm up exercises:
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Listening Warm Up: ENGLISH | FRENCH
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Deep Breath video: ENGLISH | FRENCH
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Warm Up Directions PDF: ENGLISH | FRENCH
Orient your group to the focus of your discussion. If you have not already done so in advance, share the introductory video. Use the two-page Outcome Area Discussion Guides to highlight the specific activities or work of L’Arche Canada that you will be discussing activities your members have engaged with directly or been affected by.
See the Outcome Area Discussion Guides here:
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Co-Leading/Co-Learning:
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Learning Organization:
ENGLISH | FRENCH
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Partners for Belonging:
ENGLISH | FRENCH
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Living our Values:
ENGLISH | FRENCH
ENGLISH | FRENCH
Discuss the questions for your outcome area and activities one by one. Some will go faster than others based on how much people were involved.
Some Tips: If you are gathering in person, it can be helpful to record comments visually on a flip chart, using sticky notes on a wall or in some other way. Use “rounds” to make sure everyone has a chance to contribute and also make sure that people are comfortable “passing” – not everyone will have comments on every activity or question. Encourage people to use “I have the same comment” if their comment has already been made. Keep the group moving along onto the next question based on how much time you have.
STEP 3: Writing Down & Sharing your Reflections Write down your notes, key learnings and insights from your group discussion using the on-line form here. Lists of bullet comments are fine – no names please! Note that there is a different on-line Discussion Summary Form for each outcome area. You’ll find the on-line Discussion Summary Forms here:
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Co-learners and Co-leaders
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Partners in Belonging
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Learning Organization
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Living our Values
Please see the specific Outcome Area Discussion Guides for the outcome area you want to focus on.
Supporting Documents 2019-2022 Action Plan: L’Arche Canada’s 2019-2022 action plans Strategic Plan – Roadmap Toward Impact: L’Arche Canada’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan L’Arche Communities Mandates & Roadmaps Summary Report: Summary of the main actions named in the L’Arche community Roadmaps or Mandates Developing and testing a L’Arche Canada "Impact Listening and Learning Plan"