Principles of Empowering Design – basics March 2009
Experience of designing empowering behaviour-change programs has been accumulating in GAP since the start in 1989. Several international meetings have focused on analysing and synthesizing this experience. Results are documented in a number of ways, including regularly updated checklists and guidelines for program design. We are happy to transfer the results of these 20 years of experience, in workshops, web-based tutorials, and/or consultation processes, to organizations and groups aiming to empower many people to live and work increasingly sustainably.
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An empowerment model A spiral relation Intervention points Characteristics of empowering programs Overall characteristics Design implications of the spiral Change agents, early adopters, or both? Results and training
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1. An empowerment model Most educational programs and information campaigns are designed along the ”scientific” (i e mind-focused) model: Information –> Knowledge –> Attitude/Values –> Action/Behaviour It all seems very logical. But we also know very well that it’s a poor model of reality. We educate and inform, for example about the risks of smoking. If the scientific model were an accurate picture of reality, there would hardly be a smoker left in the world today. In practice almost the opposite seems to be true. Each of us is bombarded with gigantic amounts of information every day, maybe hundreds of thousands as much as we can actually absorb. Somehow, each of us decides what to hear and what to activate. The bottom line is that we too seldom see actual behaviour change as a result. A spiral relation The programs delivered by Global Action Plan use a different model. Working with them for nearly 20 years, we have learnt to take sustainable behaviour change to a new level of effectiveness. One way to understand what goes on is to view information and action as two elements in a circular or spiral relationship. The third element is attention, or caring. It works like this: • I take in information about things I care about. If you decide to buy an Opel, you see nothing but Opels on the street where you saw none before. • I care about things I believe I can affect by my own actions. Conversely, things I believe I can’t influence are things I care little about; therefore I take in little information about them.
Intervention points Between the three pillars of the spiral (Caring, Finding Out, Taking action) are three other important dimensions of empowerment. Together they offer us six possible entry points, rather than the single point of ‘information’. Between Caring and Finding out come questions. Learning to formulate good questions is a basic element of empowerment. Basic design
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Between Finding out and Taking action comes intention. As we become more empowered, we become more skillful in using our will-power to formulate attractive, feasible intentions. Between Taking action and Caring comes feedback. Seeing the results of my actions – whether ‘successful’ or not – is a prerequisite for expanding my scope of caring – and thus moving up the spiral.
2. Characteristics of empowering programs Overall characteristics 1.
INVITATION a) To personal and group goal-setting b) To personal experience / experiment c) To reflection d) To conversation/discourse
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CONTINUITY a) An ongoing cycle: choice – finding out – action+results b) Low threshold, small steps c) Team work
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LEGITIMACY a) Endorsements b) Publicized results
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FOCUS a) On solutions b) On human needs in a planetary context
Design implications of the spiral 5.
CARING a) About program participants b) About the program topic c) About each other
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FORMULATING QUESTIONS a) What is interesting? b) What is important? c) What do I really need to know in order to take action?
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FINDING OUT a) Who do I trust? b) Where to look?
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FORMULATING INTENTION a) I will do this, by that date b) I need resources and help/skills c) I will know I have succeeded when…
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TAKING EXPERIMENTAL ACTION Do it! Tracking and support
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10. FEEDBACK a) This is what happened b) How it could have been (even) better c) Extrapolation and dissemination Change agents, early adopters, or both? There may be trade-offs between reaching many people who each do a little, and fewer people who each do more. What is most effective? According to the theory of social diffusion, it should best be a combination. The ’few who do a lot’ are change agents whose example can, under the right conditions, inspire many others. The ’many who do a little’ are probably the early majority whose results can be useful for wide publicity.
3. Results and training Based on learnings from working with hundreds of thousands of people internationally, we have demonstrated that we can bring about long-term, internalized behaviour change1. We have also successfully developed a support program for cultural adaptation of our programs to new contexts. Our programs for households, workplaces and communities are currently being delivered in more than 20 countries. We are happy to transfer the results of these 20 years of experience, in workshops, web-based tutorials, and/or consultation processes, to organizations and groups aiming to empower many people to live and work increasingly sustainably. We occasionally offer open workshops, as well as programs tailored to the needs of specific clients. For more information please see http://globalactionplan.com and contact your nearest member organization, or write to secretariat@globalactionplan.com
For Global Action Plan in the Netherlands, please contact: Peter van Luttervelt Goejanverwelledijk 24 2807 CC Gouda Netherlands Tel: +31 (0) 653716426 Emai: peter@vanluttervelt.nl
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Including longitudinal reseach on EcoTeams in the Netherlands by the faculty of social and behavioural sciences of Leiden University, Harland and Staats.
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