Guest blog by Dagia Aka, Leah Margis, Boboya Noiney, Janet Rangou, Veronica Thomas, Jessica Wohimane
Our team comprised of six individuals with vast ranges of experiences in practice, research, policy, student management and university administration. BOAB which is the abbreviation for “bearing one another’s burden” was initially agreed upon as our group name. BOAB became our motto and the reason we submitted all our assignments on time.
In a multicultural, linguistically diversified country like Papua New Guinea (PNG), higher education remains a pillar of unification. The BOAB team’s futuristic interventions shall be fostered through small wins:
- Small-actions within the authority of existing reform laws where universities focus on quality of their academic programs, measured by graduates’ global and digital citizenship.
- Empowering teams through delegating tasks to those who are competent and honest enough to own problems and actually do something about a problem not just talking about the problem.
- Positive deviants leading to best practices. Pockets of good practices may already be present in some aspects of (partnered) university learning, teaching, training, research and entrepreneurship. Where positive deviants have led to successful “small wins”, learning from these experiences may inform BOAB’s 2023 iteration actions.
The following is a reflection of our collective PDIA journey and possible 2023 futures.
Some of our key learning included problem sensemaking and conceptualization- in addressing wicked complex challenges, holistic understanding can be identified through practical tools. Why does it matter? To whom does it matter? Moreover, taking small steps, staying focused, on the problem and the processes from small wins, latent practices and positive deviants are crucial for local solutions.
Whilst our problem statement was the delay in academic audits is affecting the quality of higher education in Papua New Guinea, the BOAB team focused on the extent to which sub-causes emerging from measurements, leadership and product, can be addressed using identified actions, authority and authorizers. Throughout the course, the problem statement and key questions were further refined. Exploratory conversations leading to positive deviants were key approaches undertaken.
A key progress has been the opportunity to freely and fairly share our problem statement with others, and being open to different people’s perspectives. Weekly feedbacks from “who did you speak with” added volume to appreciating others’ perspective while “why does it matter” insights with teaching peers provided lens into positive deviants. These interactions also identified aspects of previous audit implementations attempted at various divisions/schools/faculties.
Improvement in the quality of higher education remains a concern and we are committed to enabling interventions and iterations in our spaces, and in accordance with reform policy as established by the national government. Taking the small steps and seeing acceptance, as well as having others embrace what can be done to improve practice makes it all the more exciting. Additionally, where others may have positive deviance, it can also be considered in improving practice, and mapping the way forward. Moreover, dissection of the problem statement into academic audit and institutional audit clusters may diagnose specific sub-causes of each cluster thus amplifying smaller fishbones which may have been overlooked in this PDIA journey.
Here is how each of us is using what we learned in our day-to-day work:
- I have been using the 5 questions about the problem in trying to gain conceptual understanding of the problem. In fact, I have now used the questions as habitual tools for collective problem solving. More recently, I employed the “AAA, why and to whom does it matter” in one of my focus group meetings with a team of academic staff who are undertaking a Teaching & learning space.
- I have already begun using PDIA in other workplace problem areas and I intend to continue to do so. Looking also at other problems in the community and in other organizations, I have begun advocating for the PDIA program as I have found the tools to be very useful!
- I will now apply the learning gained from this course to address the challenge of providing suitable accommodation for our Overseas International Students accepted to undertake Postgraduate programs in 2023. Have already engaged in the process but need to keep my diary and progress this with regular and consistent reflections with the Team. This will be a real task especially when the Team Members are used to working without the big picture in their mind.
- Later this week, we will be facilitating a conference session with university student leaders (for 2023 academic year). I have applied tools from the PDIA iteration in the discussion design. My aim is to instigate mind-mapping plans for the students in their institutions, as well as seek their views, on how they think, my work intervenes/iterates with their problem-solving/2023 for upskilling plans.
- I am seeing it work in my workspace and organization. Authorizers and authorized working collaboratively to deconstruct problems. My takeaway from this course is the taking of small steps, and small wins, setting a clear vision, on where I want to go or see done together with everyone around me. Sharing the vision.
The words of wisdom we want to share with fellow PDIA practitioners around the world are: Trust the process, even when it seems confusing, trust the process! It will make sense. Bear each other’s burden along the journey, and enjoy the collective learning experience. Much appreciation, tenk yu tumas long olgeta halivim (Much appreciated and thank you so much PDIA Harvard Team).
This blog was written by participants who completed a 12-week PDIA for PNG online action-learning program from September – December 2022. 31 participants successfully completed this program.