Learning History workshop guide

What’s included in the slide pack? Slides to assist your preparation Thinking about what you want to achieve Phases of a workshop A sample half day workshop Using quotes to provoke discussion Sample points for discussion Slides as a resource for the workshop Aims Principles of Total Place work Starting where you are Sections of the report explained What is a learning history? How its laid out Elements of the story Kolb’s learning cycle Action learning cycle Pre Work This slide pack with accompanying facilitators’ notes has been created to assist the use of the learning history as a tool and forms the basis of a four hour workshop. The workshop’s purpose is to introduce the learning history, understand the experiences and lessons learnt and to consider how to apply this to the future of working in a holistic way.

The following slides are designed to assist you in your preparation for the workshop

Thinking about what you want to achieve The workshop will enable the group to use the learning history document: ‘Places, People & Politics: Learning to do things differently’* Having read the learning history and identified those parts that resonate (or irritate) it enables workshop participants to relate their own experience of Total Place The exploration will stimulate ideas for what learning might be taken forward Actions to take forward may emerge and are the tangible outcomes the workshop seeks to promote * copies available online from

The phases of a workshop Setting the scene Invite someone from senior management, a champion or a key player to kick the workshop off. This gives value to the dialogue about to take place (and the validity of the report on which it is based) Phase one ‘What happened and why?’ Phase two ‘So what?’ and ‘What next?’ Summarising What will happen next?

A sample half-day workshop Setting the scene 9.30 Introduction by a senior leader / local champion Introduction to the Learning History, the session and the group Phase 1 First reactions (small groups) What stood out for you when you read the report and why? (Surprise, joy, anger, sadness, frustration etc.) Working on extracts/ quotes/questions – (see samples, gather some from the group or Select some in advance relevant for the group) Phase 2 ‘So what?’ In small groups participants share reactions and thinking about possibilities for change within their area of responsibility Insight into action ‘What next?’ What can be developed and at what points in the system? Who, how and when these will be taken forward Summarising Summary of next steps and what will happen next Close

Sample quotes to provoke conversation “The good ideas still have to be done regardless really and when the dust settles, an election’s held, whatever we do we’re going to keep coming back to this area?” “Oh I could do it every day of the week; I just find it fascinating because it’s inspiring isn’t it looking at how you change things. I find that the concept of Total Place is a really liberating one in terms of freeing you up to think about things in a different way.” (Select other quotes more carefully or gather some from participants to be the focus for discussion)

Sample points for discussion What did you notice from the quotes that you recognised or that connected powerfully with your own experience? From your perspective, what is new and what isn’t? (Things that you have thought and how you have behaved for a long time?) What inspires, reawakens old values? What are the blocks which you recognise where you work? What are the doubts and difficulties that have not been spoken about?

The following slides can be used or adapted for use on the workshop

Title of your workshop: Name of the facilitator:

How we aim to use ‘Places, People & Politics: Learning to do things differently’ To identify whether your reflections are personal and which are shared by others To value, evaluate and hear different voices and perspectives from different levels and roles in the local and central government system To learn and become conscious of lessons so we don’t repeat them To challenge what you are all thinking To notice what are ‘old’ ideas and what is ‘new’ To focus on the challenges and opportunities

Aims of the workshop The overall purpose of this workshop is to ……. The more specific aims of the workshop are: xxx

Principles of Total Place Locally led Holistic Customer-needs driven Relationships are more critical than are the rules Try it and experiment It is better to ask forgiveness than permission Respect people in authority and seek conversations and ask for them to open doors Don’t make assumptions - find out, explore

Starting where you are Identify the most significant time for your locality during your involvement in Total Place Identify what your questions are now about Total Place What affected or inspired you most personally? What was most difficult or challenging for you personally? If it all left you cold why do you think that was?

Sections of the report explained Contents: Section 0 Arguments for a new approach to public sector working in places Section 1 The origins of Total Place Section 2 Project inception to the Pre-Budget Report (PBR) Section 3 From the PBR to the final reports Section 4 Was it worth it? Yes it was Afterword

What is the Learning History? It’s a collection of stories, learning and reflection from a large number of people involved in Total Place Over 100 people were interviewed from different Places and parts of the system The interviews were recorded and analysed with the themes and data drawn from people’s concrete experiences The process produces a ‘jointly told tale’ The next stage is for readers to join the story, react, identify and learn themselves from it.

Learning history structure People’s real experience expressed in quotes: The quotes are the data and evidence upon which the history is written Signposts of left hand side of the page: These are to guide the reader and captures the essence of what the quotes are saying First paragraph at the beginning of each section This sets the scene and tells you what was happening at the time and what’s included in the section Questions to consider These are at the end of each section and are designed to provoke discussion and reflection for the reader

The quotes The questions The elements of the story / history There’s nothing new- we are already doing this Insights – new thoughts and new actions

Another dimension The customer s The unspoken doubts and difficulties The systemic view – how the parts fit and work together or don’t You may notice that some difficulties have may not have been talked about Is the voice of the customer coming through enough? What do you think they would be saying? to consider that may not be so explicit

Kolb’s Learning Cycle Transfer of learning Into action Concluding: Abstract conceptualisation or theory Reflective observation: Relating to self and own experience Experiencing: Concrete experience Planning Action and experimentation

Kolb’s Learning Cycle Concrete experience - Activist Reflective observation - Reflection Active experimentation - Pragmatism Abstract conceptualisation - Theory First hand experience + finding ways to use experience First hand experience + reflection on experience Being told or reading about it + finding new ways to use experience Being told or reading about it + reflection on experience

The Learning Cycle This is based on a cycle of action and reflection - the outer circle aims to create increasingly effective leadership action, the inner triangle indicates the value of the ability to reflect and review in the midst of action 2. Inquiring questions to explore the issue to deepen the inquiry 1. Description of experience and dilemmas talking about the issue 3. Feedback what you were: noticing feeling thinking hypothesising 4. Reflection reaction and reflection ’ + discussion to consider how the feedback loop fits with a new understanding of the issue 5. Action what actions should we consider taking? what will be needed to move forwards?

Pre-work for participants

Pre-work: Read the learning history in advance of the workshop. As you read the report notice what experience and emotions it triggers in you either by identification or by a reaction that says ‘this is nothing like how it was for me’. Mark the areas in the text that are most powerful for you and identify one or two of the quotes or questions that stand out most powerfully for you Also suspend your judgement – wonder why people said what they said even if you don’t agree – keep an open mind Come to the workshop being prepared to learn and explore with others the implications of what others have said and how you feel now We will use your reflections during the workshop so please make notes Instructions to send out in advance

Starting where you are Identify the most significant time for your locality during your involvement in Total Place Identify what your questions are now about Total Place What affected or inspired you most personally? What was most difficult or challenging for you personally? If it all left you ‘cold’ why do you think that was?

Further information Questions and more information? Website: CoP: or