Margaret’s as a learning organization
2020 has been a time in which there is growing recognition that business-as-usual is not likely to work. It is a time to review practices, rethink our understanding of problems and reshape solutions.
Given both the pandemic and the growing recognition of Structural Racism, in our view there is a need to reflect on responsive, learning approaches to the new realities.
This is a partnership between Margaret’s and the Evaluation Centre. We are interested in exploring in our collaboration the utility of evaluation approaches and evaluative thinking in helping organizations adapt to changes.
Our collaboration is focused on sharing what we have learned from Margaret’s as it responds to the pandemic. We will also share how evaluative thinking can help Margaret’s to better respond to the pandemic and a deeper understanding of Structural Racism.
For the pandemic, it was clear that Margaret’s response to the uncertainties of the pandemic had to be both adaptable and nimble. However, it was also clear that there was need for a systemic response and supportive systems to navigate the pandemic. Margaret’s could not do it alone. Our focus is on the lessons learned as Margaret’s sought to navigate the pandemic.
There is also a deep interest from the leadership and staff of Margaret’s to learn about how best to respond to the realities of Structural racism:
- How can routine programming better respond to the lived experiences of clients?
- How can the System provide supports that can help Margaret’s response to challenges of Structural racism?
- How can Monitoring and Evaluation systems better learn about the multiple intersectional contexts of clients?
A learning organization is about more than speaking truth to power. It is about recognizing that both history and context matters in deep ways . Intersectionalities of multiple contexts matter. Evaluations can help navigate such realities.