Do participatory scenario exercises promote systems thinking and build consensus?
Abstract Participatory scenario processes are associated with positive social learning outcomes, including consensus-building and shifts toward more systemic thinking. However, these claims have not been assessed quantitatively in diverse cultural and socio-ecological settings. We convened three sta...
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doaj-505004c571f84f1fa0dbfd61f4ff8b852020-11-24T22:34:54ZengBioOneElementa: Science of the Anthropocene2325-10262016-07-0110.12952/journal.elementa.000113ELEMENTA-D-14-00003Do participatory scenario exercises promote systems thinking and build consensus?Laura Schmitt OlabisiJelili AdebiyiPierre Sibiry TraoréMayamiko Nathaniel KakweraAbstract Participatory scenario processes are associated with positive social learning outcomes, including consensus-building and shifts toward more systemic thinking. However, these claims have not been assessed quantitatively in diverse cultural and socio-ecological settings. We convened three stakeholder workshops around the future of agricultural development and rural livelihoods in Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Malawi, using a participatory scenario generation process to examine proposed research and action priorities under conditions of uncertainty. We administered pre- and post-workshop surveys, and used a paired t-test to assess how stakeholders’ rankings of research priorities changed after participating in the scenario visioning exercise. Workshop participants also listed their own priorities for research and implementation on both the pre- and post-survey forms. We found indications that the workshops promoted consensus-building around the research priorities, including a reduction in standard deviation of priority rankings post-workshop compared to pre-workshop; and a higher incidence of identical volunteered responses. We did not find evidence to support shifts in thinking to more systemic views of agricultural development. However, participants viewed themselves as having learned throughout the process. We conclude that scenario visioning does have the potential to foster consensus-building (one element of social learning) among diverse stakeholder groups. We urge researchers to continue to monitor and measure systems thinking outcomes from scenario visioning so that these processes may be designed to be more effective.http://elementascience.org/article/info:doi/10.12952/journal.elementa.000113scenario visioningsystems thinkingAfrican agriculture |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Laura Schmitt Olabisi Jelili Adebiyi Pierre Sibiry Traoré Mayamiko Nathaniel Kakwera |
spellingShingle |
Laura Schmitt Olabisi Jelili Adebiyi Pierre Sibiry Traoré Mayamiko Nathaniel Kakwera Do participatory scenario exercises promote systems thinking and build consensus? Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene scenario visioning systems thinking African agriculture |
author_facet |
Laura Schmitt Olabisi Jelili Adebiyi Pierre Sibiry Traoré Mayamiko Nathaniel Kakwera |
author_sort |
Laura Schmitt Olabisi |
title |
Do participatory scenario exercises promote systems thinking and build consensus? |
title_short |
Do participatory scenario exercises promote systems thinking and build consensus? |
title_full |
Do participatory scenario exercises promote systems thinking and build consensus? |
title_fullStr |
Do participatory scenario exercises promote systems thinking and build consensus? |
title_full_unstemmed |
Do participatory scenario exercises promote systems thinking and build consensus? |
title_sort |
do participatory scenario exercises promote systems thinking and build consensus? |
publisher |
BioOne |
series |
Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene |
issn |
2325-1026 |
publishDate |
2016-07-01 |
description |
Abstract Participatory scenario processes are associated with positive social learning outcomes, including consensus-building and shifts toward more systemic thinking. However, these claims have not been assessed quantitatively in diverse cultural and socio-ecological settings. We convened three stakeholder workshops around the future of agricultural development and rural livelihoods in Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Malawi, using a participatory scenario generation process to examine proposed research and action priorities under conditions of uncertainty. We administered pre- and post-workshop surveys, and used a paired t-test to assess how stakeholders’ rankings of research priorities changed after participating in the scenario visioning exercise. Workshop participants also listed their own priorities for research and implementation on both the pre- and post-survey forms. We found indications that the workshops promoted consensus-building around the research priorities, including a reduction in standard deviation of priority rankings post-workshop compared to pre-workshop; and a higher incidence of identical volunteered responses. We did not find evidence to support shifts in thinking to more systemic views of agricultural development. However, participants viewed themselves as having learned throughout the process. We conclude that scenario visioning does have the potential to foster consensus-building (one element of social learning) among diverse stakeholder groups. We urge researchers to continue to monitor and measure systems thinking outcomes from scenario visioning so that these processes may be designed to be more effective. |
topic |
scenario visioning systems thinking African agriculture |
url |
http://elementascience.org/article/info:doi/10.12952/journal.elementa.000113 |
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