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Intensifying interaction between policy makers and researchers to increase research uptake and influence policy-making

23 January 2014
12:30 - 13:30

Speaker: Catherine Widrig Jenkins, IngeniousPeoplesKnowledge

Date: 23 January 2014

Presenter: Catherine Widrig Jenkins, IngeniousPeoplesKnowledge

A certain quality of interaction is required for significant collective insights to unfold and emerge. Catherine Widrig Jenkins from IngeniousPeoplesKnowledge Consultants shares from her experience as a process designer and facilitator, on how to accelerate transformation in complex living systems through using conversation.

Policy formulation is a complex task and as such cannot be shaped by merely bringing together different view holders to learn about certain findings. Such an approach carries the risk of furthering fragmentation. Instead, it is necessary to gain clarity on the specific purpose and crucial questions and tasks for elaboration by participants first.

And then, to create and provide an open and safe space for researchers, policy makers and other relevant actors to jointly find answers to these in an iterative process. This approach allows us to engage the ‘whole system’ and leverage the collective knowledge, which is greater than the mere sum of its individual parts. Participants are invited to leave their comfort zone and overcome the narrowness of their own perspective. In such a space relations can be nurtured, and new possibilities for closer collaboration to improve public policy to the benefit of all South Africans can arise.

Kindly RSVP by 20 January 2014

This seminar may be attended via video conference in Pretoria, Cape Town and KwaZulu-Natal. Details as below. 

Cape Town: HSRC, 12th Floor, Plein Park Building (Opposite Revenue Office), Plein Street, Cape Town. Contact Jean Witten, Tel (021) 4668004, Fax (021) 461 0299, or JWitten@hsrc.ac.za

Durban: First floor HSRC board room, 750 Francois Road, Ntuthuko Junction, Pods 5 and 6, Cato Manor, Contact Ridhwaan Khan, Tel (031) 242 5400, cell: 083 788 2786 or RKhan@hsrc.ac.za

Pretoria: HSRC Video Conference, 1st floor HSRC Library Human Sciences Research Council, 134 Pretorius Street, Pretoria. Arlene Grossberg, Tel: (012) 302 2811, e-mail: acgrossberg@hsrc.ac.za