U.S. National Intelligence Community
Challenge
There was a need for a more collaborative and inclusive process-design approach to application development. They needed to reduce costly redundancies, speed up the development cycle and be more future-focused. As well, with the help of IPI consultants, they wanted to leverage legacy systems in a way that challenged the developers and the users to think more innovatively with respect to what would take their business processes to new heights of performance.
Solution
A highly participatory, strengths-based group facilitation approach called Appreciative Inquiry (AI) was linked to Business Process Management (BPM) process modeling. The integrated AI/BPM method created a hub for human and application interaction—a crossroads of strategy, process, people and technology.
Bridging the business–IT gap, IPI facilitated a series of weekly gatherings of participants representing all facets of the enterprise in a manner that captured inspired ideas and hopes for innovation using BPM process-design software. The outcomes of these activities were captured by the BPM tool and transformed into compelling business processes and application prototypes that boosted participants’ visions for success.
Results
The combined AI/BPM approach has helped project managers across the community shave time and money off their traditional project plans is several ways. It allowed users to gain timely and proper insight and access to task information (e.g. resources requirements, policy bottlenecks, system interdependencies), allowed smart pre-investment business decisions to be made and facilitated the discovery of creative ways to maintain the best of legacy technology systems while making room for continuous innovations over time and enhanced buy-in and commitment.
Department of Justice
Challenge
In an effort to streamline and integrate the efforts of U.S. federal government agencies to enhance national security and fight terrorism, the Department of Justice Terrorism and Violent Crime Section sought support in the development of its Inter-agency Counter-terrorism and Technology Crime Five-Year Plan.
Solution
Success required the engagement of over 300 executive-level representatives from various federal agencies to assess their respective domestic and foreign counter-terrorism efforts. Services also included the delivery of research support and data gathering using a combination of documentation review, interviews and small- and large-group process exercises.
Results
Together, IPI and the Department of Justice established inter-agency commitment to counter-terrorism collaboration and better alignment of resources. Process innovations and programs were presented in formal reports to the Deputy Attorney General, which culminated in an Inter-agency Counter-terrorism and Technology Crime Five-Year Plan.
Export Development Canada
Challenge
Export Development Canada (EDC) is a Crown corporation that provides financing and risk-management services to Canadian exporters and investors. The Organization Effectiveness Group (OEG) was interested in developing in-house capacity/skills in Appreciative Inquiry (AI). Working with many client groups across the organization, the OEG had the potential to utilize the principles, concepts and processes of AI to create positive change in the organization.
Solution
The IPI team of consultants met with a planning group that was made up of several members of the OEG. Working collaboratively with the client, IPI consultants planned and co-designed a three-day training workshop. The consultants designed a customized learning initiative that led the OEG through experiential learning of AI theory, principles and process.
In the first two days, participants learned about AI as a process and philosophy while discovering their strengths, imagining possible futures and taking specific actions toward their goal of building capacity for change. A component of the learning initiative required participants to select an AI project that they could initiate with their internal clients.
Results
During a four-week gap between the second and third day of training, participants had the opportunity to practice some of what they had learned. One such project led to the planning, design and facilitation of a 200-person planning retreat and a pre-session meeting with the management group. The in-house team of facilitators saw the project through to completion, including initiating a fully appreciative post-session evaluation meeting.
Canada Foundation for Innovation
Challenge
Confirm and revive core values through team building and experiential learning.
Solution
Working in partnership with a core team comprising a representative cross-section of the organization, the facilitation team co-designed an interactive, whole-system process to assist the organization in achieving its development goals. This involved a process built on the principles of the strength-based approach called Appreciative Inquiry. This process stimulated dialogue and encouraged the sharing of stories that were examples of the organization “living” its values. Following this, the whole organization then engaged in a team-building session that included engaging in discovering the organization’s core strengths and root causes of success. The team-building event culminated in visioning session and the selection of specific actions make the dream a reality.
Results
This intervention resulted in an affirmation of the organization’s values and the development of very positive relationships across organizational boundaries. Two additional team-building events were organized involving smaller divisions within the organization. In addition, as a result of IPI’s positive relationship with the client, a CFI employee who sits on the board of a non-profit group asked our consultants to help that organization develop its vision and strategy.
Human Resources and Social Development Canada
Challenge
IPI’s role was to assist in ensuring a smooth cultural shift when Human Resources Development Canada merged with the Human Resources function of Services Canada. Another goal was to get the newly structured HR function to embrace a successful HRSDC Coaching and Leadership program and make it available to employees at all levels.
Solution
This project introduced “Appreciative Leadership” to the program to help build a culture of personal leadership throughout the organization. A series of two-day introductory Appreciative Leadership workshops was introduced to build a culture of personal leadership and enrich the “Art of Coaching” skill set that is slowly taking root in the organizational culture. As well as designing, delivering and refining workshops in both English and French, there was one-on-one coaching to support application of the workshop content and support in integrating traditional and appreciative coaching models.
Results
A study of the pilot program indicated that participants in the program were demonstrating increased capacity for personal and professional leadership and greater resiliency in times of organizational change. As well, demand for the Appreciative Leadership workshops doubled in early 2008.
GEM Initiative/United States Agency for International Development
Challenge
Build excellence in leadership in non-governmental international-development organizations, government ministries and private-sector entities around the world and enable them to live up to their potential as creative forces of positive change.
Solution
The Global Excellence in Management Initiative (GEM), was a program of the Weatherhead School of Management of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development from 1994-2001.
Using GEM, an AI-based approach that includes state-of the art organizational effectiveness, leadership and change solutions, IPI consultants worked with over 70 non-governmental international development organizations (NGOs), government ministries and private-sector entities to affect change. This approach was a major shift away from the dominant development paradigm embedded in traditional problem-solving and helped unleash possibilities for human cooperation that supported breakthroughs in the development of organizational strategies, renewal and cooperation.
Results
The use of Appreciative Inquiry as an approach to capacity building of non-governmental organizations demonstrated that the process of organizational learning, strategic planning and leadership, and partnership development can be accelerated. By focusing on the “best of what is” and valuing the assets resident in each individual, community or organization, GEM participants found themselves much better equipped to break the cycle of dependency inherent in traditional approaches to relief and development and move more effectively toward the future they desire.
Evaluations of the learning process employed in GEM programs concluded that the innovative program design stimulated a learning environment that inspired, sharpened and accelerated strategic learning, planning and teamwork among NGO, government and private sector leaders. The AI approach employed throughout GEM programs proved to be as effective at the grassroots level with local communities, as well as with NGO leaders and government ministers. Program participants have reported that not only have they gained effective tools for leading positive change, but they have been transformed in the way they view the potential for growth and change in the world, their communities and their families.