Knowledge-to-Action: Lessons on Knowledge, Learning and Design of Information

Shoulders of Giants

As with doing any research, we always have to start with, and build on, whatever info is already there and the user already has ...

Based on queries received from visitors to GDRC's programme websites, it is clear that the information they found on the website helped them do their work (whether a report, a project, or a speech) better.

And so the metaphor, "Standing on the Shoulder of Giants" - implying an individual who improves his/her intellectual pursuits by appreciating and using the work done by other people in the past.

Turning the metaphor around - what information can be provided to users who can then use it to build on and improve the work they are doing? This is an important question that has guided the design of GDRC's web pages!

Cities as barometers of progress

Much of GDRC's 15 programmes and its projects deal with problems and issues that are essentially urban in context. A majority of humanity now live in cities and urbanized areas - these have huge consequences, both positive and negative. Cities are growing due to the centrality of goods and services that it offers. But mismanaged growth has caused a drastic decline in the quality of living both in the residential and work fronts.

Such a scenario has had ripple effects on a variety of sectors such as education, health, labour/job markets, and economic activities. The growth and effect of an urban area should be seen not only in terms of its immediate boundaries, but also in terms of the resources necessary to sustain its population.

Cities have, in effect, become a barometer of humankind's progress into the 21st century, whether this is an upward or downward trend. Focussing on urban areas helps us understand the cause-effect relationships, but also the beginings of viable solutions.

Problems-behind-problems [and solutions-for-solutions]

Developing GDRC's content has brought up an interesting lesson - When we look at problems we tend to look at only the facile or visible aspects and label them as 'problems'. Slums or squatter settlements are a classic 'problem' that is always mentioned in improving urban environments.

But is it a 'problem'? What is the real problem with respect to slums? What problems lie behind this visible, tangible 'problem' - lack of political will? Vested private interests? Land management policies? Or a combination of these?

There will always be problems behind the visible problems and to find a lasting sustainable solution, we need to find out what these are to attack the root causes and reasons of the end problem.

And similarly we need to find solutions that can generate more solutions - one action that fosters, supports and enables more action to be taken, by a wider range of stakeholders.

Bird in Hand and Two in the Bush

Knowledge - the spark of insight and understanding - is created when information is added to what the user already knows. Hence the key to knowledge creation is understanding what the user already has (i.e. the 'bird-in-the-hand') as a first step, in order to be able to satisfy his/her information needs.

This goes together in providing access to pertinent and timely/useful information (i.e. the 'two-in-a-bush'). The information should add an additional layer of knowledge building on what the user already has �E�E

Walk the talk, and also talk the walk

The popular saying "Walk the Talk" is interpreted as an important information design lesson for GDRC - of providing key information (the "talk", which inspires users to take action on the ground (the "walk").

And the corollary - to "Talk the Walk" is also interpreted as an equally important lesson - in making sure that practical information from the ground is provided along with theoretical information, in order to provide a balanced view.

The ultimate end-user: A kid!

With more and more emphasis on producing information and 'pushing' it out for consumption, a clearer understanding of what is needed by the user is becoming increasingly important.

Presenting information in a way that the user can understand becomes very critical. An excellent example is that of a kid. In fact a kind, a young child, can be considered as an ultimate end-user of the information:

Using a kid as an end-user of your information has two meanings - firstly, it means that there is a need to explain what you are disseminating easily so that even a kid can understand; secondly, kids are our future anyway!

It may not be directly relevant to a kid - but the message should be easy enough so that even a kid can understand. And if we change the behaviour of a kid towards sustainability, we are on our way to change the family's behavior too!

Skip, Hop and Side-step ...

With the Olympics just around the corner, terminology related to the games is on everyone's lips, and GDRC is no exception!

Hop, skip and side step is a term usually used to illustrate dodging - for example, of a company using a PR drive to obscure key issues and not take action on a critical environmental impact of its production process.

For GDRC it has a completely opposite meaning! It is to provide critical information for decision-making that will enable entities at the local level, whether companies or communities, to hop, skip and side step over problems or obvious pitfalls, thereby avoiding or mitigating negative impacts of their activities.

In a modern world where online information access and transfer is extremely fast, coming up with appropriate and consensus solutions is just a hop and skip away, and you can also manage to side-step the problems as well!

1+1=11

Overhead as a joke during a public meeting, the term "1+1=11" illustrates a number of trends that we are looking in our current interconnected society. The causes and effects of a particular action - say drinking a cup of coffee - have implications that goes beyond perceptions limited by space and time.

1+1=11 highlights this issue, but also that simple single actions, taken by an individual on an everyday basis, can cumulatively have impacts that are felt globally. 1+1=11 has become a guiding term for GDRC in the way it presents information in its various features, and the interconnectedness of the issues involved. And emphasize the need for us to have the skills to see such linkages.

Cooking in an Microwave Oven

A microwave oven is a ubiquitous addition to the modern kitchen enabling us to cook meals healthily and quickly. A microwave oven uses radio waves to cook the food all around and evenly - targeting all aspects of a food placed inside.

And that is the information management lesson provided by an oven - that when we look at an issue we need to look at it from different perspectives, and in a balanced, even manner. Like an oven zapping radio waves at the food from all angles, we need to penetrate the core issues to assess and evaluate it from different points of view.

Bon appetite !!

Good Information Packaging

The value of knowledge can be realized only when it is disseminated and shared - and used. What different design formats can be used to present and package information?

Over the years, GDRC has collected more than 160 such formats. Some focus on the format of presentation, and some on the content of the message. Some use graphics to deliver the message, some use text. Some present the message in listed points or in summary/abstract format, some in descriptive/verbose format. Some formats are temporal, short-term or long- term, others atemporal. Some formats are specifically developed for online dissemination environments, others offline - still others are appropriate for both environments.

Depending on the message that is to be delivered, the medium used, the target audience, the dissemination process etc. the actual format used will vary.

Hand-up, not Hand down

The UN Secretary General, in a speech, highlighted that what we need are more "hand-ups and not hand-downs"

This is a critical message that calls for more information and knowledge that enables proper and relevant decision-making to be done. Local decisions need to be taken at the local level, by local people - not 'handed-down' from the top.

How can awareness be built so that the right decision can be taken at the right time, at the right level, by the right people? This is a question that GDRC constantly asks when different information products and online features are developed.

Info design strategy

Designing information is a recurring theme as it is a key lesson learnt in the development of GDRC's programmes, and particularly its web pages. The programme on Information Design was itself inspired by lessons learnt when developing GDRC's programmes in the late 1990s and 2000s.

Good information designWhat is the main message we want to share? Which medium do we want to use? What resources are we to use? Who are the main end-users? How can information be presented for this purpose? And how can good information design facilitate this? calls for the collation, packaging and display of information in such a way as to communicate and meet the needs of the user, for intended purposes. It uses effective design principles to understand the essence and meaning of the information. Information design, in fact, takes graphic design principles and applies and integrates it with text.

Information Literacy

Information Literacy is defined as the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand.

This is an important skill that each and everyone of us have to possess - something that has become apparent as GDRC developed over the years.

The information explosion has meant that the information you want is out there - someone already has it. What we need is a way to search for it, a way to understand, package and use it for our own needs.

How important is it compared to other skills and knowledge, particularly in this information age? How do we develop information literacy? What formal and informal skills can we use for this?

New Wine in Old Bottles

Turning the saying "Old wine in New Bottles" (which means presenting an old idea, product, or practice in a new form, packaging, or style to make it appear fresh or innovative, even though its essential content has not changed) on its head, information management at the GDRC has learnt the importance of "New wine in old bottles".

This means that it becomes increasingly important for us to be able to see old issues from new perspectives. Or provide new information, skills and lessons for old problems people are still grappling with. It also means new ways of doing things to solve old shortcomings

Localization, contextualization and customization

How can we provide information that is useful to our end-users - those that have to grapple with everyday decisions on the environment and sustainability?

A set of three keywords guide GDRC's programme development: Localization, Contextualization, and Customization. Information (and the context within which that information is being provided) should enable the user to -

localize it - i.e. scale it down to the level that it will be used.
contextualize it - i.e. link it to the situation that in which it will be used
customize it - i.e. manage it to satisfy the need for such information.

By doing so, the ownership of information is ensured, and will better cater to the needs of the end-user at the level that he/she functions, and the decisions taken at that level.

Homogeneity and Heterogeneity

Homogeneity and heterogeneity are key concepts in information management too! We need to keep the forest AND the trees in view - trees for heterogeneity and forests for homogeneity.

GDRC learnt early on that in providing information to its users, it is necessary to help individuals contextualize their professional boundaries (and for organizations, their programme and project boundaries) within a larger, global perspective.

It is this ability to contextualize and actively use the info provided, whether at the individual or organizational level, that will enable good decision-making.

Don't be afraid ...

This is the starting line of a short 3-line Japanese hyku that says: "Don't be afraid / Of what you know / The unknown can be learnt."

The meaning is clear - we should take into account what we already know, what we already have - and not on what we don't have or don't know. We can always learn what we don't know!

This is a very important lesson for GDRC - to respect what its visitors already know. And to build on it, layer by layer, with new information, new linkages, new connections to other topics!

Jazz and Information Design

A recent jazz concert provided an interesting opportunity to think of the lessons we can learn for information design!

Listen carefully to jazz - a wide range of seemlingly random and different music streams, sounds and instruments come together to make 'music'. AND so it should be for designing information products - where different pieces of information should be used in different ways to present an idea or create knowledge.

The apparent randomness of jazz facilitates improvization and on-the-fly music. The musicians sometimes invent new pieces as they go along, but creating seamless music. AND so it should be for information design as well - a mixture of information provided should enable different impressions and inspirations in the user.

Jazz uses different music beats in the same piece of music, but creating a composite whole that is pleasing and continuous. AND in information design, this is an important skill to be able to pay attention to different and sometimes out-of-sync streams of information to be able to build patterns of useful knowledge

And so the beat goes on!!

What, when, where, which, why who, how, whether

Asking different types of questions will help build the 'big' picture ...

In order to better understand any issue we are studying, it is necessary to look at it from all angles - so that a thorough assessment can be made.

So it is useful to keep the 'question starters' what, when, where, which, why, who, how, whether - in mind when gathering information on an issue.

There are many ways to make sure that comprehensive information is collected - and this is one fun way to ask questions (and maybe confuse the issue even more!).

Observe ...

Much has been said about the need to make programmes and projects relevant to the needs of the target community.

In developing the contents of GDRC's programme pages, a constant mantra used is "Observe!" This may seem too simplistic, but when expanded, we realize that good observation skills help us in a number of ways - to be able to listen, to formulate a good discussion, to think systematically, and to take concrete action.

Understanding how a person or an organization at the local level takes decisions and acts on those decisions is a critical starting point for GDRC's work. We then need to work backwards and see what information is needed for that decision to be taken, and how and when it should be delivered.

An underlying prerequisite for this is the ability to observe ....

Man-on-the-street

In all its research and action, GDRC constantly keeps an image of the man-on-the-street ('MOTS') in developing its programmes and projects. This has been a useful way to make the work relevant and interesting!

How will the activity or topic we are working on affect the MOTS? How will he perceive it? Is it in fact relevant to him at all?? How can we scale down the message we are disseminating to his level, so that he understands its importance? What will we have to do make him take action?

These questions drive the way in which information is presented within the pages of GDRC's programmes and its outputs. Ultimately, it will small decisions and actions, taken by MOTS on a daily basis by individuals and communities, that will cumulatively help to solve global problems.

Formatting Information (INFORMAT)

Information has to be 'formatted' properly if it is to be trusted and used for the purposes it was intended. The Learning Lab of GDRC calls this the "INFORMAT" approach. It essentially looks at the following six components:

Legitimacy: Delivering appropriate and timely information that reflects the mandate and objectives for which it was collected.
Complementarity: Complementing existing global and international efforts in knowledge dissemination, and intrapolating its relevance at the micro level.
Subsidiarity: Adopting a decentralized system of information collation. Ensuring, as a result, that users understand its use and limitation.
Transparency: Key for INFORMAT to work is ensuring that information is available freely for all purposes and users.
Continuity: Committing to ensure currency and accuracy of information made available, in a sustained manner.
Economy: Collating, packaging and disseminating information that is, to the extent possible, in scale to the need, use and analyses of the problems being faced.

Education research, and practice

In attempting to develop the contents of many of GDRC's programme pages, its usefulness to the user with respect to education, research and practice is usually used as defining parameters.

Building greater awareness (education), analyzing impact assessments (research) and facilitating continual action (practice) is key to ensure that the intended target audience benefit from the programme.

It is difficult indeed to make such categorizations, particularly with the overlap of needs and uses - practitioners can easily draw lessons from the research being done, educationists can tailor their courses with the work that practitioners are doing etc. Yet, it is a useful 'triad' that can help fill the gaps and mismatches in a programme.

Lacks, Gaps, and Mismatches ...

In order to present an issue or a problem, or when evaluating a programme or project, GDRC developed a tool called the 'Lack, Gap and Mismatch Analysis'.

'Lack' (that which is not there) refers to a situation where the existing provisions made do not meet perceived needs of the target. Thus, the desired scenario does not exist or is not complete due to the 'lack' of certain necessities.

'Gap' (that which is insufficient) refers to a situation where the provisions made are those perceived by the target population, but are essentially insufficient or inadequate.

'Mismatch' (that which is not compatible) refers to a situation where the provisions made are incongruous to, and do not match the perceived desires/wants/needs of the target population.

The key to usefulness of the L-G-M tool lies in its simplicity, and adaptability for diagnosis and perception of a problem, and guiding corrective action.

Keeping the Forests and the Trees in View

Much of GDRC's programmatic work has been shaped by adopting the well known saying, "Missing the forests for the trees" - which highlights the common mistake of looking too much into the details (the 'trees'), but ignoring the context and the big picture to which it is linked (the 'forest').

A key lesson learnt at GDRC is to keep the balance between the 'trees' and the 'forest'. It is important to help individuals contextualize their professional boundaries (and for organizations, their programme and project boundaries) - i.e. the trees - within a larger developmental perspective - i.e. the forests.

This approach is based on the belief that a bridge has to be built between those who have the information and the knowledge, and those that need it to solve the problems they face locally. Adopting this forest of knowledge to suit different trees is the key strategy used by GDRC - and hence its operating slogan - "Keeping the Forests and the Trees in View"!

The 200-page Manual

Information designers all over face the same dilemma - that of the "200-page Manual" How can you distill a fat 200-page document into different product types so that different stakeholders can adopt and use it?

You cannot, for example, take a 200-page manual on environmental management to a city mayor and ask him to improve the city environment. He actually needs only a single sheet of paper with bullet points - enough to take a decision. A bureaucrat, on the other hand, needs just a little bit more - enough to make sure it is relevant, and confirms to city laws and policies/strategies. And a city engineer, of course, needs the full document and maybe more - to fully implement it.

So the basic 200-page document, in different forms, has to help different people for different purposes.

Cook books v/s Nutrition guides

One of the reasons that make GDRC popular among its users (based on feedback and queries received) is the format of the information it provides that facilitate and inspire local action.

It does not provide prescriptive solutions (i.e. cook-books that provide step-by-step instructions to prepare a dish), but rather lays out a contextualizing big picture framework, within which different concepts and approaches can be tried (i.e. nutrition guides that provide indicators to what needs to be consumed).

The Info Design Cycle

Packaging information properly so as to facilitate its contextualizing and customizing by the user to create tacit knowledge is an iterative cycle

Where is information available? Who has it? How can we match user needs with information available? What are the interlinakages between the different pieces of information? What enhancements can be envisaged to the info patterns? How can the products developed be improved further? How can the info products be delivered to the user? These are some of the questions that are covered in the cycle.

Ultimately, good information management is an aid to decision-making, of understanding what and how information is used, and developing a channel to deliver it to the user. Based on a user-needs assessment, information is collated and analyzed to build patterns. The iterative process is repeated by incorporating feedback and review it until it matches the needs of the user.

The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing ...

This is a old saying to illustrate a lack of coordination and information sharing. Sometimes, it is modified to say, "The left hand does not WANT to know what the right hand is doing ... "

A rather negative lesson, but one worth keeping in mind so that coordination can happen. In some cases, for example in disaster management, good coordination can mean life or death.

Coordination can be institutional, financial, operational or capacities - but is especially true for information needed to take action, on who is doing what and where, for how long and with whom.

Making the 'A-ha' happen!

Information becomes knowledge only when it is linked to something the user already knows!

Packaging information properly so as to facilitate its contextualizing and customizing by the user to create tacit knowledge is an iterative cycle.

In the information cycle, based on a user-needs assessment, information is collated and analyzed to build patterns. The iterative process is repeated by incorporating feedback and review it until it matches the needs of the user.

The information cycle is an aid to decision-making, of understanding what and how information is used by the target users, and developing a channel to deliver it to the user.

It should make the 'a-ha' - a spark of insight and inspiration - happen for the user so that the right decision can be taken at the right level at the right time.

Another Person's Shoes

Developing GDRC's content has always been an exercise of understanding how different types of users use the same set of data/information, for different purposes and objectives.

This has called for, as the saying goes, 'putting yourself in another person's shoes'. It may smell, but doing so is an important part of responding to users informational needs.

Being in another person's shoes is about having, or being able, to use information to build alternative scenarios - so that it takes into account different aspects of the situation or problem. And so that viable solutions can be found.

It also means looking at different viewpoints/priorities of different stakeholders, and matching information to their goals and objectives using the same dataset. A 200-page manual to an engineer becomes a 10-page set of instructions to a bureaucrat and a one page decision-making criteria for a politician.

Ultimately, it means taking advantage of the strengths and reducing the weaknesses of the involved stakeholders using targeted information. A businessman will look at the market and technology aspects of a problem, a community group may look at the lifestyle implications of the same problem, and a city mayor may look at its governance and management aspects - focusing on their relative strengths.

Info in three clicks

With a lot of information being made available on the web, it is increasingly becoming a critical source of information for a range of issues, themes and ideas. The pressure to 'push' information online, and the 'pull' of information by users, has lead to an unprecedented volume of information being made available online.

But just making information available online alone is not sufficient. Proper content management, including a logical sequence of knowledge discovery and understanding, is critical in making sure that users get the information they are seeking, and the way they want it. This is the thinking that went into the setting up of GDRC's programme on Information Design.

One key lesson learnt in the process of developing and maintaining GDRC has been "Info in three clicks" - the information that the user is seeking should be available within three clicks of the mouse. If not, then it is buried too deep within the website, and the user may leave the site out of frustration!

The Two Ends of a Telescope: Zooming in and out

In compiling the research output of its various programmes, GDRC has used the analogy of a telescope to present the various issues. In solving problems at the local level there is a clear need to provide a balanced picture of all the issues involved.

Looking through the eyepiece of a telescope, we can see minute details of the view we are seeing - information presentation has to therefore zoom in by providing complete and balanced details.

While we look through the opposite end of a telescope, we see a picture in long perspective - that is information presentation has to zoom out, and so provide the 'big picture' both in space and in time.

Meta Information [Information on Information]

Meta-information is information about information, i.e. who has produced it, when, what format is the information in, and so on.

In the web language, meta-information is presented in the form of HTML tags that provide information on the document itself, such as author, description, keywords, date created etc.

This concept is something we can use in the wider world of information design too! Information overload is a reality that we face on a daily basis, requiring us to reskill ourselves with new ideas and skills that will help us be more efficient and effective.

And one skill that can be adopted from this very phenomenon is to develop a meta-information system for our daily lives so that we can access, process and use information efficiently!

Jack of all Trades, and Master of Quite-a-Few

With more and more information being made available on the web, and with its increased access by users, it has become a priority to rethink information delivery processes.

How does the user use information and for what purposes? How do we deliver information to better suit the needs of the user? How do we facilitate the construction of knowledge in the user's mind?

For this to happen, we need a Jack-of-all-Trades (i.e. a person who can understand and appreciate all the problems and issues involved - the "Big Picture" - with which he or she performs), but also someone who is Master-of-Quite-a-Few (i.e. a person who is well versed in his/her speciality and is also able to articulate it vis-a-vis the Big Picture), in order to address the myriad challenges of sustainability.

Asking questions

Asking questions the right way is an art in itself. The ability to ask the right question properly is probably as difficult as finding the right answer. It is a skill that will help us learn new things and obtain new insights.

Good questioning skills may be the world's most unsung talent. Ask the right questions in the right way, and you'll engage people; do it differently, and you'll put them off.

As an ancient Japanese saying goes, everyone is a teacher and has something new to teach us, if only we ask them! And asking them starts with a question!

Not 1+2=3, but a+b=c

And another mathematical formula to illustrate the information design practices of GDRC. To a large extent the content and format of information provided by the GDRC facilitates the user's thinking and decision-making processes.

A wide variety of information is available for different purposes and audiences. It is very critical, therefore, that the info provided should enable the user to localize and customize it to fit the purpose for which it is sought.

And hence the title of this piece. We need less of [1+2=3], i.e. whee info is fixed, specific/focused and linear, and more of [a+b=c]. i.e. where the user can put his/her own value to a and b and get as unique c. In other words, the user uses the info provided by localizing and customizing it to the scale and situation where it is to be used.

Nobody wants a thick fat book anymore ...

Nobody wants a thick fat book anymore. Because such "books" are made by the end-user, using bits and pieces of info online and offline, and value-adding to it by contextualizing and customizing it to their needs.

The Big Fat Book, in fact, is created in the mind of the user! The implications of this is to provide information - in different formats and media, in different contexts, to enable the user to create their "big fat books" of knowledge in their minds.

Eat an elephant bit by bit ...

There is a popular saying in South Africa - "Eat an elephant bit by bit" - when you have to eat an elephant, you cannot eat it in one gulp. You will have to eat it piece by piece, and digest it well.

This applies very aptly to information delivery as well! Part of understanding the end user's information needs is to also understand how the information is used. This means that we should not bombard the user with a lot of information (much of which will not be used anyway).

It has to delivered in little bits in a timely and efficient manner - so that the right action or decision can be taken.

The Quest: So What??

A key question that GDRC constantly asks is "So what?" It is not the confrontational 'So what?!?' , but the starting point for three very critical questions that leads the way to better action on the ground. These are :

So what is happening?
So what does it mean to me?
So what do I do?

The answer to the first question builds the scenario, the second understand the impacts, and third suggests action to be undertaken. GDRC's 15 programmes keep these three simple, but important questions in mind when they are being developed.

The Battle for Sustainability

Much of the resources on GDRC's websites, as well as the activities of its programmes and projects, have increasingly focused on the local dimension. This is especially true for the concept of sustainability. The battle for sustainability in the future will be fought in cities.

It will be awareness, understanding and action at the local level that will eventually lead to broader global sustainability.

This explains the subtle bias towards cities and urban settlements that runs through GDRC's programmes, as well as the focus on the ordinary man-on-the-street in the information sphere programmes.

Why GDRC?

Recently, the daily average number of visitors to GDRC's website increased dramatically to ±10,000 users from all over the world.

Why GDRC? What is the attractiveness of GDRC's info for its users/visitors? GDRC provides short documents that can easily be contextualized or localized to the situation of the user. By a prudent hierarchy of topics and sub-topics, it adds an additional layer of knowledge to the knowledge already possessed by the user.

The information available in GDRC does not make you an expert, but it does make you aware of the interconnectedness and multidisciplinarity of issues - helping expand and network on related interested topics.

Information Life Cycle

The 'life-cycle' approach, as applied to information management includes the planning stage; collection, creation and capture of information assets' organization of information for effective searching and sharing of information; disseminating information in a timely and accurate manner. Where is information available? Who has it? How can we match user needs with information available? What are the interlinakages between the different pieces of information? What enhancements can be envisaged to the info patterns? How can the products developed be improved further? How can the info products be delivered to the user?

These are some of the questions that need to be asked in understanding the information life-cycle approach. Ultimately, the timeliness and currency of information - that enables the right decision to be taken at the right time at the right level by the right person - is key objective!

The Grandmother Syndrome

A commuication haiku:

Cannot explain your work
To your grandmother?
Then its useless.

How do you explain a complex subject such as climate change to your grandmother? Thinking about strategic communications, and the need to target the right stakeholders, at the right level at the right time, the "grandmother" becomes a metaphor for better local action:

She has been there a long time [HISTORY]

She likes grand kids [FUTURE]

She is concerned about her family [LOCAL]

She's boss of daily life [APPLICABILITY]

She's wise and can look at different viewpoints [BALANCE]

She knows you well [STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS]

She likes things simple [COMMUNICATION]

Think of the Big Picture

We need many skills and strategies to learn about the society we live in, particularly in understanding the "Big Picture" - essentially the broader context within which societal problems occur. Some of them include:

Think as stakeholders
As humans we face complex societal problems that may require many different small solutions. What we need to learn is the ability to look at the problem from the perspective of different stakeholders �Etheir objectives, their skills and capacities, how they think, how they can contribute etc.

Think at different levels
Any societal problem requires action not just at the individual level, but also at the community level, at the city ward and city level itself. At higher levels we have the provincial and national levels, and finally the global level. This is what the slogan �Think Global Act Local�Emeans �Edifferent decisions are taken at these different levels. How do decisions change at different levels? Who takes them? What are their goals and objectives?

Think short-term and long-term
Understanding what we need to do immediately, and what we need to do later, in the long-term �Eis important. Complex problems need complex solutions that are implemented step by step: some in the short-term, some in the long-term. Separating them into short and long actions, and implementing them step by step is an important skill to solve any societal problem!

Intrapolation and Extrapolation

The popular sustainability slogan extolls us to "Think Global, Act Local" - this is the classic case of taking a big "global " problem (such as climate change) and breaking it down into smaller components so that "local action" can be taken. After all, it is our lifestyles and consumption patterns at the micro level that resulted in climate change in the first place.

This is the idea of INTRAPOLATION - taking a bigger problem and breaking it down into actionable smaller bits, and EXTRAPOLATION is the oppsite/reverse flow, where individual actions at the micro level collectively help to solve bigger. more global problems. We need to both - intrapolate and extrapolate - to understand problems and plan out who has to do what, at which level, and why ...

Inside-Looking-Out and Outside-Looking-In

"Inside-Looking-Out and Outside-Looking-In" bridges local realities and global challenges, guiding decision-makers to integrate community knowledge, cultural values, and stakeholder priorities ("inside-looking-out") with broader ecological, social, and temporal insights ("Outside-looking-in").

By combining these complementary lenses, we can anticipate systemic impacts, detect blind spots, and design interventions that are context-sensitive, globally aligned, and resilient - enhancing sustainability and long-term accountability.

Read full doc