purposeful activities
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For:Foundations of Community Vitality Workshopand/or Resource PacketPresented By:Steve Grabow, Professor and Community Development EducatorUW-Extension, Jefferson County Office
Nathan Sandwick, Instructor and Community Development EducatorUW-Extension, Portage County Office
Resource:Catherine Neiswender, Professor and Community Development EducatorUW-Extension, Winnebago County Office
Connie Abert, Associate Professor and Youth Development EducatorUW-Extension, Waupaca County Office
DRAFT 7/31/14
“For every action there is a purpose”
Purpose means intent, Activities are the behaviors connected with the intent…
Why?
Lets face it…. People call you when they have problems.
One role we can play is to help them focus on the ‘right’ problem
Understanding the 5 purposeful activities as a useful framework
for problem solving
Whatisaproblem?
What is a problem? Something that causes a concern
Substantive aspect and a values aspect A problem is not objective.
It has a substantive aspect (type of problem) and a values aspect
Example:Q: What is the issue?A: Vegetation; water levels; childhood
obesity, no money etc etc etc
Problem taxonomy Problem typology – e.g. finance, personnel,
marketing, manufacturing, product development etc. Solution-finding method – e.g. management
by objectives, systems approach, XYZ process Analytical Technique – e.g. linear
programming, cost-benefit analysis, statistical inferences
Problem-solving options Do nothing Chance Affective Rational
PositivismReductionismCult of the expertDeterminism
Total approach
Purposeful Activities Each Purposeful Activity has a
unique approachApproach means
Each Purposeful Activity may relate to a type of system
No Purposeful Activity is better than another Purposeful Activityappropriateness of use is the issue
5 purposeful activities
1. Operating and Supervising - manage and lead solutions or systems
2. Planning and Design - create or restructure a situations through specific solutions or systems
3. Research - search for generalizations, causes and hypothesis
4. Evaluation - evaluate performance of solutions and activities
5. Learn - gain skills and knowledge(other activities Nadler mentions -survival and experience leisure)
Learning as a Purposeful Activity The process of acquiring:
knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values,
Howthrough study, experiencing, or teaching,
Results that are persistent, measurable and specifiedchange of behavior or formulate a new mental construct or revise a prior mental construct
○ conceptual knowledge such as attitudes or values
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Research as a Purposeful Activity Basic research
fundamental or pure research○ primary purpose the advancement of knowledge○ theoretical understanding of the relations among variables.
exploratory ○ driven by curiosity, interest or hunch○ without a practical end in mind
can have unexpected results that point to practical applications“basic” or “fundamental” research indicate that, through theory generation, basic research
provides the foundation for further, often applied research.
Applied research solves specific, practical questions not to gain knowledge for its own sake often descriptive, but can be exploratory almost always on a basis of basic research.
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Planning & Design as a Purposeful
Activity Creating or modifying any systemPlans or designs that focus on a desired end stateImplementation or action plans
○ intended methods of getting from one set of circumstances to another (objectives or goals)Present situationNew opportunities
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Evaluation as a Purposeful Activity
The process of examining one or more activitiesAssessment plus value judgments
○ statistics ○ merit and worth.
Examples○ Program evaluation
fulfill its purpose meet its objectives and goals expected outcomes achieved unexpected consequences
○ System process performance performing according to expectations and Performing according to specifications Problem areas
Uses: accountability, testing, continuing change & improvement, etc.
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Operating and Supervising as a
Purposeful Activity The process of leading and guiding
formal or informalcarrying out the day-to-day functionsenable the fulfillment of purpose
○ examples - Department head, Government committee chair, Non-Profit Organization executive director, Project director/coordinator, Small business owner, Farm manager, Extension administrator
Major factorsleadership development and organizational development
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How do the purposeful activities fit in with what we do? Break into small groups In envelope are a variety of task Match them with purposeful activity
headings on the handout Fill in other spaces as time allows
Familiar/common tools, skills, and approaches
Assure self-preservation and survival of the species
1. Operating/Supervising an existing System
2. Planning and Design – creating or re-designing a ‘situation-specific’ solution
3. Search for Generalizations and Causes (Research)
4. Evaluate the performance of solutions or other activities
5. Gain Skills and knowledge (learn)
Experience Leisure
Factors to a total approach
Pursuing a Strategy
Method of operationsPrinciplesCourse of actionProcess
Identify and
pursue a strategy
Pursuing strategies for each Purposeful
Activity Learning Research Planning and Design Operating and Supervising Evaluating
Learning StrategyDetermine, awareness levels, learning
objectives desiredPlan sequence of learningPlan delivery of learningImplement learning plan
Research StrategyIdentify phenomena of interestAssimilate informationFormulate hypothesisConduct testsDetermine implications
Planning & Design
StrategyClarify purposeDesign the planning structureGenerate solution ideasSynthesis solution optionsFlesh out ideasGain approval
Operating and Supervising
StrategyBecome familiar with norms, values and
objectives of the systemObtain needed resources to manage the systemEstablish performance measuresOperate the system…. Control, delegate, lead,
motivate etc
Evaluating StrategyIdentify intended use of evaluation dataIdentify relevant questions and measuresDevelop methods for obtaining dataObtain, analyze data and use it for intended
purpose
Primary and Supporting Strategies
Specifying Solutions
Prescribing a format for resultsDetails to be understood by allFramework
○ Factors, properties, attributes and interrelationships
System Concept○ Structures are different for purposeful
activities
Specify the
solution
Involving People Stakeholder buy-in
InformedCreativityvarious alternatives Subjective feedback
Variety of opportunitiesParticipantsParticular step
Involve people
Using information
Sources-Professional literature studies, raw data past experiences and expertsResearch and learning – current and past info
Planning and design predict the future status or consequences of changes
Using information
and knowledge
Arranging for Continual Change Change is inevitable with any solution
Prepare for future changeImprovement for long term growth
○ Structure ○ Periodic review – audit○ Environmental opportunities○ Evaluation – adjustments○ Implementable solutions - challenges
Arrange for
continual change
Skills and Tools
Skills –knowledge, experience & behaviorWhat to do, why, how, when and where to do it
Tools – something used in performing an operation (eg Quality Toolkit)
Skills and Tools1. Operating/ Supervising an existing System
•Team building
2. Planning and Design – creating or re-designing a ‘situation-specific’ solution
•Strategic Planning
3. Search for Generalizations and Causes (Research)
•Community Based Research
4. Evaluate the performance of solutions or other activities
•Program evaluations pre-post tests etc
5. Gain Skills and knowledge (learn)
•Peer Learning
Experience Leisure
•Fill in your favorite activity here
Roles Competent professional
Understand start to finishUtilize skills and toolsReady with alternative
Expected and connected behaviors associated with our positionsAgreed upon roles – planner, leader, evaluator
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