Presented by Patricia Southwood

1. An adult learning intervention to effect transformation towards alearning organisation:A critical discussion Presented byPatricia Southwood

2. Background • Masikhulisane, SAAVI Community Involvement Programme • Transformation agenda • to become a sustainable, learning organisating • to ensure an informed and educated South African society with active community involvement in AIDS vaccine research • One learning intervention to ensure this: • 1.5 -3 day biannual workshop with representatives from community advisory groups • To facilitate knowledge exchange, capacity development • Adult participatory approach

3. Medical Research Council of South Africa South AfricanAIDS Vaccine Initiative(SAAVI) A lead programme of the MRC

5. Theoretical framework and research methods • Peter Senge’s concept (1990, The Fifth Discipline) of the learning organisation • Systems thinking • Personal mastery • Mental models • Building shared vision • Team learning • Critiques of the learning organisation • Participant observation • Document analysis

6. Conclusions, recommendations, limitations • A strength of the initiative is that is was conceived as a shared vision, though CAGs should be involved earlier • Knowledge exchange –sharing of mental models • Another strength is the participatory process that makes room for individual & team learning (a social process). • Learning as a means to an end and an end in itself • Further sharing of learning – how can CAGs ensure this • Unequal power relations & people with own agendas. • Time issues need to be addressed. • Need capacity development at provincial level.