Propositions
Living Systems Design Programs
Living Systems Design is an approach to sustainability transformation that can be applied to activities, teams, projects, programs, organisations and stakeholder networks. It has the deep purpose to “sustain the sustainability” into the future through:
- Transformation Programs: Programs can be co-designed with key staff across the organisation and offered over different time horizons to ensure the full activate-implement-embed-sustain cycle can be applied. The program can unfold through different types of engagement: participatory design workshops; experiential learning sessions; and one-to-one or team mentoring.
- Placements: For deeper engagement, I can support organisation changemakers through an embedded placement with a mix of planned and responsive activities. Responsive support can be delivered through a weekly, fortnightly or monthly placement to meet with teams; mentor individuals; monitor progress; give feedback; facilitate workshops and identify needs for further action.
- System Interventions: These can be made on a one-off basis as needed on specific organisational themes/problems through participatory design and problem exploration workshops.
Mentoring
I believe that the next generation of sustainability changemakers need deeper and more challenging engagement beyond business-as-usual professional development, training and coaching, in order to develop innovation and strategic design capacity to lead change for sustainability. I further believe that we develop as better professionals through experiential learning situated in personal relationships, conversations
and storytelling between mentor and practitioner. As a path forward, I offer:
- Personal mentoring for sustainability professionals, individually; and in communities-of-practice, by arrangement; and
- One-on-one mentoring for experienced professionals from all backgrounds who are leaders in their discipline, yet are at an early stage of the sustainability journey, and need to activate new ways of thinking to lead the sustainability transformation.
Living Systems Design Lab
To be offered after mid-2022, the Living Systems Design Lab has been designed as a structured experiential learning environment providing a community-of-practice for advanced sustainability practitioners. It is based on the core of a program I designed and delivered at Swinburne University over 6 years and in my PhD research through Murdoch University.
The principles of Living Systems Design underpin all learning activities. Participants will work on real projects situated in the NGO, Non-profit and Social Enterprise sectors or on authentic problems from their own workplaces. The Living Systems Design Lab will be available as:
- A 12-week program with a 3-hour studio each week, generally online or blended with face-to-face engagement subject to COVID-normal conditions;
- Intensive short workshops on specific topics; and
- Webinars.
Research + Writing
As an experienced sustainability educator, researcher and former PhD supervisor in the University sector, I am available to provide the following services:
- Industry research and reporting on sustainability topics
- Preparation of case studies
- Writing presentations, webinars and teaching materials
- Preparation of white papers on sustainability topics
- Commenting and proof reading of technical reports and written materials.
As this service is flexible and responsive, please contact me to discuss your needs and I can confirm my contribution.
Speaking + Inspiring
I have been delivering presentations on sustainability topics to many different audiences for over 40 years. My purpose is to inspire people to change professional and living practices. I can speak on a variety of sustainability, circular economy, sustainable technology, strategic design and innovation topics. I can tailor the message to suit the audience and their professional or community sector through:
- Meeting keynotes
- Conference keynotes
- Professional development workshops
- Industry communities of practice
- Industry webinars
- Communities and community groups.
Please contact me to discuss your needs.
I will regularly post my thoughts on sustainability leadership and practice in the Thinking section. I will also post shorter ideas and links to these posts on Linked In – the link is in the footer below as are links to my writing on the following academic repositories:
- Research Gate
- Orcid
- Academia
- Google Scholar
Links to the above repositories plus my personal twitter feed are also in the footer below. Full-text copies of my work are available on Research Gate. You can also access a full-text copy of my PhD at the Murdoch Thesis Repository.
