C4C Ch 5 Understanding the client system (varied)
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Questions and Answers

What is an important source of information for evaluating a program?

  • Social media posts
  • Public documents (correct)
  • Consultant's personal opinions
  • Employee gossip

    • Organizations are always transparent and forthcoming with their true culture in workshops.

    False (B)

    What can tracing the sources of money help reveal about an organization?

    why an organization behaves as it does

    The analogy of a ________ helps us appreciate how sensitive and dangerous the process of organizational exposure is.

    <p>hippo</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of dynamics can significantly impact a CSO's development vision?

    <p>Political and religious dynamics (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Audited financial statements are rarely useful for understanding an organization's hidden issues.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should programme evaluations ideally analyze?

    <p>what is actually happening in practice and what impact this has had</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following items to their description according to the text:

    <p>Programme evaluations = Should analyse what is actually happening in practice and what impact this has had. Public documents = Can be important sources of information for programme evaluation. Financial statements = An invaluable source of revealing information Outstanding loan = May indicate hidden internal conflicts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one benefit of using a 'washing line' approach with marker moments?

    <p>It provides a way to visualize phases. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Surveys are most effective when used in isolation from other methods.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one question that can be asked to probe further into a situation's analysis?

    <p>What good things came out of the difficulties?</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Surveys can provide excellent material for starting group discussions by mirroring back the ________ and discussing differences in scoring.

    <p>findings</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of using 'artefacts' in a 'washing line' approach?

    <p>To represent each phase visually. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Group discussions are never as important as quantitative data.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can be used to 'dig deeper' after a survey has been conducted?

    <p>semi-structured interviews</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the method with its description:

    <p>Washing line with marker moments = A method to visualize phases in a process Surveys and Questionnaires = Can become counter-productive if used on their own Semi-structured Interviews = A method used to 'dig deeper' after surveys Group Discussions = An approach to understand different points of view</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is considered 'listening to the head'?

    <p>Listening to thoughts, facts, and concepts (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Asking 'why' questions is generally the most effective way to conduct interviews.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should long pauses between questions be considered?

    <p>Useful and important</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Listening to the heart involves focusing on the ____________ level.

    <p>feeling</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match each 'listening level' to the aspects it focuses on:

    <p>Listening to the head = Thoughts, facts, concepts Listening to the heart = Feelings, emotions, values Listening to the feet = Intentions, energy, direction</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of these best describes 'listening to the feet'?

    <p>Focusing on intentions, energy, and direction (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Strongly denied feelings can be less informative than strongly expressed feelings.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do good questions help people discover about underlying issues?

    <p>For themselves</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the diagram, what is the first step in the process of change?

    <p>Engaging the client (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the diagram, 'Inspiring Change' is the second step in the change process.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the content say that consultants should aim to understand about an organization?

    <p>The wider system, external relationships, local culture and organizational culture</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The text refers to 'looking below the _______' to understand organisational culture.

    <p>waterline</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is implied by the phrase 'looking below the waterline'?

    <p>Exploring the underlying and often hidden aspects of an organization (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The diagram indicates that planning for implementation happens before engaging the client.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the step in the process of change with its number in the diagram:

    <p>Engaging the client = 1 Understanding the client system = 2 Inspiring change = 3 Planning for implementation = 4 Accompanying implementation = 5</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the text suggest about the relationship between what is visible and the real situation in an organization?

    <p>What is visible may bear little resemblance to the real situation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a commonality among organizational assessment tools?

    <p>They typically focus on similar issues such as governance and leadership. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Organizational assessment tools always work well if used in isolation.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the 'onion model,' what is the outermost layer of an organization?

    <p>physical and financial resources</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The onion model suggests that a key layer of an organization is the ______ needed to carry out the work.

    <p>systems and structures</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the text suggest about the usefulness of organizational assessment models?

    <p>They are useful, but no single model can tell the whole story. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The onion model views an organization as static and unchanging.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can be highlighted by aggregating scores in organizational assessment tools?

    <p>strengths and weaknesses</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following elements to their corresponding layer within the 'onion' model of organizations:

    <p>Physical and financial resources = Outermost layer Staff's knowledge and skills = Second layer Systems and structures = Third layer</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What four phases are included in the 'generative' approach?

    <p>Discovery, Dream, Design, Destiny (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    A comprehensive diagnosis with many recommendations is the best way to ensure organizational change.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the Malawian proverb 'Many, many are the bees, but tell me about the ones that are stinging' illustrate?

    <p>The need to prioritize issues.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Instead of negative, critical diagnosis there is what is called ______.

    <p>discovery</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following terms with their description:

    <p>Discovery = Identifying what processes are working well Dream = Envisioning processes that would work well in the future Design = Planning workable processes for the future Destiny = Implementation of the proposed design</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What approach promotes new thinking about issues in an organization?

    <p>A Generative Approach (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    A facilitator should encourage an organization to create a long list of actions to make changes.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the consultant checklist, what kind of dynamics needs to be understood when helping the organization?

    <p>Relationships and influential power dynamics</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Understanding the Client System

    • Understanding the client system is crucial for effective consultancy. It's like detective work, involving identifying the Civil Society Organisation (CSO) within its contextual influences.
    • The process of change involves several stages, including understanding the client system, engaging the client, planning implementation, and accompanying implementation.
    • Effective understanding requires analysing the wider system where the CSO operates. This includes relationships and the local culture.
    • It's vital to investigate the organizational culture ("the way things are done"). Visible factors may not accurately represent the real situation.
    • Seek information from diverse sources and employ various methods (e.g., observation, interviews, document review).
    • Utilizing simple frameworks to interpret the complexities of the situation is beneficial.
    • Active encouragement of collaborative self-diagnosis by the CSO is essential, potentially by withholding initial analysis to promote internal ownership and priority setting.

    Appreciating the Wider Context

    • Organizations exist within a larger context. Understanding this broader picture is essential for understanding a CSO.
    • General Systems Theory highlights the interconnectedness of elements within a system, where cause and effect are intertwined and inseparable. An isolated view is insufficient.
    • External factors like community events, national politics, and international relations affect CSOs.
    • Local environment, values, and norms directly influence an organization's characteristics.
    • Organizational contexts and behaviours are shaped by the environments in which they operate.

    Looking Below the Waterline

    • Much of organizational activity occurs "below the surface." Visible aspects like websites, documents, and mission statements offer only a limited understanding.
    • Organizational culture is a significant factor. It represents deeply ingrained assumptions about proper behaviour. It's about the "way things are done."
    • Reading the culture involves understanding informal, influential aspects such as relationships, political maneuvering, individual personalities, and decision-making processes.
    • Consultants need to ascertain the deeper motivations, behaviors, and politics below the surface to understand the organization fully.

    Data Gathering Methods

    • The chosen data gathering methods depend on the specific project; however, multiple methods are frequently used.
    • Multiple methods, including documents, observation, interviews, focus groups, and participatory assessments, are often used to ensure accuracy and completeness in gathering information.
    • Evaluating financial statements and other internal documents yields a richer understanding of an organization's internal dynamics.
    • Tracing funding sources reveals the influence of donors and other external pressures; this information aids in understanding why an organisation behaves the way it does.

    Participatory Exercises

    • Employing participatory exercises with staff is beneficial, encouraging ownership, and enhancing understanding of the organisation's history and pivotal events.
    • Creating timelines of key events, visualizing organizational history as a river, or having participants draw the organisation can offer alternative and intuitive perspectives.

    Organisational Assessment Tools

    • Assessment tools are helpful for identifying strengths and weaknesses within an organisation, but are best utilized judiciously alongside other methods, and not on their own.
    • Using assessment tools in isolation can result in a superficial or inaccurate understanding, especially when the tool itself becomes the primary focus.

    Sense Making

    • Using frameworks and models assists with interpreting the data gathered.
    • Finding useful models, such as the McKinsey 7-S Model or an "onion" model, is beneficial for organizing and interpreting the data.
    • The onion model depicts an organization as various interconnected layers, from physical and financial resources to leadership, culture, and identity, highlighting the importance of interconnectedness. Organizational strength lies in the coherence of these layers.

    Analysing with the Client

    • Employing a "dialogic" approach, rather than a "diagnostic" one, fosters ownership, energy, and collaborative analysis.
    • Encouraging self-diagnosis by the client is often more effective for creating genuine change, rather than imposing solutions.
    • Good analysis rarely directly motivates people. It's crucial to ensure that analysis leads to a shared sense of need for change.
    • The appreciative inquiry method emphasizes identifying strengths rather than solely examining problems.
    • Encouraging staff to express their best experiences builds positive momentum.
    • Using creative methods like collaborative artwork or scenarios further deepens understanding and generates ownership.
    • Prioritization is key to successful implementation; focusing on the "stinging bees" is more productive than an unprioritized list of recommendations.

    Consultant Checklist of Questions

    • Key questions to guide consultant investigations about the organization's external influences, internal dynamics, and strategies for change.

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    Understanding The Client System PDF

    Description

    This quiz focuses on the essential concepts of understanding the client system in consultancy, particularly within Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). It covers the stages of change, the significance of organizational culture, and the methods for data collection and analysis. Engaging effectively with the client and interpreting complex situations are also key aspects explored in this quiz.

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