A previous blog introduced navigating complexity as “a helpful offence in our pandemic defense”. This post adds case-based learning to Hub supports for navigating complexity. Thanks to CFCC and IEMHP teams for their permission to share their experiences as tools for learning.

Download the Case Learning document (PDF)

Why these cases?

Complex situations are those that are generally unknowable, unpredictable, and don’t play out the same every time. MHP-IF and other projects face many complex situations and the number and types of these situations increased with the pandemic. Also increased therefore is the need to navigate complexity and the KDE Hub is providing some supports for doing so. The Hub’s March webinar introduced three links in the navigational chain:  1) identifying complex situations, 2) understanding what makes situations complex, and 3) choosing approaches for working through complex situations that match their features. A Hub blog post provided additional guidance for using two navigational tools. We are now adding case-based learning to the mix of supports.

What are the cases?

Cases are MHP-IF project experiences as examples from which to learn about navigating complexity. The experiences are not right or wrong, good or bad; they show certain combinations of context, actions, and early consequences that allow others to reflect on their own experiences. Cases also represent a moment in time; context, actions and consequences continue to evolve.

The primary source of information for cases is transcripts from pandemic adaptation stories projects shared with the Hub between December 2020 and January 2021. Both cases follow the same set of guiding questions and include only some of each project’s complex situations introduced by the pandemic.

How might I use these cases?

Start with your intention. Why are you reading this blog? What do you hope to learn? Your intention might be general or specific, clear or fuzzy – any starting point is fine and gives you an initial focus when reading the cases. While reading one or both cases, you may want to consider a few other questions:

• What stands out to you in this case? What do you find most intriguing and why? What is surprising to you?
• What about this case resonates with your own experience? What conflicts with your experience?
• What insights does the case offer that may help you identify and navigate complex situations you are facing?
• Are there other people who you think might benefit from this case? How might you share this blog and what conversation might you have with them?

Please consider the Hub an interested and supportive audience for any of your reflections or questions. Navigating complexity won’t end with the pandemic, but the pandemic offers ready and rich examples from which to learn.