ServicesAn important theme running through all of HCA's work has been a commitment to understanding and acting upon client needs through a strategic rather than operational research approach. HCA research consultancy outcomes invariably provide a platform for change. That is, HCA's consultancy work fits neatly within a strategic planning or continuous improvement framework; a simple summary of this approach from the many references in the literature is provided in the diagram below.
Within this framework, HCA has concentrated on providing the vision and reviewing components of the framework. Put more simply, HCA has become most valuable in establishing the need for and direction of change and in evaluating and reviewing the outcomes of attempted change. For nearly 20 years HCA's research to establish optimal vision and review change efforts has been motivated largely to solve problems. While this will continue to be a strong rationale for HCA's efforts in improving services, programs and organisations, an increasing focus developed with HCA's alliance partners will be on working with organisations to initiate change within a positive psychology model. A 'positive psychology' approach emphasises the strengths of groups, organisations, communities to find pathways forward. It eschews the identification and solving of 'problems' as a mode of inquiry in all contexts as one that can deliver the best results, and instead promotes 'appreciative' inquiry to build a case for change that is more compelling and sustainable. In the words of Trosten-Bloom and Whitney, HCA hopes to change "...the internal dialogue (of organisations) from problem-oriented, deficit discourse, to possibility-oriented, appreciative discourse". A summary of this consultancy research approach is provided in the diagram below.
The 4-D approach to appreciative inquiry that is at the heart of a positive psychology model mirrors HCA's more traditional 'problem solving' based approach. Again HCA concentrates on the more strategic discovery and dream phases of the appreciative inquiry cycle. Since both strategic planning/continuous improvement and appreciative inquiry are cyclical processes, there is in theory no starting or finishing points. However, it is generally understood that the start of the strategic planning process commences with the vision. The appreciative inquiry process however 'starts' with the discovery phase. This involves collecting appreciative stories that shifts the balance of attention from what isn't working to what is, and to what may possibly work in the future ("What would make this organisation more like the place you want to work?"). Within HCA's broad approach and accompanying generic competencies, it has developed some particular areas of specialist capability:
* Trosten-Bloom, A. and Whitney, D. (1999) Appreciative Inquiry: the path to positive change. In Key, M (Ed.) Managing Change in Healthcare: Innovative Solutions for People-Based Organisations. McGraw-Hill
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