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Chapter II - Building a Learning Society
Characteristics of a strategy
The changes which characterize a learning society imply, first and foremost, cultural changes in El Salvador. On the one hand, traditions of unquestioned authority and mechanical obedience give way to knowledge- and information-sharing practices at all levels, in an effort to improve processes and outcomes.[1] On the other hand, lifelong learning implies an attitude which welcomes change, in which flexibility and innovation are favored over rigidity and the fear of making mistakes. Furthermore, initiative must be encouraged, errors must be used as learning tools, reward must prevail over punishment, and professional merit must be valued over personal connections.[2]
These transformations cannot occur without the evolution of a certain degree of mutual trust among different sectors and segments of society, which requires doing away with arbitrary treatment by strengthening the legal and institutional system. Furthermore, all these changes will certainly be difficult and gradual, and thus are projected for the long term.
In the second place, the strategy places a priority on learning processes and dynamics over and above immediate products – it seeks the creation of networks and social interactions related to the production and dissemination of the instruments of learning, which are information and knowledge. This does not, however, mean abandoning the measurement of tangible results throughout the process; on the contrary, measuring progress at all times is of fundamental importance for feedback and correction. This approach seeks to establish evidence of tangible advances in terms of, for example: the number of individuals and groups who are sharing knowledge to achieve their goals; the generation and use of different types of information applied to tangible objectives; or the degree of social participation, depending on the context, in processes of information and knowledge exchange and application.
Thirdly, given that the concepts and goals set forth in this strategy are so novel, dissemination is crucial to stimulate further participation and reduce the perception of risk, and thereby generate new dynamic processes. It is important to publicize information about useful best practices –both local and international– highlighting achievements as well as lessons learned. For example, it was not until seeing a detailed presentation of how community Internet centers operate in Peru, which included both errors and lessons, difficulties and tangible achievements, that a group of Salvadoran champions, including government officials, decided to take the risk of building a national network of "Infocenters" in El Salvador, as an important vehicle toward a learning society.
Finally, in order to help bring about qualitative changes in development patterns in El Salvador, the type of learning which produces progressive momentum must be a collective or social process. The creation of new knowledge, the translation of knowledge into information, the sharing of information and its application to produce changes, are all steps which require interactions within and among organizations, communities, groups, institutions, and nations. The broader the participation in these processes, the richer the outcome. (This premise is already built into the new, broadly accepted methodologies for municipal planning in El Salvador, for example.) On the other hand, we must not underestimate the importance of individual learning, particularly that which is promoted through formal and non-formal education, yet emphasize as well that individual learning is leveraged by a group setting, a principle already incorporated into the Salvadoran educational reform.
In sum, this strategy does not seek to transform the nation in this first step, but rather address the following challenges:
Where to start?
There is no one solution for achieving these objectives. Progress must be based on local and national realities, with the leadership, example, and participation of all interested sectors, using collective reflection and action. They must proceed incrementally, with plentiful feedback and adjustments along the way. It is important to promote local initiatives, in a national policy environment which favors and stimulates these processes, but which does not pre-determine them.
Due to the importance of generating momentum, on the one hand, and of measuring progress, on the other, it is advisable to implement the strategy on the basis of modest –yet key– efforts within the overall scheme of national development. It is neither possible nor appropriate to seek abrupt or sweeping changes, especially in light of the need for long-term change; on the contrary, leverage points must be sought which are capable of generating virtuous circles of progress, and which in turn bring about important changes in styles of development in El Salvador.
As part of the exercise led by Conectándonos al Futuro, the goal of which was to identify such leverage points and design viable projects to strengthen them, the initiative selected six representative areas within the national development agenda: formal education, migration, local development, rural development, micro-small-medium enterprise, and large organizations, both public and private. A "learning circle" –a broad-based discussion group– was organized in each area to identify the best path towards a learning society from the standpoint of that issue.
The circles studied the current status of each development area in light of learning society objectives, and defined a preliminary analysis, a new vision, and a detailed analysis of opportunities and threats, strengths and weaknesses. Subsequently, each group identified and analyzed the principal bottlenecks related to failures and gaps in the creation, application of and access to information and knowledge in each area, which represented obstacles to realizing the overall development potential of that sector. Finally, each circle designed preliminary projects which could help overcome those obstacles with qualitative progress, starting with strategic leverage points. The circles’ work was complemented by case studies, fieldwork, and discussion of relevant best practices (national and international), as well as broader consultations.
Above and beyond the specific projects which are proposed throughout the strategy, it will be important to build new learning circles and design preliminary projects for many additional themes, such as citizenship and participation, justice, health, special education, women, youth, electronic commerce, and culture and national identity. However, we are certain that the work carried out in the six initial areas does provide solid leads toward building a learning society that could be applied in a similar fashion to many other development areas, as long as they generate broader processes of participation, reflection, and collective action with the goal of transforming El Salvador, and particularly if the Government and Infocentros components discussed in this document also meet the proposed goals.
The following chapters record the work carried out by the six learning circles, including the projects they have designed, and then conclude with a broader discussion of ways to organize and implement the different components necessary to begin building a learning society in El Salvador.
Notes:
1. See, for example, Peter Senge (1994). The Fifth Discipline : The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, New York: Doubleday; Nonaka & Takeuchi (1995). The Knowledge-Creating Company : How Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovation, London: Oxford University Press; Pinchot & Pinchot (1996). The Intelligent Organization : Engaging the Talent & Initiative of Everyone in the Workplace, Berrett-Koehler Pub. [return]2. See W.E. Deming (1994). The new economics for industry, government, education. 2nd edition. Cambridge, MA, MIT Center for Advanced Engineering Studies. [return]
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce all or part of this publication as long as the complete source is cited: Conectándonos al Futuro de El Salvador, "Strategy for Building a Learning Society", San Salvador, 1999, http://www.conectando.org.sv/English/Strategy/
