Framework 183 Spiral Participatory Planning Process (SPPP)
Introduction
The Spiral Participatory Planning Process (SPPP) is part of Technology of Participation (ToP). ToP is a powerful collection of structured
facilitation methods that transform the way groups think, talk and work together to lead to successful outcomes.
SPPP is an open, dynamic and iterative approach to change that emphasizes inclusivity and continuous improvement; its transparency
encourages empowerment by people who participate; it takes a holistic approach to transformation.
SPPP is best done by focusing on the engagement of diverse stakeholders in meaningful dialogue and decision-making.
SPPP aims to
"...clears away extraneous ideas and agendas that cloud group decisions, and then focuses everyone in the group on their commitment to their transformation needed to move everyone ahead..."
Bill Staples, 2023
SPPP assumes
"...- Everyone knows something that the group needs; everyone has a piece of the puzzle
- Members of the group or organisation have something in common, purpose for being, perhaps a mission, some objectives, individual beliefs, or some operational values
- People who have a hand in the implementation are well suited to participate in the planning
- Decision-makers will be involved in, or it least aware of, the planning though that it has a genuine possibility of the implementation..."
Bill Staples, 2023
SPPP in diagramatic format
(source: Bill Staples, 2013)
SPPP is a
"...commitment to a substantial reality check. To develop a practical vision of the future, a group has to be bold enough to consider a range of future possibilities. To discern the contradictions that are blocking that vision, the group has to be willing to look at its true situation and see the ways in which its vision has been negated. This is tantamount to admitting that something has to change......to formulate strategic directions, the group must tap into creativity and risk. To forge action plans, the group needs each person's commitment to put wheels under the new directions through precise deeds and timeline assignments..."
Bill Staples, 2013
Key Components of the SPPP
i) inclusive engagement
- broad participation (involves a wide range of stakeholders, ensuring that diverse perspectives are considered. This includes employees, community members and other relevant parties.)
- facilitated sessions (uses facilitated workshops to create a collaborative environment where all participants can contribute.)
ii) iterative cycles
- continuous refinement (the process is not linear but spiral, meaning it revisits key steps multiple times to refine and improve the plan.)
- feedback loops (regular feedback from participants helps in continuously updating and enhancing the plan.)
iii) phases of the spiral process:
- visioning:
a) envisioning the future (stakeholders collaboratively create a shared vision of the desired future. This vision serves as a guiding star for the planning process.)
b) dreaming big (encourages participants to think creatively and ambitiously about the possibilities; think 'big picture' and holistically.
- assessing the current reality:
a) current state analysis (examines the present situation, identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis; use PESTLE (political, economic, social, technology, legal & environment).
b) data gathering (collects relevant data and insights to inform the understanding of the current reality.)
- identifying strategic directions:
a) setting goals (based on the vision and current reality, participants identify strategic goals and directions.)
b) prioritizing actions (determines which actions are most critical to achieving the vision.)
- action planning:
a) developing action plans (creates detailed action plans that outline specific steps, responsibilities, timelines, and resources required.)
b) assigning accountability (ensures that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined for implementation.)
- implementation:
a) executing the plan (puts the action plans into practice, with ongoing monitoring and adjustments as needed.)
b) tracking progress (uses performance indicators and milestones to track progress and make necessary modifications.)
- reflection and learning:
a) evaluating outcomes (regularly evaluates the outcomes of the implemented actions to assess their effectiveness.)
b) learning and adapting (incorporates lessons learned into the next cycle of planning, ensuring continuous improvement.)
Some questions to help the process (SPPP)
- What is the future vision?
- What is blocking this vision from becoming a reality?
- What are the approaches or strategies that could deal with these blocks and move us ahead?
- What action plans will be needed to implement the strategies?
General comments
- the general response to when people are using SPPP is
"...motivating images of the future vision pull people forward, while a deeper analysis of underlying obstacles will pull them down into the contradictions. Their mood picks up as they develop strategies and feel a forward surge of power and momentum from the goals and timelines of action planning. When they implement their action plans, the central value of the mission represented at the centre of the image spin outwards, involving other stakeholders..."
Bill Staples, 2013
- the usefulness value of SPPP increases with the complexity of the impact of the external environment
- participation can
"...grow like a snowball gathering size and momentum rolling downhill..."
Bill Staples, 2013
- as more people participate, there is a need to be disciplined in using the spiral as each participant will have their own perceptions based on their own understandings of the vision, contradictions, strategies, etc; need to find common ground.
"...To generate a common plan with everyone committed to it, the group members need to discuss together the vision, the blockages, and the strategies; then they need to build an action plan based on these common strategies..."
Bill Staples, 2013
If the approach becomes undisciplined, people become confused and will have difficulty understanding each other.
- there can be macro and micro plans, ie macro for the whole organisation and micro at an individual divisions/units/teams/groups, etc level.
"...the spiral process can grow......with ever greater detail, even to the level of problem-solving for small practical steps..."
Bill Staples, 2013
Sometimes macro plans are cascaded down into micro plans; other times, micro plans can be rolled up to a macro plan.
- the process can spiral inwards
"...Vision, contradictions, strategies, and action plans all emanate from the mission and values at the centre of the spiral. while the planning process drives outwards participation, the mission and values are reinforced at the centre. Spiral moves inward because of those people participating in the outer discussions and dialogue to create the plans become more personally grounded in the values that drive the organisation..."
Bill Staples, 2013
- need to combine both rational, eg logical, tangible, etc and irrational thinking, eg intuition, emotional, intangible, etc (combining 'head, heart and gut' - for more detail see elsewhere in the Knowledge Base)
- obligations (tension between current obligations and ones needed to handle the desired future;
"...Obligations may take the form of roles, or lines of authority, or they may be less explicit, such as unstated values or norms of behaviour. Occasionally, obligations are laws, regulations and mandates that must be fulfilled......knowing who is responsible..."
Bill Staples, 2013
Need to ensure that everyone knows their part, ie knows what needs to be done and who is both accountable and responsible for different tasks; participants will depend on others to play their appropriate roles and to do their tasks effectively and efficiently.
- need courage and resilience (as not everything will go as planned, ie new and unexpected challenges will arise in the VUCA world, need to have the grit, strength, etc and a commitment to continue)
Some areas of concern when using SPPP:
- confusing different types of planning like operational, strategic, scenario, etc; operational tends to deal with the known and quantifiable
- trying to get buy-in from participants on a predetermined outcome
- the range and type of participants should be determined by objectives and scope
- evasive nature of human consciousness when confronted with overwhelming possibilities or limitations
- some groups do not feel comfortable to hope and dream about the future
- some groups will feel too confronted about the real contradictions, obstacles, or learning from negative experiences
- some groups will respond positively until it is time to create strategies to implement solutions
- some groups will be noncommittal until the implementation stage when the action starts
- need to understand the games people will play to avoid taking responsibility and accountability for their words, actions, etc
- need affirmation of the 'undiscussable' challenges, ie taboos, 'sacred cows', troubling situations, etc by asking the difficult questions that are seeking the truth and reality
- need to be prepared to change your mindset, ie
"...you cannot solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it. You must learn to see the world anew..."
Albert Einstein as quoted by Bill Staples, 2013
Some Key Learnings from using SPPP
1. Engaging Stakeholders
- importance of inclusivity (effective planning and implementation involves engaging a diverse range of stakeholders to ensure all perspectives are considered; this fosters a sense of ownership and commitment to the plan among stakeholders, increasing the likelihood of successful implementation; diverse perspectives lead to more holistic and innovative solutions to complex problems.)
- facilitation techniques (emphasize structured facilitation techniques that encourage participation and dialogue, making sure every voice is heard.)
2. Clear Vision and Goals
- visioning workshops (use of visioning workshops helps organizations articulate a clear and compelling vision for the future, which serves as a guiding star for strategic initiatives.)
- setting goals (the process of setting achievable and measurable goals is crucial; these goals should align with the vision and provide a roadmap for action.)
3. Collaborative Planning
- strategic directions (collaboratively identifying strategic directions ensures that the plan is realistic and actionable; it leverages the collective wisdom of the group and aligns with the organization's strengths and opportunities.)
- action planning (detailed action plans, with assigned responsibilities and timelines, are essential for moving from strategy to implementation.)
4. Adaptability and Flexibility
- responsive planning (highlight the importance of being responsive to changing circumstances; strategies should be flexible enough to adapt to new information and evolving conditions.)
- continuous feedback (implementing mechanisms for continuous feedback and regular review helps organizations stay on track and make necessary adjustments, ie continuous improvement; regular reflection and learning ensure that the strategy evolves and improves over time.)
5. Building Capacity
- capacity building (training and capacity building for staff and stakeholders are integral parts of the planning and implementation processes; it ensures that everyone has the skills and knowledge to contribute effectively.)
- leadership development (developing leadership at all levels of the organization supports sustained strategic efforts and empowers individuals to take initiative.)
6. Creating a Culture of Participation
- participatory culture: A participatory approach not only enhances the quality of the plan and implementation but also helps build a culture of collaboration and engagement within the organization.)
- sustained engagement (long-term success is more likely when participation becomes a norm rather than an exception.)
7. Evaluating Impact
- Measuring Outcomes (regular evaluation of outcomes against the set goals and objectives is vital; this includes both quantitative and qualitative measures to assess progress.)
- learning from experience (learning from both successes and challenges helps refine strategies and improve future planning implementation efforts.)
Summary
The SPPP process can be visualized as a spiral, with each turn of the spiral representing a cycle of planning, implementation and reflection. Here's how you might draw it:
- start at the center (begin with a small circle in the centre of your diagram, representing the initial stage of visioning.)
- first turn - visioning (label the first outward spiral segment "Visioning"; this segment represents the stage where stakeholders collaboratively create a shared vision of the desired future.)
- second turn - assessing current reality (continue the spiral outward and label the next segment "Assessing Current Reality." This is where you analyze the current situation, identify strengths and weaknesses, and gather data.)
- third turn - identifying strategic directions (further along the spiral, label the next segment "Identifying Strategic Directions." Here, you set strategic goals and prioritize actions.)
- fourth turn - action planning (continue outward to the next segment labelled "Action Planning"; develop detailed action plans, assign responsibilities, and define timelines.)
- fifth turn - implementation (extend the spiral to the segment labelled "Implementation"; execute the action plans, monitor progress, and make adjustments as needed.)
- sixth turn - reflection and learning (finally, label the last segment "reflection and learning"; evaluate outcomes, learn from experiences, and incorporate lessons into the next cycle.)
Life strands
"...The 4 life stands of lucidity, affirmation, responsibility, and courage operate not only in working through contradictions, but also within each of the phases of the spiral process. Developing a vision takes courage. Forging strategy requires lucidity. Creating goals and action plan requires freedom and obedience..."
Bill Staples, 2013
Key points to include in the diagram:
- iterative nature: Indicate that the process is iterative, with arrows or lines looping back to earlier stages, representing continuous improvement and refinement.
- feedback loops: Include feedback loops between stages to show that insights gained during implementation and reflection feed back into the visioning and planning stages.
- stakeholder engagement: Highlight that each stage involves stakeholder engagement and facilitated sessions to ensure broad participation and input.