Learning and adapting

We now know that there are the five enablers that create system change.

Over the last few years we have been learning more about how to change systems, culture, and behaviour to enable more people to be active. We have developed five enablers of change, these are actions we know need to be taken in order for change to happen.

We will continue to test and refine these enablers to develop our understanding of what needs to be in place to grow change and why. By paying attention to the five enablers of change we can better understand how change happens to enable active lives, but also use them as a framework to plan what to guide our work and shape it.

One of these enablers of change is learning and adapting.

Learning and Adapting

Our approach requires us to use local data and insight, learning from best practice and emerging theories and evidence in order to understand the conditions needed to enable active lives. Doing things differently not only requires learning to take place, but also the confidence and conviction to enact the change and adapt our approach.

Whilst learning environments which stimulate test and learn approaches are vital, stakeholders learn at variable pace and in different ways, with ‘penny drop’ moments emerging from many sources.

Learning shared in the latest evaluation and learning report (April 2023), suggests removal of KPIs is liberating allowing for innovation but can sometimes be disorientating with competing priorities.

A shift towards an explanatory focus, less competitive and honest working relationships culture has been observed, however the capacity to iterate and conflicting expectations/ processes can prevent learning cultures being fully embedded (see example below from Glossop).

Learning and adapting in action

The Bureau, Glossop’s VCSE organisation, engaged local people and encouraged walking activities using social media, learning about community needs, adapting their offering to suit different circumstances, and promoting physical activity for overall wellbeing.

Learn more about what 'learning and adapting' means

We are seeing trust build within the Local Pilot network which is allowing Local Pilot leads to learn from one another across Greater Manchester.

This may be due to using a web-based platform, allowing more people to attend or because the change in emphasis from the evaluation team to focus on storytelling.

This short video from Dr. Katie Shearn, from the Local Pilot evaluation team, explains why learning and adapting is crucial to progress in this complex and uncertain work.

The evaluation from March 2021 recommends local pilot teams engage more in mini-test and learn pilots to learn and adapt with potential for scaling.