Agents for Change is a new approach to developing skills in managing and delivering service focussed organisational change based on the highly regarded Action Learning technique. Agents for Change produces clear and measurable return on investment as the programme is running and enables learners to take responsibility for their own continued learning and development. It is a supportive and empowering approach that invests in relationships and promotes the development of the whole person.
The programme is highly challenging and highly supportive, working to create a no-fail environment in which all group members learn together, support each other and develop a strong sense of collaboration to ensure mutual success.
Agents for Change has been designed specifically to support Cymorth Cymru members to respond positively and creatively to the current social, political and economic challenges.
Housing Support, Homelessness and Supported Living services are facing unprecedented levels of challenge. On the one hand, service needs have never been so great or so complex. On the other, there is less and less funding and every reason to believe that the budget squeeze will continue and intensify for some time yet.
Across the Sector, we have a vast amount of knowledge and a wealth of experience. But we've not faced anything like this before. Agents for Change provides delegates and their organisations with the opportunity to develop new ideas, implement new approaches and find new solutions.
So what's different about the Agents for Change programme?
In essence, learners are supported to identify, negotiate, plan and deliver a change programme. The programme will reflect strategic priorities, but will also have that ambitious “If only we could… ” quality which provides potential to develop solutions which are beyond the organisations current knowledge and practice.
Whilst centred around Action Learning, Agents for Change brings together a number of learning approaches and techniques to provide an intensive, challenging and highly supportive learning and action focused environment where learners are enabled to perform beyond their expectations and to deliver tangible and innovative outcomes for their organisations.
Who is Agents for Change for?
Agents for Change is for anyone, regardless of designation or level who has the commitment and drive to make a real difference. However, it is important that prospective delegates and their managers understand:
- Delegates must have wholehearted support from their organisation
- Delegates will need to commit to delivering their change project. This will require significant self-managed time in addition to the time spent on the structured programme days
- To get the best value from the programme, delegates are advised to select a change project which is beyond their normal work role.
- The programme is challenging both practically and emotionally, but is not academic.
Organisational Expectations
In order to get value from the programme, sponsoring organisations must commit to supporting their delegate(s) through the programme. This includes:
- Allocating a senior manager as mentor for the delegate and ensuring that an appropriate amount of quality time is set aside for mentoring.
- Enabling the delegate to select a real and significant change project which is of interest to the delegate and allowing them to take full but supported ownership of the project.
- Allowing the delegate reasonable time to work on the programme.
- Allowing (within an appropriate confidentiality contract) free and open discussion of issues relating to the delivery of the change project with delegates from other organisations.
- Agreeing to the sharing of outcomes from the programme with Cymorth Cymru members and external organisations as appropriate
So What do I get?
- 1 day Introduction and Induction
- 1 day Training Day “Change Management”
- 4-5 Action Learning Sets
- 1 day final event
- Access to the 2012 Annual Conference
- Access to 3 one day optional training sessions.
- For more information contact enquiries@cymorthcymru.org.uk