Expect the unexpected (unless you are Isaac Newton)
If we don’t know what will work, then how on earth do we work out what to do? Traditional approaches to change management assume there are a set of rules which will …
Entries by Kate Simpson
Navigating complex change – where next for Wasafiri?
Through 2017 and 2018, Wasafiri will be extending our work from Africa and into the UK and the USA – here’s why: When we set up Wasafiri, over 5 years ago now, it was because we saw a problem that we wanted to change. Between us we had been working on a variety of development […]
BREXIT: it’s complex; it’s uncomfortable; and it’s headed our way
Here in the UK we are living in complex times. Last month we voted to leave the EU; it turns out if being in the EU was complicated, leaving is the definition of complexity. In the hours following the vote there was profound shock, particularly amongst those of us that voted remain. Certainly I had never […]
The IPSI & Creative Associates CVE Symposium: Summary & Reflections
Scott Hinkle recently joined Wasafiri as our Team Leader for the Regional Countering Violent Extremism Research Unit (RRU). He started his work with Wasafiri with a quick trip to Washington to attend the CVE Symposium (April 6-7, 2016) and did a great summary write-up for the rest of us left at home. We thought it would be […]
Bonfire of the Gantt charts (or not quite yet)- Guest blogger Griff Griffiths
This week we have a guest blogger – Griff Griffiths, who shares some thoughts on wicked problems and complexity thinking, taken from beyond the world of international development. Griff runs Cocomotion, works in the complex area of People and Organizational Development and describes himself as a ‘surprisingly useful person.’ He has been working, thinking and experimenting […]
Understanding wicked problems and what we might be able to do about them
A review and reflections on the ODI working paper: “From best practice to best fit: understanding wicked problems in international development.” As philosophers, neuroscientists, pop singers and marketeers have known for years, as human beings the things we notice most in the world around us, are the things already in our own heads and […]
A playlist on complexity and how not to make things simple
“For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong.” H.L. Mencken At Wasafiri we are interested in how you make change happen in complex systems. So far we have yet to find any simple answers, but we have found a lot of complex ones. So for this play list, I […]
Wasafiri welcomes Candida Crasto to the team
We are excited this week to welcome Candida to the Wasafiri team. She will be based in East Africa and working as our new Operations & Commercial Manager, helping us to grow the organisation and look after the delivery of much of our work in the region. Candida is a chemical engineer by training and has […]
The African revolution coming to a market near you!
Africa is open for business! Or so we have been told. There is enthusiasm from investors; there are entrepreneurs with great (and some terrible) ideas; and there are businesses to be found all over the continent. Yet the flow of capital and investment into Africa are still slow. There are undoubtedly lots of reasons for […]
