The UK Government’s public dialogue body Sciencewise was the subject of 3S member Helen Pallett‘s PhD research into organisational learning from and about public participation. Helen’s PhD thesis is open access and available to download here, and she has also produced a short report on her findings and recommendations which is now available on the Sciencewise website.

The report, based on extensive ethnographic qualitative research undertaken in and around the Sciencewise programme during 2013, argues that there were some significant instances of transformative learning around the programme, resulting especially from novel or unexpected events and places. Whilst pressures on Government funding, and Government outsourcing and audit practices potentially threaten opportunities for rich learning and reflection, the report outlines a number of relatively simple ways in which organisations like Sciencewise can improve capacities for organisational learning and reflection.