LS – Panarchy

What is meant by it?

Panarchy is an organizational structure that can help a large group of participants in identifying the opportunities and obstacles that they can face while spreading different ideas and innovations at several levels. So, panarchy can help you in spreading those ideas at different levels easily and grow to succeed in your challenge.

How is it done?

Panarchy can be carried out by inviting participants for observing and identifying the elements which are contributing to the presence of a challenge at different levels. The instructor will also have to ask them to come up with different strategies and opportunities that can help them in solving problems at different levels. It should be conducted in a room with a flat wall and open space. A new panarchy handout, post-it notes, flip-chart pages, and a large wall poster should be available. The participants will be indulging in panarchy individually, in pairs and groups to present their lists of obstacles and opportunities and to prioritize the things which will help them in succeeding.

What is its purpose?

Panarchy is an agile way of creating a mixture of different strategies at several levels to move forward in a challenge. It will give people from different levels an opportunity to work together and move forward as a group. It will help you in seeing the whole picture together.

What are its Tips and Traps?

You will have to use the 1-2-4-all liberating structure for most of the steps included in panarchy. Try to add the perspective of people from different fields for researching dynamic at both small and large scale. You should not neglect the role of history in each level.

Examples – Where can it be used?

Panarchy can be used in the following circumstances:

  • For offering advanced educational opportunities to students.
  • For spreading innovations on a bigger scale.

— Slimane Zouggari