Skip to Content
Upcoming action-learning journey: Accra, Ghana @ May 18, 2025

Stage 2: Reading (Pulse of the Journey)

Purpose & Real-Time Insights

The Reading stage represents the dynamic heart of our evaluation framework, where we actively capture the pulse of capital flows as they happen during the action-learning journey. Unlike traditional evaluation approaches that primarily assess outcomes after completion, Reading enables continuous learning and adaptation by making value flows visible in real-time.

The primary purposes of the Reading stage include:

  1. Capturing the living dynamics of capital flows as they emerge

  2. Providing immediate feedback loops for participants and facilitators

  3. Enabling responsive adaptation of activities based on emerging patterns

  4. Creating a rich, multi-dimensional dataset for later sense-making

  5. Fostering collective awareness of how value is being generated and exchanged

Real-time insights generated during this stage serve multiple functions:

  • Helping participants recognize and articulate the value they’re creating

  • Supporting facilitators in adapting programming to enhance capital flows

  • Identifying emerging patterns that might indicate systemic shifts

  • Highlighting unexpected connections between different forms of capital

  • Revealing potential barriers or enablers to regenerative development

Data-Collection Methods

Telegram Bots

At the core of our data collection system are Telegram bots designed to capture reflections, observations, and attributions in accessible, low-friction ways:

  • Voice Journaling: Participants can record voice notes that are automatically transcribed, analyzed, and tagged according to the co-created framework

  • Text Reflections: Direct text inputs with optional explicit tagging using the #aspect/capital/direction format

  • Prompted Reflections: Scheduled prompts that invite specific reflections at key moments

  • Peer Attribution: Functionality for acknowledging value received from others

The bot employs a hybrid tagging system that combines:

  • Explicit user-defined tags

  • AI-inferred classifications based on content analysis

  • Confidence scoring to determine when human validation is needed

Programmatic Data Collection

Beyond direct participant inputs, the system also captures:

  • Code Submissions: Technical outputs and documentation

  • Public Chat Histories: Interactions in group channels

  • Digital Artifacts: Documents, designs, and other created materials

  • Metadata: Timestamps, locations, and contextual information

Attribution Systems

A key innovation in our approach is the peer-based attribution system:

  • Participants can acknowledge value received from others

  • These attributions create a network map of capital flows between individuals

  • The system tracks both the source and recipient of each capital exchange

  • Intensity of flows can be indicated on a scale (e.g., 1-5)

Touchpoints (Daily Prompts, Weekly Circles, Field Observations)

Daily Reflection Cycles

Regular touchpoints ensure consistent data collection throughout the journey:

  • Morning Intentions: “What capitals do you hope to generate today?”

  • Evening Reflections: “What flows of value did you experience today?”

  • Activity Debriefs: Structured reflections after key programming elements

  • Spontaneous Captures: Participant-initiated reflections at any time

Weekly Collective Sense-Making

Deeper, facilitated touchpoints occur on a weekly basis:

  • Reflection Circles: Facilitated group discussions about observed capital flows

  • Pattern Recognition: Collective identification of emerging themes and connections

  • Adaptation Dialogues: Conversations about how to enhance value generation

  • Cross-Pollination: Sharing insights across different teams or focus areas

Field Observations

During immersive experiences (like the Dream Village farm visit), specialized prompts capture contextual insights:

  • Place-Based Reflections: How the specific context influences capital flows

  • Cross-Context Comparisons: Differences in value generation between settings

  • Embodied Learning: Physical and experiential dimensions of capital flows

  • Cultural Immersion: How cultural context shapes value perception and generation

Mapping Flows Across Capitals & Spheres

As data is collected, it is continuously mapped across multiple dimensions:

Capital Flow Mapping

  • Source → Recipient Tracking: Who/what generated capital for whom/what

  • Conversion Pathways: How one form of capital transforms into another

  • Flow Intensity: Strength or significance of each capital exchange

  • Temporal Patterns: How flows change over time and in different contexts

Sphere Evolution Tracking

Simultaneously, data is analyzed for its implications across the five systemic spheres:

  • Cultural Sphere: Shifts in values, narratives, and meaning-making

  • Economic Sphere: Changes in resource flows and exchange patterns

  • Social Sphere: Evolutions in relationships and social structures

  • Political Sphere: Developments in governance and decision-making

  • Ecological Sphere: Impacts on and interactions with natural systems

Integration Points

The Reading stage creates integration points between:

  • Individual and collective experiences

  • Different forms of capital

  • Various systemic spheres

  • Explicit and tacit knowledge

  • Planned and emergent outcomes

By maintaining this dynamic, multi-dimensional mapping throughout the journey, the Reading stage creates a rich tapestry of data that reveals not just what value is being created, but how it flows, transforms, and contributes to systemic evolution across multiple scales and dimensions.

Last updated on
Practices