International Academy for Appreciative Inquiry (IAAI)
The academy is an exciting new joint venture between Appreciating People and Alder Advice. It is a partnership to:
- Develop and expand the use of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) to improve public and 3rd sector services both in UK and wider afield,
- Improve AI training and development opportunities, and
- Provide peer support opportunities for individuals and organisations that see the potential to use AI based approaches to improve their effectiveness.
The academy is a natural development for the two organisations. It builds on a long-standing association and a commitment from the directors of the two organisations to work together, and support each other, whilst retaining their separate brand identities. Appreciating People have contributed to projects led by Alder Advice and vice versa. There are strong synergies between the work of Alder Advice and Appreciating People in relation to asset-based approaches and Appreciative Inquiry. For example:
- Both have:
- A strong belief in the value and effectiveness of these methods;
- Staff who trained with the leading European development organisationfor Appreciative Inquiry (Lincoln Workshop Series);
- Deep and broad experience in using Appreciative Inquiry principles and techniques.
- While the training and development experience of Appreciating People and their experience in developing publications (e.g. guides to asset-based working and workbooks) is complemented by Alder Advice’s experience as advisers on organisational learning, improvement and transformation and in strengths based social work practice.
The academy also has international partners in Italy (Wiseingsocietabenefit), Spain (Inspiring Partners) and hopes to develop more international links over time.
What is Appreciative Inquiry (AI)
AI is a process for engaging people in building the kinds of organisations and a world they want to live in. Working from peoples’ strengths and positive experiences, AI co-creates a future based on collaboration and open dialogue.” David Cooperrider, founder of AI.
Could Appreciative Inquiry help you?
If you are passionate about getting the best out of yourself and others and are ready and willing to think differently, pose new questions, and are open to challenging your own learned behaviours AI might benefit you and you may benefit from working with the IAAI.
What will the academy provide?
Our aim is to increase the use of AI by offering online and face to face accredited training programmes and by supporting communities of practice.
The training offered builds on the significant AI training developed and delivered in recent years by Appreciating People to more than 2,000 people in the public and community sectors around the world.
We are offering two new certificated IAAI programmes: Introduction to AI; and Deepening your AI Practice.
They focus on the practical application of AI and aim to strengthen the ‘appreciative muscle’ and foster new self-sustaining communities of AI practice oncliuding tailored approaches for social services, social workers, and care and support providers and their staff.
On successful completion of the two modules participants are awarded “Accredited AI Practitioner” status.
More about the Partners
Alder Advice brings Appreciative Inquiry trained advisers, consultants and trainers along with innovative AI based approaches to the Academy. Together these enable adult social care, health and housing organisations to:
- Improve the services they commission, provide or regulate,
- Develop, motivate and retain their staff, and
- Create new partnerships
Appreciating People brings significant AI training experience across the UK Public and voluntary sectors to the academy. This experience includes creation of an AI training approach supporting self-sustaining AI practice within organisations, development of a range of practical AI training resources sold across the world and the provision of international AI training courses.
Alder Advice was formed in 2009. It is a group of independent social care, health and housing professionals chosen because of the breadth and depth of their personal experience, up to date knowledge, consulting skills and strong value base. Alder Advice provides support in three different forms:
- Alder consultancy, mentoring and coaching. This is always strengths based and it can include hands-on assistance where appropriate,
- Alder Development. Offers bespoke learning programmes designed to transfer learning to our customers to help them build internal capacity/capability, and
- Alder Interims. Are available to work as part of local teams on temporary assignments where this makes sense.
Alder Advice believes that every person, team and organisation has assets and strengths and that these should be recognised and can be developed to create a better future. This core belief underpins its work at all levels e.g. with individual service users, individual staff, teams, whole organisations and groups of organisations working as partners. Once strengths are understood and appreciated, Alder Advice can help its customers build on them to deliver the improvement opportunities available.
This appreciative approach is an essential component of Alder Advice’s values, which together with partnership working, supports working together as the best way to learn and grow.
Appreciating People was formed in 2006. It is an organisation development and Appreciative Inquiry training consultancy specialising in asset-based and whole system organisation development, principally through the philosophy and methodology of Appreciative Inquiry (AI). Appreciating People are one of the UK leaders in Appreciative Inquiry and asset-based approaches to organisation development. The company now based in Forres, Scotland works nationally and internationally.
Appreciating People supports organisations, and communities to maximize their assets and strengths and build on “what works, supporting organization development, resilience, adaptability, innovation and wellbeing across public, private and community sectors”.
Appreciating People is recognized as one of UK’s leading Appreciative Inquiry expert practices, especially within the public and community sectors. It has a reputation for innovation. Clients include hospitals and other NHS trusts, national UK faith organisations and voluntary/community groups.
How to find out more?
If you want to find out more contact either:
Dan Short Dan.Short@alderadvice.co.uk or call him on 07748-180-390
Rob Griffiths Rob.Griffiths@alderadvice.co.uk or call him on 07814-144-973
Tim Slack tim@appreciatingpeople.co.uk or call him on 01309 671584