Editors’ introduction

This chapter provides a stark contrast to the previous chapters dealing with the practice of using diagrams in participatory research. The author steps back to look at his development over many years of some diagrammatic representations of core systems principles and ideas discussed in Chapter Two; diagrammatic representations that can be used for evaluating diagramming as praxis in environmental sustainability. This braiding of theory and practice, including braiding between systems ideas and diagramming, is aimed at providing a robust and comprehensive approach to evaluation, which is an increasingly important part of all funded projects and programmes. We have seen in other chapters how funders and stakeholders are looking for ‘measurable’ outcomes or impacts from many of the projects being described in terms of changes to policy and/or practice. However, in this chapter the author examines what types of ‘conversation’ are needed in different situations in order to evaluate diagramming used in environmental sustainability projects and programmes.

Introduction

Since the beginning of the millennium, increasing concern has been expressed among researchers, wanting to influence policymakers, programme commissioners, commissioners of evaluations, and evaluators, about failures with interventions addressing complex environmental issues (Fukasaku, 2000) and about sustainable development issues more widely (Ramalingam, 2013). While many helpful discussions have emerged on the relevance of systems based and complexity-based approaches towards evaluation (Williams and Imam, 2007; Forss et al, 2011; Reynolds et al, 2012), commissioners and evaluators alike have expressed concern about the lack of uptake of new ideas (Stern et al, 2012; Befani et al, 2015). Relevant stakeholders appear to be talking past each other. Prevailing evidence-based approaches and contingency approaches to planning and evaluation appear not to be providing the way for valuing systems thinking generally, and visual based techniques specifically. The urgency of developing alternative ways of using research for planning and evaluating using different tools and ideas have increased markedly with the publication of The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (United Nations, 2015) and associated implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in succession to the 2000–15 millennium development goals (MDGs).

Researching into systemic failure associated with complex situations of environmental sustainability involves many different interactions among many different entities (human and non-human).