When to use the Action Framework

The Action Framework shines when put into a dynamic context. Sometimes speed is important, and sometimes the ability to update your understanding constantly and with confidence is crucial. Use it every day, at least once.

The Action Framework supplements the Relationship Framework. Use the Relationship Framework to build a common understanding, then use the Action Framework to do daily or weekly updates. When the team gathers for a quarterly or six month review, having used the Action Framework means the review will be much better informed and go more quickly.

Use it to brainstorm. When you notice the social dynamics have changed, what can you do? Use the Action Framework with teams in brief meetings, daily or weekly, to update your understanding of the context and to spur creativity in your responses. The Action Framework is an excellent monitoring tool. It encourages adaptation.

Put it up on the wall as a poster. Use it to start conversations and to remind people to go all the way through the cycle.

The Action Framework is a descriptive tool

The Framework is NOT prescriptive. It does not tell you what to do. It is a descriptive tool that:

identifies the categories of information that have been found through experience to be important for understanding how interventions affect contexts and conflict
organizes these categories in a visual way that highlights actual and potential relationships
helps us predict the impacts of different programming decisions.

Previous Page Using the Action Framework
Next Page Challenges in using the Action Framework