Browsing by Author "Wilkinson, Edith"

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    Chapter 2: If you can’t be secure, be resilient
    (Routledge, 2021-11-29) Wilkinson, Edith; Cleary, Laura R.
    This chapter offers a commentary on the way in which the concepts of resilience and security have evolved and amalgamated over time. Beyond consideration of the evolution of the respective concepts, the chapter examines how risk-based approaches underpin today’s implementation of resilience. Although the idea of adaptation features prominently in the understanding of resilience, it appears to be limited in the context of risk management. This brings the authors to consider a layered approach to living with risk and uncertainty. A conceptual framework is put forward for the resilience of security institutions, thereby contributing to national resilience. The proposed model places a novel emphasis on institutional and political cultures; the aim being to embrace whole-of-society approaches to security.
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    How useful are experiential learning models in framing the implementation of government policy for international development? A case study of DFID’s GTF Programme
    (Unpublished, 2017-03-23) Wilkinson, Edith
    This paper examines experiential learning theory and its impact on the design, implementation and evaluation of learning beyond the level of the individual. The existence of experiential learning frameworks at organization and society levels will be reviewed, ‘Kolb-inspired’ models will be investigated and their application will be discussed. In doing so, the paper aims to identify learning processes that take experience into account and that are applicable at organisational and interorganisational level. The approach adopted in this paper is, firstly, to lay out theoretical foundations for embedding experience in a process of learning and, secondly, to confront them with empirical insights from an international development policy initiative. The UK government’s Department for International Development (DFID) fund for Governance and Transparency provides an ideal testbed to investigate the suitability of making use of such experiential learning frameworks in the international development context. The paper will contribute to wider discussion by suggesting that policy implementation and international development programming could gain valuable insight from exploring the suitability of experiential learning frameworks.
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    Resilience and deterrence: exploring correspondence between the concepts
    (Springer, 2020-01-17) Wilkinson, Edith
    Classic theories of deterrence do not envisage the concepts of resilience and deterrence as even remotely connected. However, these two notions may not be poles apart and may, in fact, offer complementary perspectives in envisioning options for dealing with the security challenges of the twenty-first century. This chapter explores the correspondence between the two concepts. Firstly, it discusses definitions and key tenets of these concepts in relation to security. Then, it goes on to review what differentiates and what links these concepts in terms of the risk approach each presents; this includes an examination of rationality in deterrence and resilience frameworks as well as looking at the growing acknowledgement that their evolution is influenced by systems thinking. The chapter then considers in what way deterrence theory and the emerging resilience theory display areas of complementary and mismatch. This is achieved by examining how, on the one hand, both approaches may be able to support one another and, on the other hand, how the significance of change and transformation in both frameworks can provide pointers to where future thinking might lead.
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    Resilience and learning: A case study of the department for international development’s governance and transparency fund
    (2019) Wilkinson, Edith; Maddison Warren, Annie
    Resilience is often defined as the ability to withstand and recover from shocks, but it can also relate to the ability to renew, re-organise and develop. In the UK, the resilience concept has permeated the policy domain; in particular, the areas of civil contingency and international development have attempted to operationalise the concept. An example of this is the Department for International Development’s (DFID) Governance and Transparency Fund (GTF), initiated in 2008 as a one-off £130 million fund to promote resilience through good governance and learning. Its purpose was to help people make their voices heard in order to hold their governments to account. It aimed to achieve this by strengthening the wide range of groups that are able to empower and support citizens. Funding was allocated to 38 programmes around the world, linking 1000 local organisations in over 100 countries. Over and above the core purpose of enhancing capability, accountability and responsiveness in relation to national governance, the GTF had an inbuilt responsibility to ensure the resilience of its programmes, making sure that the experiences, lessons and learning of the 38 programmes were shared. It focused on change through participatory experimentation and learning-centred practices. As such, the GTF placed learning at its heart and promoted a notion of resilience based on experiential learning. This thesis undertakes a case study of resilience and learning within GTF, designed to investigate whether and how learning for resilience can occur within and between disparate organisations. The thesis considers inter- and intra-organisational learning in order to determine how lessons are captured, interpreted and shared and whether these lessons provide a basis for future resilience, taking the GTF as a case study. The literature review considers two scholarly fields of study. The first is related to resilience, which explores the fundamental importance of adaptation in interconnected environments, based on an emerging body of literature known as the ‘social ecological’ literature. This branch of enquiry describes the systemic study of interrelations across scales (which are understood as ‘natural’ levels of analysis where they can be defined spatially, geographically, ecologically, socially, or institutionally), referred to as ‘panarchy’. The second literature review relates to learning, more specifically to experiential learning theory (which considers learning processes as closely related to direct experience) and its impact on the design, implementation and evaluation of learning beyond the level of the individual. The aim of this review was to identify learning processes that are applicable at intra-organisational and inter-organisational level. This resulted in the identification of Winswold et al’s (2009) ‘cycle for adaptation’, which proposes ii Modes of Governance, which can be summarised as hierarchies, markets and networks, that shape learning processes. The literature also acknowledged that learning processes bear an evolutionary perspective. Lifecycle models are examined and their resonance with social ecological adaptive cycles is highlighted. The dynamics presented in lifecycle models are offered to map innovation and learning within the aid and development sector. Both sets of models were then employed as an analytical framework, which was used in the design of the case study to guide the gathering, organisation and analysis of evidence. GTF was designed to empower and support citizens by ‘demanding accountability from the bottom up’. The GTF placed learning at its heart and promoted a notion of resilience based on experiential learning. Thus, the case study of GTF appears pertinent as it provides evidence and adds to the intersection of both areas of literature. The case study of GTF comprised three main research methods: content analysis and ethnographical analysis, followed by a series of semi-structured interviews. The investigation of GTF learning was approached in a systemic way by exploring each level of analysis (macro, meso and micro) to determine whether a dominant mode of governance had emerged and influenced learning. The conclusion of this study comes in the form of an answer to the question at its core which was: how does learning for resilience occur within and between disparate organisations of the aid and development sector? In combining elements of resilience and learning literatures a conceptual framework to understand ‘learning for resilience’ emerged and definition was coined. The case study showed that in a complex and multi-layered system, such as that represented by the GTF, learning takes place in a variety of ways and is undertaken by various actors. Manifestations of all three Modes of Governance (hierarchies, markets and network) were identified. For example, the overwhelming use of logframes is indicative of hierarchical modes of governance; financial considerations (including Value for Money), which were used as key success indicators, are indicative of market forces at play; and the promotion of networks was explicitly endorsed by all stakeholders in the GTF. When mapping the research findings against the phases of a typical lifecycle, learning dynamics appear complex; yet, drivers for learning at sector level as well as organisational level can be better understood. A Lifecycle Learning Model is drawn up which outlines the interplay between levels and demonstrates how strategies or trends at a given level resonate in another and ultimately provide insights on learning for resilience in the aid and development sector.
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    Systemic experiential learning model for the evaluation of technological learning: the case of small satellite capability-building in Algeria
    (Intellect, 2019-03-01) Ayad, Ahmed; Wilkinson, Edith; Matthews, Ron
    This article proposes a ‘systemic experiential learning model’ for the evaluation of technological learning. Technological learning is effective when combining learning by doing, by searching and by interacting. The proposed model is based on parallels drawn between the typology – learning by doing, by searching and by interacting – and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory through its cyclical combination of action and reflection. It argues that learners, whether they be individuals, groups, organizations or inter-organizations, are more effective when completing Kolb-like cycles. The proposed model is the combination of horizontal and vertical processes. Each learning level (individual, group, organization or inter-organization) is modelled, horizontally, according to a Kolb-like learning cycle. Vertical connections are made between the horizontal levels of aggregation by borrowing March’s concepts of exploration and exploitation. The model has been used for the evaluation of learning occurring in the Algerian small satellite capability-building programme. The implementation of the model revealed that learning is not systemic and therefore ineffective. Findings are reflective of the difficulty of striking the right balance between action (learning by doing) and reflection (learning by searching) and densifying interactions (learning by interacting) within and between learning levels.
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    Two world views? How regular and reserve Royal Marines perceive each other
    (SAGE, 2023-06-02) Wilkinson, Edith; Kutsch, Elmar; Parry, Emma; Turner, Neil
    Effective integration of the Regular and Reserve Armed Forces is essential to operational effectiveness, but evidence suggests that this remains problematic. Past research has focused on the professional values of Regulars and the perceptions that this group holds about Reservists. In this study, we argue that it is necessary to consider the perceptions of both Regulars and Reservists to truly understand the barriers to integration between these elements of Defence. This study investigates what Regular and Reserve Royal Marines see as the important constructs related to each group, through the use of repertory grid technique with 18 Regulars and 16 Reservists. Not only did the Regulars and Reservists in this study see different constructs as important, they also ascribed different constructs to each group. These differences are potentially problematic when aiming to integrate the Regular and Reserve Armed Forces.
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    Using horizon scanning to build policy resilience: case of waste crime
    (Wiley, 2024-04) Garnett, Kenisha; Wilson, Alister; Wilkinson, Edith
    Waste crime is a pressing concern for the waste and resource industry as it is undermining investment, growth and jobs within the industry and threatening the natural environment. However, there is little knowledge of the scale of the problem, the types of criminality and motivations involved, and the precise nature of crime. Environmental regulators are building foresight capabilities to better understand the effect of current and future changes in markets, in technology and in the legislative environment on waste crime and associated behaviours. At the heart of this paper is the question: how can horizon scanning be adopted by environmental regulators to shape decision processes and build resilience to waste crime? We report our efforts to build a toolkit and guidance for conducting horizon scanning, aimed at supporting environmental regulators, investigators and intelligence analysts to build an understanding of—and interpretation of the consequences of—behavioural, market, technological and pollution trends in the waste sector. A review of the academic and grey literature provided insights to organisational approaches and design principles for public sector horizon scanning. Outputs guided discussion at a stakeholder workshop with waste regulators, criminal intelligence and industry professionals to explore institutional challenges and to agree broad design principles for a horizon scanning process. The toolkit supports environmental regulators in applying horizon scanning to policy and wider operational and delivery‐focused challenges; learning how to: (1) spot weak signals and emerging trends quickly, (2) examine the evidence around potential threats and opportunities for the future, and (3) take action on strategically important issues to minimise the impact of crime on the environment, society and business. The paper sets out further research needed to integrate horizon scanning with data analytics (e.g., predictive and hotspot analyses) to challenge assumptions about the patterns of change, based largely on historical trends, and to better manage these so there is greater adaptability to current and future trends.
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    Written evidence into the use of Improvised Explosive Devices and their impact on the Humanitarian Space. Report to the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Explosive Weapons
    (2017-08-24) Cleary, Laura; Johnson, Steve; McAteer, Daniel; Turns, David; Wilkinson, Edith
    This report constitutes Cranfield’s School of Defence and Security response to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Explosive Weapons’ call for written evidence (dated 11 December 2015) into the use of Improvised Explosive Devices and their impact on the Humanitarian Space. The APPG expressed interest in three questions: - What are the main groups using IEDs that operate around the globe today and what types of IEDs do they employ? - What challenges do state governments and law enforcement agencies face in effectively monitoring and restricting the sale of dual use precursor materials used in making IEDs and the knowledge exchange between groups? - The level and extent of humanitarian harm caused by IEDs around the world?