Seva Mandir: a learning organisation
Rukmini Datta
Social learning in community forests : 65-83
2001
Document Number: 303314
This chapter examines the experiences of Seva Mandir, a voluntary organization working in rural development in Rajasthan, India, in the context of social learning theory. I identify six avenues for organizational learning and adaptation: feedback from field-level workers; process documentation; research studies; training programmes; internal conflict and debate; and interactions with the government. I then examine cases of each learning mode to illustrate the processes that led to crucial modifications in organizational perceptions, structure and strategy. Seva Mandir's experience suggests that some redundancies and apparent inefficiencies in organizational structure and function can actually enhance learning opportunities and, ultimately, the effectiveness of development interventions.