T-Platform Toolkit

Why this toolkit?

Increasingly complex societal issues like climate change require radically different approaches to research.

This toolkit aims to support researchers using some of these new approaches, such as transformative and transdisciplinary research.

 

Transformative research aspires to deliver a system change at the societal level with beneficial environmental, social, cultural and economic outcomes.


Transdisciplinary programmes involve the integration of knowledge and methods across different science disciplines, as well as those from outside science. Together the participants shape and share the direction of the research, outputs and outcomes.

 

This work is being done as part of the T-Platform, a programme to support capacity for transformative and transdisciplinary research at AgResearch.

 

What is in the toolkit?

This toolbox has tools that can be used at different stages in the project lifecycle to achieve different outcomes. It includes runsheets, templates, guides, and exemplars on a range of topics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Help a project to incorporate reflection and overcome obstacles
    (Process coaching)

 

  

If you are not sure where to start, you can explore content associated with different project requirements and phases.

In my project, I need to... 

Develop contextual awareness
(past, present, future)

Involve and integrate diverse participants and knowledge

     

Work with uncertainty and emerging situations
Material in this section will help you:
  • Develop awareness of big picture and context
  • Consider trends and future possibilities

 

  Material in this section will help you:
  • Involve more diverse participants and knowledge sources
  • Integrate knowledge across a programme
  Material in this section will help you:
  • Engage with emergent and uncertain research topics and processes
  • Work in flexible ways, e.g. using an agile or 'learning-by-doing' approach
  • Reflect on what is working and what needs to be changed

 

 

 My project is currently in one of these phases...

 

Project Phases

 Outcomes addressed by this toolkit

01 Idea Development
  • Define problem and questions
  • Clarify who needs to be involved
  • Develop awareness of context and need

02 Establishment  
  • Further refine focus and activities
  • Form a team
  • Identify who else needs to be involved
  • Establish a shared vision
  • Develop a strategy
  • Develop relationships with partners
  • Set up channels of communication

03 Conducting and Reviewing Activities
  • Reflect and refine process/outputs - particularly for agile/action research/ emergent processes and topics
  • Keep people informed and engaged

04 Concluding
  • Capture lessons from the process
  • Share results

05 Bringing Project Lessons to the Next Project or Phase
  • Use lessons from previous processes
  • Build on prior results