Mutual learning and international exchange

Informal learning in daily practice and in exchange with colleagues is just as important as formal learning in training situations. Especially for culture aspects in organisations, development of self-steering, and bottom-up improvement, exchange with colleagues is key. The acceptance of collegiate advise is often greater than the acceptance of expert advise, and much practical knowledge is already present.

If we succeed in structuring this exchange as a mutual learning process, in which we not only show our successful outside appearance, but also our doubts and fears, this can have a big impact. We developed a method to organise such an exchange systematically, long-term, and with changing roles. In a structured way this helps to look increasingly beneath the surface, to content, organisation and way of thinking. Within teams, between teams, between organisations, between municipalities, between countries. The gains are broader than only individual gains for intervision participants. We can help to create fruitfull partnerships for exchange and help structure the mutual learning process.

In Norway we introduced a method of intervision for leaders. We organise an exchange between Dutch and Norwegian local administrations on their social services.