Educating the change agents

Abstract

A fourth year university course in social consultancy provides an example of a course designed specifically to help intending change agents develop consultancy skills. Set up as an informal action research study, the course has improved slowly over almost two decades. Its present form reflects this development over time.Thecoursemakeuseofsystemsconcepts and the concepts of process consultation and action research, as well as the processes and models of Argyris and Schön. By encouraging high levels of interaction it also helps in the development of interactive skills. However, its main emphasis is on the skills of flexibility, confidence and judgement. It illustrates how these the foundation skills are developed through the use of very high levels of participation and responsibility within a class which in many respects is self‐managed.