Abstract

Traditional OR has been interested in supporting decision-making, problem-solving and improving operations in a wide variety of contexts. Communities provide an intriguing domain of focus as they as often loosely-configured groups of people, organising their own activities and linked to one another in a complex (although sometimes sparse) web of interactions, commitments, interests and resources. Discovering how researchers can support such communities is one of the general aims of Community OR. Many different forms of supporting actions can be identified in the OR, Systems and Knowledge Management Literature. In this example researchers from CORU (The Community OR Unit) have been working for a number of years with community members in the South Holland district of South Lincolnshire (UK). Part
of this work has involved supporting and co-facilitating a community knowledge network that meets twice yearly to identify, discuss and reflect on the most pressing social issues in this rural community. The network has provided a self-organised approach to articulating issues of concern to and by local stakeholders. This paper reflects on both the practical aspects and the theoretical underpinnings (from Complexity Theory, Systems Modelling and Knowledge Management) that the author has drawn upon to guide and inform our actions and reflections.