Educational Consulting Services

My Educational Consulting Background

My first career, which didn't last very long, was as a school teacher. Since then I have always maintained an interest in education and more specifically in learning and development theory and practice with adults. I was involved with the Educational Studies department at Surrey University for a number of years, first to gain an MSc in Change Agent Skills and Strategies (with the Human Potential Research Group) and later as a module author and tutor for their MSc in Management Consulting in the late 90's. In 2001 was very fortunate to be asked by Abbey National (as it was then) to conduct research into adult learning and development theory and run a basic course on the topic for the whole of their Training and Development Department.

The Networked Learning Group

More recently my connection with the educational world was renewed through involvement with the Networked Learning Group, part of the National College for School Leadership. I worked with them between early 2005 and the end of August 2006 when their remit came to an end. Initially I was engaged (through Customer Consulting Limited) to carryout a research project to explore the options for their future direction. This was followed by a year long contract to provide some different perspectives as an outside expert in organisational leadership and change, particularly in relation to the meta-impact of the Networked Learning Communities programme.

I struggled throughout this contract with the realisation that on one hand I am not really an educational consultant (I met many outstanding consultants working with the NLG who are far better qualified for most educational assignments than I will ever be) and on the other hand I believe I have something very valuable to bring to educationalists - partly the ability to see and feedback the blindspots and biases within the whole educational reform and improvement domain, and partly the expertise in change management which is needed at all its levels of the system if it is to successfully negotiate the challenges ahead.

The Networked Learning Change Agenda for Local Authorities

The final output of my work with the NLG has been a paper specifically addressing the change agenda facing local authorities.

The full paper can be found here

A summary version, which is being sent to local authorities, can be found here

This an extract from the introduction:

During 2005–06, the Networked Learning Group (NLG) asked Aubyn Howard to engage with the Networked Learning Communities (NLCs) programme as it drew to its conclusion. As an outside expert in organisational learning and change, he was asked to provide a different perspective on the impact of networked learning and to offer insights into its wider implications.

This paper focuses on the local authority viewpoint. It is aimed at local authority officers engaged in implementing educational reform and the whole-child agenda, such as directors of children’s services and heads of education and social services. It delivers a big picture overview of the challenges and opportunities that networked learning presents for local authorities. Its purpose is to help them manage and navigate the challenges of organisational, cultural and personal change that lie ahead as they seek to implement more integrated, collaborative and networked solutions.

I highly recommend a visit to the NLG legacy site which is filled with treasures for those wanting to explore a more networked and collaborative way of working and approach to school improvement. I was inspired and moved by the experience of engaging with the networked learning communities programme and the hope that it holds out for the future.

For my further reflections on networked learning, the NLC programme and the educational world in general, click here.

Although most of my work is still with business organisations, I am interested in working in the educational field, in particular in helping local authority leaders with the challenges set out in my paper. Please get in touch if you would like to talk about how I could help you.

Aubyn

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