Mission + Context
Mission and context are at the heart of every design choice an institution makes and the core of inquiry and change. While institutional mission statements are often widely professed, context is equally important in shaping outcomes. Context includes people, community, culture, institutional history, and external forces that act on the institution.
Institutional History: the hidden context
Where you came from and the truth and myths of what you’re about; formal and informal structures that have become institutionalized (many without deliberate design choices); the basis for the rules… …and the institutional norms.
Initiatives & Opportunities
Must be tailored to an institution’s unique mission and context, with careful engagement of representative stakeholders.
“Change agents are leaders and storytellers, regardless of their formal roles in an institution.””