If you decided to use 'domains', which are the most appropriate?

This is a difficult question. Let's see what Davies and Dart (2005, pages 20 and 21) suggest...

What should domains focus on?

One question that often arises is whether the domains of change should only be about changes caused by the organisation that is using MSC, or include changes caused by other people, organisations or influences in general. For example, increased participation by individuals could result from changes in government legislation relating to the right to free association rather than anything to do with the organisation’s own activities. Nevertheless, in most societies, such changes would be considered significant.

In practice, most users of MSC have focused on changes that are a direct or indirect result of what their organisations are doing. There is, however, an argument for saying that many organisations already see the world too narrowly, and that it would be healthy to identify SCs arising from any cause.

These options do not need to be mutually exclusive. It should be possible to track both types of changes through the one application of MSC. One or more domains could be about changes caused by the organisation’s work, while another could ask specifically about changes not caused or influenced by the organisation. Doing so would help provide what Chris Roche (1999) has described as a ‘project out’ and a ‘context in’ perspective.

Who should be involved in determining domains?

In some organisations, existing commitments to the pursuit of specific objectives are likely to lead to the use of domains based on program objectives. Hopefully they will already be well-known and owned by the staff and clients. Where there is more freedom to select the domains, using a participatory process to identify appropriate domains is likely to encourage all participants to take a more active interest in the MSC process and its products.


PROPOSED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

• Do you think we should also look at changes generated by factors outside of our projects?
• Do you think that allowing key market actors to participate in the definition of the domains will encourage them to 'take a more active interest in the MSC process and its products'?