Understanding initiators’ problem framing in the initiation of a networked improvement community

Scholars have argued that problem formulation is an important part of successfully initiating a Networked Improvement Community (NIC/s). Yet, few scholars have studied the problem formulation process at the beginning of a NIC. This study draws upon problem formulation literature to examine how district initiators in one NIC identify and make sense of a specific improvement problem. The study seeks to understand how the problem becomes (or does not become) central to the work of a NIC and thus supportive of the learning activities that ensue. Drawing upon qualitative data collected during a 12-month exploratory study, findings suggest that the absence of a clearly specified problem coupled limited consideration of the initiators’ dispositions both contributed to incoherence in the NIC. This incoherence limited learning opportunities for network participants and the ability of the NIC to widely influence practice in the school district. The findings reinforced the importance of a learning stance, engagement in disciplined inquiry, a systems perspective, a willingness to see others’ perspectives, and a willingness to persist beyond initial efforts are key to initiation. The study contributes to the improvement science literature by defining the importance of problem formulation as a leadership disposition and elevates it as a core action in network initiation. This has implications for educational improvement and change efforts within the United States and internationally, which have shown that problem specification is an important step in successful change activities.