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What is creativity?
Use of the imagination, original ideas,
Thinking differently than other people
Being innovative – pure ideas
Combining and recombining ideas in unique ways
Thinking more thoroughly
The creative process:
What is flight?
Sum total of all internal and external forces
Emergence: occurs when an entity is observed to have properties or behaviors that its parts do not have on its own
Blog Post Part 1
Tenet 1: Interdependence:
The interactive effect of tasks, goals, and feedback combinations. A state in which all firms in a market or players in a game, though in competition, are dependent on the actions and strategies of all the other firms or players in that market or game.
Our simple words: How different aspects all work together, relate to one another, and rely on each other.
Example: Behaviors in a region are interdependent when it comes to getting ebola.
Additional Example: Correlation between grain spawn sterility and the resulting bacteria levels in the substrate bags.
Tenet 2: Holism:
The idea that all of the properties of a given system—whether physical, biological, chemical, social, economic, mental, or linguistic—can not be determined or explained by their component parts alone. Instead, the system as a whole determines how the parts behave.
Example: Every input for mushrooms is all worthless but when they come together a valuable product is created.
Our simple words: The whole make up something greater than the sum of its parts.
Tenet 3: Multifinality
Example: Mushrooms
Definition: The same group of inputs is able to result in multiple potentially unrelated end products. (The whole point of probability).. Subsystems meet goals and contribute to the larger systems goals.
Tenet 4: Equifinality:
Example: There are multiple ways to grow and oyster mushrooms (3 main ones).
Example: Multiple groups in GSIF addressing maternal health.
Our simple words: There are many different ways to reach the same end.
Tenet 5: Differentiation:
Our simple definition: A method of identifying individual components of a large system
Example: Small stories building on each other and adding to the larger story. They’re different in that they each engage listeners in different ways and convey different aspects.
Mushrooms: Three main parts. Spawn. Substrate Pasteurization. Growth. All of these parts represent interdependence, differentiation, and holism.
Tenet 6: Regulation
Our definition: ensure that the system is actually working and all stakeholders are accountable to each other and the system
Our simple definition: keeping people accountable
Example: How to ensure that Jawara is doing what he needs to be doing.
Tenet 7: Abstraction: Basically your start at the nitty-gritty detail of either an idea or point and then taking steps back until you can begin to grasp how things play together.
Example: We believe that bats transmit Ebola to humans, but this comes from the fact the bats are in the woods and have the disease, they can give it to multiple animals before it even makes it to a human. Then you have the health works trying to solve this from an urban point of view, then you can go higher all the way back to the ministry of health planning. When you look at how bats lead Ebola to Humans, you can get different answers from different views.
Tenet 8: Leverage Points
Definition: The point(s) that would create the most change. Small shifts in one thing can produce big changes in everything.
Example: Malnutrition, if we give them what they need, they will do better in school, in life, won’t have as many problems in relation to health.
Examples: The barriers to entries of the mushroom market are all non-tangible like knowledge. All the inputs are waste products so the biggest leverage point is education.
Part Two
The Concept of Emergence:
In simple words, the concept of emergence is when someone’s creativity has caught on and begins to spread. Something new is becoming popular or well known enough for it to be considered “a thing”. An example of an emergent system that creates a sustainable and scalable social venture is…. Exactly what all of us are trying to do. GRO mushroom project is an emergent system because no one has been able to thus far create zero energy or zero waste way to grow mushrooms on waste. Their venture is sustainable in that it works of waste and doesn’t negatively impact the environment. They’re still working on the scaleable part but the idea is the slow spread of ideas and the sale of GRO mushrooms structures.
Solutions to Water Hyacinth:
The solution to the problem:
Partnerships
Who’s in the Coalition: Ebola Busters
The original goal would be to start with the local government in Sierra Leone as well as the partners they have in-country (aka WHI). Then after we have created a partnership with the key players in Sierra Leone, the next goal would be to leverage those partners to jump onto bigger players like the key player across West Africa, like MSF and the rest of the region’s governments. After we got them on board we would target East Africa in the same sense as we did start in a country and then moving on the greater region’s government once you have traction. After this, we would target the major funders and players of medicine in the world (aka WHO, NIH, CDC), by leveraging the governments and partnership we had grown on the ground in Africa.
Part 1:
Step 1
The facts:
Step 2 & 3:
The stakeholders
Step 4:
Solutions:
Step 5:
Additional Resources
http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2015/the-patent-landscape-of-genetically-modified-organisms/
https://www.wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/2016/si/article_0004.html
Step 6:
Best Course of action
I think the best course of action would be to try and get the patent taken away while trying to convince the this is by far the most expensive, most difficult, as well as most time-consuming approach, but I think it is the only one that brings them back to an even playing field. If they don’t take drastic measures they will probably go under anyway so you might as well go out with a fight. You can try and employ the people using other methods or by growing crops, but you don’t know that would work plus if you have to find the money for more crops, you gonna be short anyway so you might as well be short, and have a chance at fixing your problem long term by making sure you can’t get your product stole by a US corporation. I think that OOPS is ethically allowed to do what they did, is it legal from a sense of intellectual property, I don’t think so, but I do think it is ethical. The basis of IP law is to ensure that if you spend a bunch of money on R&D you get the money back. Did OOPS do this, no, but did they use the law to their advantage, that not ethical, it’s just a little immoral. The world is a capitalist society, well sort of, so is it ethical to sell a product at a lower price than others can: yes, as long as your not price gouging which they weren’t doing.
Step 7:
Implication
The implications of fighting the patent are enormous. The first one is the debt the locals will incur if they choose to hire lawyers. They also will have to spend a tremendous amount of time gathering evidence and using their time to win this trial. It is entirely possible that could go bankrupt if they lose the case. There are also legal implications if the case is overturned and precedent if it is not. Either way, this could impact other business of similar nature, thus they might be able to ask outside sources to help fund the battle.
Part 2:
Step 1:
Facts
Step 2 & 3
Step 4:
Solutions 1
Solutions 2
Solutions 3
Step 5:
https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/close-or-sell-your-business
https://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/closing-a-business/necessary-steps-to-dissolve-your-company.html
https://thebusinessprofessor.com/knowledge-base/closing-up-shop/
Step 6:
I think I would try to get the company bought because either way it is going to shut down. Do I believe I owe jobs to each employee, not really because my job is to best for the company, so if selling it or shutting down is best then I must do that. Would I write great recs, of course, but thats a moral reason not because I feel obligated too. I think that in this scenario selling might get people jobs for a little longer, thus I think it worth trying, also the sale could be used for a fund for severance packages for the works who might get laid off. If I can’t sell I would shut down the business because it is not a charity, it is not supposed to run at a cash negative state. If it’s not making money it shouldn’t be open. Does that suck for the employees, yes, but times change, and if you don’t change with it you get left behind.
Step 7:
Part 1:
Step 1
The facts:
Step 2 & 3:
The stakeholders
Step 4:
Solutions:
Step 5:
Additional Resources
http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2015/the-patent-landscape-of-genetically-modified-organisms/
https://www.wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/2016/si/article_0004.html
Step 6:
Best Course of action
I think the best course of action would be to try and get the patent taken away while trying to convince the this is by far the most expensive, most difficult, as well as most time-consuming approach, but I think it is the only one that brings them back to an even playing field. If they don’t take drastic measures they will probably go under anyway so you might as well go out with a fight. You can try and employ the people using other methods or by growing crops, but you don’t know that would work plus if you have to find the money for more crops, you gonna be short anyway so you might as well be short, and have a chance at fixing your problem long term by making sure you can’t get your product stole by a US corporation. I think that OOPS is ethically allowed to do what they did, is it legal from a sense of intellectual property, I don’t think so, but I do think it is ethical. The basis of IP law is to ensure that if you spend a bunch of money on R&D you get the money back. Did OOPS do this, no, but did they use the law to their advantage, that not ethical, it’s just a little immoral. The world is a capitalist society, well sort of, so is it ethical to sell a product at a lower price than others can: yes, as long as your not price gouging which they weren’t doing.
Step 7:
Implication
The implications of fighting the patent are enormous. The first one is the debt the locals will incur if they choose to hire lawyers. They also will have to spend a tremendous amount of time gathering evidence and using their time to win this trial. It is entirely possible that could go bankrupt if they lose the case. There are also legal implications if the case is overturned and precedent if it is not. Either way, this could impact other business of similar nature, thus they might be able to ask outside sources to help fund the battle.
Part 2:
Step 1:
Facts
Step 2 & 3
Step 4:
Solutions 1
Solutions 2
Solutions 3
Step 5:
https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/close-or-sell-your-business
https://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/closing-a-business/necessary-steps-to-dissolve-your-company.html
https://thebusinessprofessor.com/knowledge-base/closing-up-shop/
Step 6:
I think I would try to get the company bought because either way it is going to shut down. Do I believe I owe jobs to each employee, not really because my job is to best for the company, so if selling it or shutting down is best then I must do that. Would I write great recs, of course, but thats a moral reason not because I feel obligated too. I think that in this scenario selling might get people jobs for a little longer, thus I think it worth trying, also the sale could be used for a fund for severance packages for the works who might get laid off. If I can’t sell I would shut down the business because it is not a charity, it is not supposed to run at a cash negative state. If it’s not making money it shouldn’t be open. Does that suck for the employees, yes, but times change, and if you don’t change with it you get left behind.
Step 7:
Part 1
Step 1:
Facts
Step 2 & 3:
Stakeholders
Step 4:
Potential Solution (All could be a part of the solution)
Step 5
Research
https://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-programming/testing
Step 6 & 7
In this case, I think the best course of action would be to use a product that is made of fruit that has pesticides, work to provide children with formula for the 0 to 6 range, as well as provide the product at a discount to those who are proven to be tested and come positive for HIV. So the reason I thought they should use with fruits with pesticide contamination is that the cost of getting fruits without chemicals on them would be extremely expensive, also supplying un chemical used fruits would be extremely tough if they were trying to mass-produce this product. Though it is true that these fruits can result in adverse health issues in infants, I think that the number of kids who would receive adverse effects would be less than the amount who would be affected would probably be less than the amount who wouldn’t be affected. I also feel that the effects of HIV in the long wrong are most likely worse than the affects of pesticides on children as the effects are most likely short term from the chemicals and long term from the HIV. To make sure that the effects aren’t getting too many children though I would train the woman in the cooperative the signs and symptoms of the pesticide overdose for children.
In regards to providing parents who have tested positive with discounted formula, providing a discount would be subsided by the cost of the product to mothers who don’t know they have it. This also would encourage mothers who aren’t tested to get tested because then they can get this product at a discounted cost. Though there is the problem that people who don’t get the discounted price will probably not buy the product because they see that other people get it for a lower price, which is a problem if they don’t see the value in the product though then we need to work with the corrapetive to find a way to motivate people to buy the product.
As for dealing with children who are too young, I would like to find a way to provide the formula to those who have tested positive, as for how to do this I am not sure yet, but by providing formula we could prevent 0 to 6-month kids from initially getting HIV.
In regards to the impact, this venture could be extremely impactful. The venture will provide jobs for women, give farmers money to form their crops, and allow kids to not get a disease that could kill them.
Part 2
step 1
Facts:
Step 2 & 3:
Stakeholders
Step 4
Solution 1:
Solution 2:
Solution 3:
Step 5:
https://www.grocer.coop/articles/membership-ownership-cooperative-advantage
Step 6:
I think the best solution to the problem is half as money in the bank, and half as food. I think this is the best because it takes all of the best parts of the bank and food concept and puts them together. You have less of a chance of having males get at the money if it’s in a bank, plus if they want it they can get it but it makes it harder from them to do this. The food fixes the inital problem that is had which is the money being made is spent on beer, not on food the commodity that is needed. Though it would be hard to find enough food for the company to pay out, on top of the fact it would probably get stolen, I think that it allows the company to solve the initial problem the employees face, it just cost them to do it, but at the same time it is a coop, not a corporation so the rules on how the money should be spent is a little different. On the front of males getting mad because their money is being taken away, they are going to do that anyway, so I think it is a game of making it as little as possible, so by still sort of allowing them access to some of the money you piss them off but not too a crazy extent.
Step 7:
Discussion notes
Step 1: determine facts
Step 2: Stakeholders
Personal
Professional
Both
Step 3: Determine and distinguish between the personal, professional, or both motivations of the stakeholders.
Step 4: Formulate at least three alternative solutions
Step 5: Seek additional assistance as necessary
Step 6: Select the best course of action
I would pick the hat personally if I was in jack situation. I think that by using the hat method, you prevent any issues with the staff at the NGO, you also can make the kids feel better knowing that jack is wearing the hat, so they know he thinks its a good gift. Now there is a possibility that this concept backfires with the kids who got real gifts, but I feel that repair jacks reputation, and specifically the perception of how people view the NGO should be a priority because it makes everyone’s job easier if the villagers aren’t mad at the NGO.
In regards to giving the kids new gifts, I think there’s the little actual reward to gain for doing this in any matter. Yes, the kids will feel better knowing that they got gifts but then you make more a scene out of it amplifying what went wrong. Also, you might make the kids who only got a gift and not a hat feels bad, so by just wearing the hat jack makes the kids with hats feel better, doesn’t drag everyone through the event again, also the NGO works can’t accuse him of being a child-focused individual who cares too much.
I think the only other good method might be talking with the staff and having them try and change their perspective as well as nudge them to count a little better next time, but that’s a rabbit hole, that I am pretty sure and American who is working abroad doesn’t want to fall down, plus he will probably just damage his relationship with the people a bunch all for some kids who didn’t get gifts. I am not sure a working relationship should be damaged over such a small thing, in the scheme of the realm this NGO probably works in.
Step 7: List sequences of actions to implement the solution (perspective of Jack)
Develop an M&E plan for your project. [Clearly, list all assumptions. develop a Logic Model to identify short-term and long-term metrics and methods to determine them.]
Assumptions:
Logic Model:
Estimate the Social Return on Investment for your project. [Clearly, list all your assumptions.]
Assumptions:
SROI:
Through the use of our model, for every 1 USD, we create a saving of 30 USD. [Rounded to the nearest dollar. The real number is closer to 30.25 USD].
A 3000% return on the investment.
Funding:
Design Phase (These are two grants for the design phase. We have two design phases, Survey, and modeling.)
Dissemination Phase (This first grant targets collecting data in Sierra Leone, the second is for growing the surveying into other countries and other diseases)
Partnerships