Honorary Research Fellow
Dr Penelope J. Plowman
Teacher, practitioner and mentor
About
I work as an Independent Consultant in the field of organisational development and divide my time between teaching and direct support to development agencies. My practice as teacher, mentor, evaluator and researcher builds on twenty years in the development sector, working for inclusive development and equity. My experience is in Africa and India.
My association with International Development includes research; training; ethics and consultancy. Member of International Development Ethics Committee; Gender Research Group and Diversity and Equality in Careers and Employment (DECERe)
I live in Johannesburg and Norwich
Research
My primary research interests are in organisational learning and change for equity. My doctoral research is an ethnographic organisational case study addressing power and difference inside a development organisation: ‘Gender, change and organisation: A South African Case Study’ (December 2006), Development Studies, University of East Anglia.
Research Areas
- Organisational development
- Action learning and the place of reflection/reflective practice in the process
- Communities of Practice
- Learning Organisation
- Qualitative research and participatory methodologies using diaries, photos and personal learning journals.
Plowman P.J. (2010)The diary project: revealing the gendered organisation, Qualitative Research in Organisations and Management: An international journal, Vol 5 Issue 1 pp.28 -46, Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Paper received Highly Commended Award, Literati Network Awards for Excellent 2011
Plowman, P (2012 to be published) Practical guides on the diary methodology and photographic methods for understanding organisations and change
Teaching UK
School of International Development UEA: Practical Skills for Development
- (2010, 2011, 2012) Director of five day practice course: ‘Implementing Organisational Change, Practical Skills and Techniques for gender specialists’ – Masters and 3rd year undergraduates
Teaching South Africa
Department of Anthropology and Development Studies University of Johannesburg
- (2011) Course: “Participation and Institutional Development”
Professional Development UK
- (2000 onwards) International Development UEA, Director of Gender and Development Short Course for development professionals
2012 COURSES 18 – 29 June Gender and Development with distance learning follow up and 9 – 3 July Gender ‘refresher’ http://www.uea.ac.uk/dev/co/prodev
Professional Development International (see CV)
Training and Mentoring
- (1994 to present) Design and implementation of numerous gender workshops and training events internationally. Mentoring example DFID South Africa (2009 – 2011)
Community of Practice
- (2011 – 2012) Community of Practice, Technical Support Facility, Global Fund HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria – facilitation and design using participatory tools for reflection and learning (personal learning journals & dialogue)
Research methodology presentations and skills training UK (2010 – 2011)
- Qualitative diaries for understanding organisations and change: School of International Development UEA, Social Identities, Institutions and Justice Seminar Research Series and Diversity and Equality in Careers and Employment (DECERe) UEA
- Department of Organisational Psychology Birkbeck College, University of London ‘ Using qualitative diaries for understanding organisations’, one day workshop for Masters and PhD students
Research methodology presentations and skills training South Africa (2011)
- Participatory research processes: Writing, photos and dialogue: 1) The Plowman Personal Learning Journal, 2) Qualitative Diary Process and 3) Photographic Method, Center for the Study of AIDS, University of Pretoria
- Qualitative Diary Process, 1) Health Economic Unit, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, 2) Center for Health Policy, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa and 3) Postgraduate Research and Education Rights and Transformation (CERT), University of Johannesburg
To follow Penny’s work and blog on the diary, photos and personal learning journal processes visit: http://eastanglia.academia.edu/PennyPlowman
