It might seem as if Extinction Rebellion is becalmed a little, as the coronavirus keeps us off the streets, but that would be a mistaken perception. This came by our mail the other day - something called the XR Systems Realignment Project.

The movement has found the resources, and is taking the time, to try and understand exactly who they are, and what they should do - and what core structures are needed to make those commitments robust and effective.

From this excellent FAQ, here are some opening slides:

All rebels are invited to try out a new tool called SenseMaker. It’s a sort of digital ‘story-catcher’ that takes individual narratives and weaves them together to form a picture of a whole community’s story. It can help us spot patterns in XR, so we can all learn and decide what to do next.
If you have had frustrating experiences or think your voice is not heard in XR, the team really wants to listen to you. Your story is valuable and could well offer insight into how things are/aren’t working, more broadly. [from the newsletter]

Sensemaker is itself an interesting tool (see their website).

Why is it that in a world so connected and interactive we find ourselves ignoring our unique individual humanness? How has it come to be that technology meant for engagement has resulted in so many being disengaged? Why have we allowed an obsession with metrics, spreadsheets, and popularity to erode fundamental human values and respect for diversity and differing viewpoints?

SenseMaker® is the world’s first crowdsourcing method for human judgement, meaning, and feeling. Everyone’s voice deserves to have an impact and SenseMaker® offers a science-based approach to guide collective impact and leverage the strengths of being human in uncertain times.

They claim to be unearthing “thick” rather than just “big” data:

Thick data goes beyond big data…it focuses on answering why and what instead of only what. The “why” is the critical missing piece of big data and artificial intelligence puzzle… human intelligence.

SenseMaker engages human intelligence in reflecting qualitative data related to personal experiences, observations, and situations – the what. The magic occurs in the way quantifiable data is then gathered which contains the meaning, feelings, and motivations in the context shared. In simple terms, human, not artificial, intelligence provides the why.

Meaning, feelings, and motivations vary by situation and person to person. So what people say or share on social channels cannot be interpreted solely on the basis of what was said or typed. The context or qualitative part is only the tip of the iceberg.

SenseMaker by design goes deeper. Setting the context is an individual observation, a micro-scenario, or a presented sense-making item. Such items are then expanded by each respondent by adding more layers of meaning with unique question forms. Rich in elements of thick data, SenseMaker® starts to illuminate beneath the waterline.

Individual observations—of our own experiences, others, and of concepts we are presented with—are all sense-making situations. They reflect our perceptions, perspectives, and our past influences. They also reflect a partial sense of a wider reality.

By simultaneously gathering both the “what” and the “why” in high volumes, SenseMaker offers a more authentic sense of reality as well as an awareness of population re-enforcing perceptions that may be skewing reality. With sufficient diversity and volume, it gives us a unique ability to make sense of complex, ambiguous, and rapidly changing environments which allows far better decisions to be made.

Individual observations, of our own experiences, others, and of concepts we are presented, are all sense-making situations. They reflect our perceptions, perspectives, and our past influences. They also reflect a partial sense of a wider reality.

By simultaneously gathering both the “what” and the “why” in high volumes, SenseMaker offers a more authentic sense of reality as well as an awareness of population re-enforcing perceptions that may be skewing reality. With sufficient diversity and volume, it gives us a unique ability to make sense of complex, ambiguous, and rapidly changing environments which allows far better decisions to be made.

More here. Reading this methodology, it’s obvious why XR have chosen this tool - the importance of hearing “why” rebels are involved in the movement, as much as the “what” of their actions, is an obvious part of their culture. Their own questions are illuminating:

What direction do we want to grow in? What barriers are limiting our potential? How do we set big changes in motion with a decentralised and rebellious spirit? …It’s been said that XR is in an awkward teenage phase, trying to figure out who we are and what we want to do with our life, as a movement. This project hopes to transition us into early adulthood: we are seeking mentorship and learning from experience.

We’re keen to see the point at which XRs on the ground get to see these beautiful and dappled overall visual representations of mood and priorities. This would be the alternative to such information disappearing into the managerial and strategic maw of a large organisation. But the public nature of even this process bodes well.

To guide its next stage of development, Extinction Rebellion is using a "story catcher" and a "sense maker"