Community Operational Research

From the reviews: 'This is the book I have been waiting for. Community Operational Research has shown that analysis can be used not only for, but also with, community groups, helping them to gain more control of their situations. What Midgley and Ochoa-Arias' volume does is provide not only rich examples of grass-roots practice, but also thought-provoking theoretical explorations. The editors have a point of view, but they allow space for debate with those who interpret Community OR differently.' Jonathan Rosenhead (Emeritus Professor of Operational Research, London School of Economics and Political Science; Ex-President of the Operational Research Society) '...What the many authors in this book have in common is a commitment to serve the interests of all those affected by a community's behavior - its stakeholders. This is acquiring a new significance as we decreasingly conceptualize corporations and organizations in general as organisms, and begin to think of them, as Charles Handy has, as communities.' Russell Ackoff (Professor Emeritus of the Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania; Ex-President of ORSA; Vice President of TIMS) "The authors/editors have made a worthwhile contribution to the scant literature in a growing field. In particular, they should be commended for presenting illustrations of community projects in developing countries. ... this book attests to the growing application of OR methods to community development ... . I commend the authors for their effort." (JP van Gigch, Journal of the Operational Research Society, Vol. 58 (3), 2007)

• 1. An Introduction to Community Operational Research.- I Early Contributions and Later Reflections on Theory, Methodology and Practice.- 2. Community Operational Research: Its Context and its Future.- 3. Community Operational Research: Purposes, Theory and Practice.- 4. Visions of Community for Community OR 75.- II Local Action for Community Development.- 5. A Black Ghetto’s Research on a University.- 6. Housing in the Dearne Valley: Doing Community OR with the Thurnscoe Tenants Housing Co-operative.- 7. Looking Forward with a Council for Voluntary Service.- 8. Facilitation as Fair Intervention.- 9. Perspectives of Engagement in Community Operational Research.- 10. Systemic Intervention for Community OR: Developing Services with Young People (Under 16) Living on the Streets.- 11. Playing with PANDA: the CybOrg and the Rhizome.- III Dealing Locally with Global Issues.- 12. An Interpretive Systemic Exploration of Community Action in Venezuela.- 13. Community and Environmental OR: Towards a New Agenda.- 14. Adaptive Methodology for Ecosystem Sustainability and Health (AMESH): An Introduction.