Simplifying Complexity Learning Series

  • The Simplifying Complexity Learning Series is an opportunity for leaders and teams to be grounded in complexity concepts as they relate to complex adaptive social systems. Participants share professional knowledge and experiences as examples to guide the learning, practice application of the concepts to inform planning and development of initiatives, and reflect on how to harness the advice and principles that are presented through coaching and dialogue.

Goals of the Learning Series:

  • Build participants’ shared understanding of complexity as it appears in their professional practice to support planning and implementation of initiatives
  • Learn about monitoring and evaluation approaches that support intentional design and reporting to diverse stakeholders
  • Contribute to trust and team-building by drawing on the professional experience of participants in an informal, fun atmosphere

Sample Outline and Learning Objectives:

1. Characteristics and Attributes of Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS)

Learning objective: Where have we experienced characteristics of CAS in our professional practice?

2. Ways to Enquire and Understand CAS

Learning objective: How do we recognize where our systems are apt to support innovation?

3. Ways to Convene and Organize in CAS

Learning objective: How do we convene and organize knowledge to support innovation?

4. Ways to Grow and Transform CAS

Learning objective: What tools and approaches support change in a CAS?

Strategy, planning, development, and evaluation of system change initiatives

  • Talking to stakeholders to support planning of a project
  • Change management and stakeholder readiness assessment
  • Introducing new practice guidelines
  • New interdisciplinary team-based care / wrap around care programs

 

Meetings and dialogues learning strategy, planning, and facilitation

  • Workshop delivery for different learning levels
  • Team retreats
  • World café
  • Development and moderation of communities of practice and professional networks

 

Research and evaluation design and data collection

  • Interviewing
  • Survey and evaluation tool design
  • Narrative approaches

 

Data analysis and reporting to support strategy, program development and decision making

  • Qualitative and quantitative data consolidation
  • Data visualization
  • Developmental evaluation
  • Formative and summative reporting

Curriculum Vitae

Education

  • 2007 Master of Science (Nutrition), University of Manitoba
    • Thesis: “This is me. This is my schedule. This is what I eat”: Describing strengths, contexts, and consequences of HIV-positive women’s food choice behaviours in the food insecure household
  • 2004 Bachelor of Science (Nutrition) with Distinction, University of Manitoba
  • 1998 Bachelor of Arts (English / psychology), Brandon University

 

Professional Development and Training

  • 2015 Foundations of Business Strategy: explored theory, frameworks behind successful business strategy, keys to strategic thinking and analysis. (University of Virginia, Coursera)
  • 2015 Facilitating Engagement Workshop: workshop with Richard Delaney on facilitation skills, conflict, values rapport, consensus building, etc. (Vancouver Coastal Health)
  • 2015 School for Healthcare Radicals: workshop with National Health Service change specialist Helen Bevan on enabling change in health care systems (BC Patient Quality and Safety Forum)
  • 2014 Tableau® Data Visualization Essentials: 2-day software training (Tableau® Software)
  • 2013 Making Light Work Learning Group: education series with author Kate Sutherland on the application of human systems dynamics concepts (Provincial Health Services Authority)
  • 2013 Coaching out of the Box® Leadership Course: 12- week training; peer-learning triad with a cardiologist and health director (Provincial Health Services Authority)
  • 2011, 2013 Outcome Mapping Evaluation and Monitoring: learned the practice of using behaviour-centric indicators to track complex initiatives (BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services)
  • 2010 Cultivating Communities of Practice: 2-day workshop with Etienne Wenger on how to build, support, and facilitate learning networks (BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services)
  • 2010 Change Management: workshop on the frameworks and principles to support complex organizational change (focus on healthcare) (BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services)
  • 2009 Building Respectful Workplaces: leadership course on how to mitigate the impact of bullying in the workplace (UBC Professional Development)

 

Awards

  • SSHRC Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Master’s Award
  • University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (declined)
  • University of Manitoba Student’s Union Scholarship
  • NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award
  • Janet Fabro McComb Award
  • Holmfridur Kristjansson Graduate Award in Nutrition
  • Marian Campbell Scholarship in Community Nutrition
  • Dorothy Bolton Scholarship for Student Involvement
  • Michelle Cloutier Memorial Award for Student Involvement

 

Published Refereed Journal Articles:

  • Pederson, A., Hoyak, K., Mills, S., & Camp, P. (2007). Reflecting the changing face of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Sex and gender in public education materials. Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society 4, 683-685.
  • Oliffe, J. L., Ogrodniczuk, J. S., Bottorff, J. L., Johnson, J. L., and Hoyak, K. (2010). “You feel like you can’t live anymore”: Suicide from the perspectives of men who experience depression. Social Science & Medicine, doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.03.057

Published Articles:

  • Dawson, F., Robinson, J., Dykstra, L., Salmon, A., Hoyak, K., Message, S., & Chapman, J. (2010). Taking care: Two women’s experiences of addiction, advocacy, and health care in the Downtown Eastside. Women Who Care: Reflections on Women’s Personal and Professional Experiences of the Canadian Health Care System. Eds. N. Kaplan Myrth, P. Thille, L. Hanson, J. Dollin, C. Amaratunga, H. Maclean. Toronto: Second Story Press.
  • FASD Network Action Team. (2007). Women-centred approaches to the prevention of FASD: Barriers to accessing support for pregnant women and mothers with substance use problems. [Information Sheet]. Vancouver, BC: British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health.

Presentations, Posters and Invited Lectures:

  • Oliffe, J.L, & Hoyak, K. (March 19, 2009). Depression and masculinities: Men’s experiences of depression across the lifespan. Invited presentation hosted by the Mood Disorders Association of British Columbia. Vancouver, British Columbia.
  • Oliffe, J.L., Johnson, J.L., Bottorff, J.L., Hoyak, K., Ogrodniczuk, J., & Galdas, P. (March 4, 2009). Depression and gender: Influences, impacts and expectations within heterosexual relationships. Paper presented at the Expanding Our Horizons: Moving Mental Health and Wellness Promotion into the Mainstream, Clifford Beers Foundation. Toronto, Ontario.
  • Oliffe, J.L., Robertson, S., Kelly, M., Roy, P., Hoyak, K., & Ogrodniczuk, J. (March 4, 2009). How masculinities and cultures shape depression among international Canadian college men. Paper presented at the Expanding Our Horizons: Moving Mental Health and Wellness Promotion into the Mainstream, Clifford Beers Foundation. Toronto, Ontario.
  • Salmon, A., Poole, N., Hoyak, K., Verma, P., & Urquhart, C. (November 25-28, 2007).Stigma, policy and practice. Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse: Issues of Substance Conference. Edmonton, Alberta.
  • Poole, N., Salmon, A., Hoyak, K., & Greaves, L. (September 7, 2007). Coalescing on FASD prevention from a women’s health determinants perspective. FACE Workshop poster session. Winnipeg, Manitoba.
  • Salmon, A., Dykstra, L., Hoyak, K., Chapman, J., & Leo, D. (June 20, 2007). Nothing about us without us: Supporting the leadership and activism of women who use drugs through community-based health research. BC Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health Speaker Series. Vancouver, British Columbia.
  • Poole, N., Hoyak, K. (May 23-25, 2007). How do substance use, experience of violence and related determinants of health interact to affect low birth weight? Calgary Forum on Low Birth Weight. Calgary, Alberta.
  • Poole, N., Salmon, A., Hoyak, K., & Network Action Team members. (March 10, 2007). FASD prevention from a women’s health determinants perspective: The work of the Network Action Team of the Canada Northwest FASD Research Network Presentation to Western Canada Provincial Government officials at the 2nd International Conference on FASD. Victoria, British Columbia.
    Hoyak, K. (March 16, 2006). Nutrition for the family with HIV. Elizabeth Fry Society. Winnipeg, Manitoba.
  • Hoyak, K. (January 11, 2005). HIV-positive women’s perceptions of family influence on nutrition in the food insecure household: Where is the control? Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Toronto, Ontario.
  • Hoyak, K. (June 9-11, 2004). Perceptions of food insecurity, and determinants of food choice by low-income, HIV-positive women in Manitoba. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Congress 2004. University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Published Conference Proceedings:

  • Dykstra, L., Salmon, A., Hoyak, K., Browne, A., & Members of the VANDU Women’s Group. (September 27-30, 2007). Between your world and my world: Women drug users and academic researchers partner for community-based health research in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Proceedings of the 14th International Critical and Feminist Perspectives on Nursing Conference. Vancouver, British Columbia.
  • Salmon A., Dykstra, L., Hoyak, K., Livingston, A., Browne, A., Pederson, A., & Kerner-Soliman, H. (May 12-18, 2007). Nothing about us without us: Supporting leadership and activism of women drug users through community-based health research. Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug-Related Harm. International Harm Reduction Association. Warsaw, Poland.

Presentations at Research Conferences (Peer Reviewed With Published Abstracts):

  • L. Dykstra, Salmon, A., Hoyak, K., Browne, A., Kerner-Soliman, H., Livingston, A., Pederson, A., & Members of the VANDU Women’s Group. (September 27 -30, 2007). Between your world and my world: Women drug users and academic researchers partner for community-based health research in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Paper presented at the Plenary Session of the 14th International Critical and Feminist Perspectives on Nursing Conference. Vancouver, British Columbia.
  • Salmon A., L. Dykstra, K. Hoyak, A. Livingston, A. Browne, A. Pederson, & H. Kerner-Soliman. (May 12-18, 2007). Nothing about us without us: Supporting leadership and activism of women drug users through community-based health research. Paper presented to the 18th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug-Related Harm. International Harm Reduction Association. Warsaw, Poland.