Dissecting my dissertation

Towards the end of last month, following a meeting of the academic board, I found out that I had passed my MA with merit. Whilst the delay between submitting my dissertation and finding out this news may lessen its impact a little, I am pleased to have formal recognition of the time and effort I put into my studies. A large part of that effort was focused on the research and writing of my dissertation. To try and ensure that the benefits of that effort don't just end there, I have put together a short (more accessible?!) summary which you can find here.

Whilst this research focuses on a very specific topic in a very specific geographical area, I can see potential relevance for lots of other contexts too. As I say in the final paragraph:

'Before any literacy work is carried out, sufficient time and resources should be invested in considering where relationships need to be built, who to invest in, and how and when to do so. If good relationships are developed, they will foster an on-going transfer of feedback and ideas between communities and the cluster office, allowing good decisions to be made. Ultimately, it is only by building these relationships that the work can be carried out in a way that will not only appear successful to the outsider but also be desired by, owned by and beneficial for the community.'

I am a big believer that relationships are key in most of the things we do. Finding ways to prioritise them, particularly in the face of many other competing demands and responsibilities, is crucial.

If you find the summary interesting and you want to read more, let me know and I can get you the full version.