Planning Change: UA Professor Applies the CLER Method to Non-Profits

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Change can be risky, but research by a University of Arkansas faculty member suggests a method that can help organizations plan change based on a close analysis of relationships and resources. Dr. William Brescia, assistant professor of educational technology in the College of Education and Health Professions, presented the results of his work with the CLER model of analysis at the annual conference of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA).

With over ten years’ experience in development for nonprofit organizations and extensive publications and presentations regarding nonprofits, Brescia is particularly interested in using the CLER model to assist nonprofits in analyzing change.

"Non-profits face particular challenges in planning for change," Brescia said. "CLER is an adaptable, flexible system. Using it, institutions can quickly identify whether the environment is favorable to the proposed change and what resources are necessary to support that change."

Both local organizations and institutions nationally have contacted him about the feasibility of a CLER analysis. In addition, he will be offering a course next year on planned change that will feature the CLER method.

For the ARNOVA conference, Brescia analyzed the creation of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University at Indianapolis, using the CLER model. The initials refer to the major factors considered in the assessment -- configurations, linkages, environments, and resources.

The CLER model of analysis was developed by Harbans Bhola, professor in the School of Education, Indiana University, Bloomington, and has been used internationally, particularly in Africa, Asia and Europe. Brescia, who studied with Bhola, has found the CLER system to be more widely applicable and flexible than most other change-analysis models.

It allows organizations to quickly assess major factors and to predict with a high degree of accuracy the potential effects of the proposed change. Part of the process of using CLER is to develop configuration maps. The maps reveal previously unrecognized relationships and provide organizations a view of change over time. For example, CLER makes it possible to plot the formal and informal linkages among individuals within institutions that affect change.

ARNOVA is an association that brings together both theoretical and applied interests in the nonprofit world. It aims to help scholars gain insight into the day-to-day concerns of the nonprofit and voluntary action world. At the same time, it provides nonprofit professionals with research they can use to improve the quality of life for citizens and communities. ARNOVA’s November 2000 conference attracted over a thousand participants, mainly researchers from United States institutions. International representatives included scholars, particularly from the former soviet republics and Eastern Europe, but also from Asia and Australia.

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