IPEN's Work Plan will be updated in 2019, informed by a review of progress to date.

During 2017-2018, to progress IPEN’s initial work within a 2 year project, 6 Work Packages (WPs) were identified, with tasks to be delivered by IPEN Working Groups (WGs), including input where appropriate from partners – these 6 Work Packages are set out below.

The IPEN coordinators’ support for the Working Groups and their tasks with Work Packages aims to ensure the achievement of IPENs objectives. Many of the WP's are inter-related - for example, web development work relates to all other work packages. 

WP1 Project Coordination

Coordinate WPs, team formation and management, monitoring and evaluation, reporting and budget management.

WP1.1 - Define the structure and working methods of IPEN, including its relationships with:

  1. Permaculture CoLab.

  2. National / regional Permaculture Education Networks (PEN’s), national permaculture organisations and individuals.

  3. Other relevant NGO’s, networks and organisations.  

WP1.2 - Establish IPEN Advisory Panel and WGs focused on WPs and specific outputs.

WP1.3 - Implement Phase 1 of the IPEN project plan i.e. WPs 1-6.

WP1.4 - Develop and submit funding applications to enable and accelerate IPEN’s progress, including smaller project proposals and funding applications for delivery of specific WPs or outputs.

WP1.5 – Promote and communicate IPEN’s work and outputs, including systems for enabling two-way communication and engagement.

WP1.6 – Build partnerships with other relevant organisations, particularly those within the international development movement.

WP2 Developing educational resources and translation

Map, collate and make available existing education resources and developing new education resources to address gaps and meet priority needs. IPEN will produce resources on core curriculum themes, prioritising translation of these resources into key languages that will aid the faster development of permaculture education, particularly in the Global South. IPEN is already producing education resources on climate change solutions specifically for PDC tutors (taught to over 10,000 students annually) as part of the Information for Action on Climate Change project (funded by VKRF). These resources will be free to download and use, and will provide a model for development of future open-source education resources in other important areas.

WP2.1 - Survey and map existing global permaculture education resources and assets, and maintain mapping of those resources and assets.

WP2.2 - establish and / or improve systems for:

  • Validating and updating content of core permaculture courses with guidelines for core curricula to strengthen standards and to offer model curricula to suit a range of teaching situations, i.e. different climatic, cultural and socio-economic contexts.

  • Measuring and monitoring impacts and effectiveness of permaculture education.

WP2.3 - Support new & creative core / certified permaculture courses: Develop a range of new core courses and modular formats, and related support resources.

WP2.4 - Support new & creative permaculture education resources: Develop a range of new core texts, videos and support resources.

WP2.5 – Translate resources, course curricula, etc to make them available and accessible in a range of languages including: Spanish, Portuguese, French, Hindi, Mandarin, Arabic, etc, including establishing a translation WG.

WP3 Education systems development

Develop resources and advice to enable the establishment, acceleration and enrichment of permaculture education systems in different countries and regions.

WP3.1 - Establish a permaculture education succession programme: define a set of models or narratives (e.g. from country case studies) for the development and accelerated succession of permaculture education and teacher training systems, with models to suit different countries, cultures and economies. Focus on development of educators’ guilds, course follow-up programmes and effective course evaluation.

WP3.2 – Encourage, develop and support an international network of demonstration permaculture education projects, e.g. international LAND Centre network (LAND = Learning And Network Development), linking these to expanded delivery of existing and new courses, and production and use of education resources especially in target languages, including establishing advisory groups and processes for applications, selection and approval.

WP4 Website design and digital development

Produce a website that will provide easy access to permaculture education resources for educators and learners, as an interactive website where information can be clustered by regions/countries and languages, and where registered users can upload their own materials to share.

WP4.1 – Draw on WP2 and WP3, establish and develop an online Permaculture Education Resource Bank, i.e. core education resources, translatable across key languages: publications at Introductory and Advanced levels (under Creative Commons); videos; slide shows, etc.

WP4.2 – Develop systems for i) capturing interest in becoming involved in IPEN, ii) resource bank development, iii) collaborative WG activity, iv) automated resource updates, etc.

WP4.3 – Develop systems for managing and monitoring progress on IPEN WPs/ WGs suitable for participation by a diverse international membership.

WP5 Education research

Develop and collaborate with research projects focused on the development and evolution of permaculture education, particularly in areas such as measuring the diverse benefits and impacts of permaculture education, and enhanced measures of effectiveness in order to increase and disseminate those benefits and positive impacts. This will include working with organisations already teaching permaculture and permaculture-based courses to include evidence producing activities and data collection within course evaluation and post-course follow-up work. This WP will be developed in collaboration with PIRN.

WP5.1 – Develop and collaborate with research projects, research proposals and research funding applications which contribute to the development, growth and enrichment of permaculture education globally, particularly through deepened understanding, action-research and transformative research.

WP6 Legal status and structure

Determine and agree an appropriate long-term legal status and structure for IPEN to maximise its beneficial impacts, including considering the formation of an International Permaculture Education Foundation as an independent non-profit body to support on-going global development of permaculture education.

WP6.1 – Define, agree and put in place long-term legal status and structure of IPEN.