The possibilities of community OR in a third world country

Abstract

This paper shows a few possibilities for the application of Community OR in a Third World country based on experience in Venezuela. These possibilities are discussed in a framework of the relationship between the state and community organizations. Emphasis lies in showing that Community OR in Venezuela requires a deep critical commitment to emancipation in order to help community organizations develop in a rather hostile environment. Lastly, results in dealing with community organizations in Venezuela using the Interpretive Systemology approach are presented.

Community Operational Research: Innovations, internationalization and agenda-setting applications

“…Britain for several decades before a parallel movement, with a different branding (Community-Based Operations Research), emerged in the USA (Johnson and Smilowitz, 2007;Johnson, 2012). It was only towards the end of the 20 th Century, and early in the 21 st , that applications outside the UK and USA, often in developing countries, started to appear regularly (e.g., Rosenhead, 1993;Ochoa-Arias, 1994Waltner-Toews et al, 2004;Foote et al, 2007;Midgley et al, 2007;Shen and Midgley, 2007;White, Smith & Curry, 2011;Thunhurst, 2013;Barros-Castro et al, 2015;Sova et al, 2015;Tirivanhu et al, 2016;Velez-Castiblanco et al, 2016). Even as late as 2004, Midgley and Ochoa-Arias were able to make the claim that international development was a new application area for Community OR practitioners, with a relatively small number of people involved at that time.…”