In situ (/ɪn ˈsɪtjuː/) is a Latin phrase that translates to "on site", "locally" or "in place". In biological sciences in situ is commonly used to describe the on site measurement of a phenomenon without isolating it from other systems.
Similar to biological systems, there is a need for us to measure phenomena within our current social systems.
In Situ Change Strategies provides organizations and communities with the information and tools to strengthen their practices, programs and policies while helping to determine their role within our larger social systems.
The In Situ Journey
The In Situ journey began when we, a group of like-minded young professionals, identified the need for an informal space to discuss current issues, systems, and trends within the recreation sector. These meetings provided us an avenue to share our experiences, thoughts, passions and ideas.
Over time, our meetings became more formal as we introduced new topics such as social policy analysis, complexity theory and developmental evaluation. Through discussion and learning more about each of these concepts, we became increasingly interested in the processes necessary for social change and began to question how we, as a group, could best contribute to the complex social systems that we were working in.
Given our collective experiences across universities, the not-for-profit sector, and municipal and provincial governments, our goal was to determine how we could leverage our skills and experiences and help strengthen, advance and better position our social practices, programs and policies.
In June of 2015, we established In Situ Change Strategies. By offering our research, evaluation and strategy abilities to organizations and communities we intend to help communicate the impacts, successes and challenges of our current practices, programs and policies and contribute to the growth of our complex social systems.