Associate Name: Nadia Attar
Main Advisor and OP Reviewer: Jennifer Dauksha-English Morgan

Output Packet #:  5		Year: IDPD Capstone
Date Submitted: June 5th, 2018 (missed the e-mail)
Date Reviewed: June 30th, 2018
Mark: (Self Review 66)
Grade: 64 (Will adjust after resubmission)
Time Spent on Review: 3.75 hrs + 1 hr Cycle Wrap-Up

Dear Nadia,

I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to read your Output Packet. Thanks for all of your work on both self and planetary levels. You continue to amaze me over and over. I’m so delighted to be stepping in as your new Main Advisor, and am available if you want to continue with Gaia U past this diploma. 

You’re almost done!! As part of the review I’m both looking at your OP 5 and your overall cumulative pathway for final cycle wrap-up.

My review is broken into these sections:
1. Cycle Wrap-Up
2. My Cumulative Evaluation Form OP 5
3. Comments Per Section for OP 5

AL Cycle Wrap-Up Checklist:   Has the associate completed all of their program attendance and service utilization requirements? If not, were appropriate re-negotiations made and met? Checking with Nicole.
 Did the associate include a welcome message on their portfolio that explains to the reviewer where to access review forms, where to locate OPs, and how to navigate or interact with media content? NO, see portfolio welcome page. This needs to be added. You also need to make the profile page public by either adding and sending me a secret URL or going into the share settings and changing to public. Also, please add all of your OPs and label them with OP #, Phase and title (hyper link).
 Has the associate completed all OP requirements, (If not, were appropriate renegotiations made and met?) including: OPs 1-5 submitted; grades were at or above satisfactory? YES, all grades were above satisfactory. All self, peer (swap) and pro reviews were completed, properly filled out (grading fields are accurate), labeled and filed properly (associates names, date and OP # clear), and uploaded in an accessible place on the portfolio in Mahara? NO, OP 4 has the evaluations on page 2 - I would delete the title page to make this consistent. OP 5 needs a cumulative OP evaluation. Has the associate engaged with or attempted to refine each of the OP criteria at least once in the program cycle? NO, see feedback about design below. I did not see that Nadia responded to Nicole’s ongoing feedback about design practice. To accommodate this I’d like for Nadia to:
1. Read my articles on design: 
https://medium.com/permaculturewomen/cultivating-a-designers-mind-a37b780df49b
https://medium.com/permaculturewomen/a-design-cycle-application-gobradimet-f4918114b48e
https://medium.com/permaculturewomen/permaculture-and-emergence-an-introduction-to-design-a2af447fc5b1
Optional: https://medium.com/permaculturewomen/principles-of-presence-55868a0e2bfa and https://medium.com/permaculturewomen/emergent-design-finding-the-white-tiger-eaa311a0aa4e
2. Self forage at least 5 other design resources (be sure to include at least two models). Provide an annotated review for my 3+ articles and also the 5+ resources that you research.
“An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.” http://guides.library.cornell.edu/annotatedbibliography

3. Write an essay on design (minimum 1000 words - maximum 5000 words) that includes the following:
- Summary of your take on design as a science/field (you can quote others as long as you provide your own context)
- Summary of your use and comparison of different design models (provide examples)
- Summary of your evolution as a designer
- Brief overview of how you continue to expand your skill as a designer in Gaia U or beyond.
 Did the associate meet any OP-related requirements (presentation, process, content or criteria specific) given by the MA? YES, aside from above. Did the associate provide a cumulative review of their cycle in the Learning Review that included: OP and project summaries YES Key learnings and outcomes YES Annotated resource review/Digiphon NO, this is clearly missing. Supporting evidence YES Pathway management YES Reflection on participation YES Cumulative feedback on criteria NO, this is clearly missing. Did the associate include all the necessary elements of an OP template and meet minimum OP word counts? YES

Required next steps to complete portfolio: 
- Update profile page in Mahara as outlined above, fix OP 4 (delete title page)
- Design (I see in OP 3 Nicole asked you to start incorporating various design models like SADIM or other models into your work). Please see action learning cycle wrap-up review above and request for design essay.
- Reflection on Feedback (I see you took the time to respond to Sophie’s feedback on your OP 2). In OP 3 evaluation section I see you solicited feedback on the manual. I would like to see you add a cumulative paragraph (minimum 100 words) in OP 5 that highlights how you’ve incorporated feedback these last 4-years.
- In OP 5, I’d like you to add a paragraph on how you’ve disseminated your work for OP 2-5 (again minimum 100 words).
- Missing cumulative annotated resource review. OP 4 is the only place that I see an actual resource review, and it is not annotated. OP 5 needs to have a cumulative annotated review of at least 20 resources. You can use 8 from the design article + 12 others from your pathway (minimum).
- Fix links and misc. tasks highlighted in red below.
- Need a cumulative evaluation for each review criteria. That means going back into your self review and providing comments about each skill.
- Where is your Life and Career Review? You need to copy and paste your Cycle 1 LCR and add the abstracts/links from Cycle 1 OP 5 to one collection and title it Capstone LCR.

Recommended next step:
- Read through my review below and on the xls file and make changes to your portfolio as you feel inspired to do.
- Missing Skillful Assessment comparison from LIPD, please add if you have that data.
- Missing cumulative supporting evidence, please add links and mixed media showing what you’ve accomplished, if you have more evidence. It will greatly help your MSc portfolio.

I respect your integrity in managing your pathway. I'm glad to be your new advisor! I’m happy to Skype with you to go over these steps that need to happen before graduation!

Cheers,
Jennifer

OP REVIEW-------------------------

1. EVALUATION FORM-------------------- 

(attached)

2. COMMENTS PER SECTION---------------

Output Overview
- I can’t believe you did it either! You’re amazing. I’m blown away that you were able to do this program despite all the personal and political life circumstances you’ve had to integrate. You’re an inspiration!
- Good opening context that provides an anchor for the report.
- Succinct summary of three types of content - helpful and clear.
- I noticed in the word count section you use three different names for content types - always helpful to keep titles consistent. Is everything included in your word count? Generally, only the OP specification and Core Report are included.
- On OP design - you mention that GaSADIE is the approach you used for this and other OPs. I want to know why. If you’re going to make such a statement of repetition, please explain why you continue to choose this model. Also, do note that as an IDPD candidate, I prefer when Diplomats experiment with at least 10 different design models, so I’m surprised to hear that this is the one you’ve used over and over. I’m going to pause here and will write up a few questions I have around your skill as a designer, after I view the remainder of this OP.
- Note that in this Design section you do not explain what GaSADIE stands for - please add this description and include all of the parts in your process reflection. Presently you just have GaAD and are missing SIE.
- In the analysis and assessment I’d add 1) what actually happened, 2) what were the key outcomes of what happened - 5 P’s, 3) how do these outcomes relate to me meeting Gaia U requirements and my original LIPD intentions, and 4) what where the patterns that I now observe in looking back = how does this impact my pathway forward?
- I really appreciate the worldview disclaimer about preparing the reader for not getting their curiosity hopes up and acknowledging the potential empathic burden, and above all your own acknowledgment of your point of view “in the middle of events that I can not zoom out effectively.” That’s very real and practical for you to make this statement at the onset of the journey you’re about to take us on, thank you.
- Generally I encourage people to include a navigational note to the reader about accessing pages, content, links, etc… Consider adding this at the top or bottom of your “How to read this OP” section.
- At the bottom of said section you mention recommendations. Is this your reflection on how you’ve incorporated feedback? 
- Tell me more about the unconscious use of design processes. Is this because you’ve used them so much you’ve become a master? or is it because you’re a novice and just now incorporating these new tools? I’m asking because, as we get very learned/skilled in a trade - the process becomes unconscious. Is your only issue documentation and communicating in English?
- Beautiful use of Cyniffen model. I really appreciate your personal examples. Would be useful to add a sentence describing the model and it’s origins.

Pathway Update
- Again, good background context that anchors your intentions and prepares the reader.
- Fascinating perspective as an aid worker. Can you define what you mean by aid worker? Are you directly working with injured soldiers, families, or organizations? Are you helping with food, water, resources, or emotional support? I think providing a few sentences of clarification will help the reader understand your role in Damascus, as you have yet to introduce your projects. You do say the projects are about coping with war - but I’d love 1-2 more sentences.
- You mention the security situation has improved in the past few weeks - would be helpful if you dated the timeframe - are you writing this in May of 2018?
- In talking about the contract, you mention UNPD, please spell out the acronym and add one sentence explaining the mission of the organization. You also mention the livelihoods team without much context. You do add restructuring livelihoods of affected people - so that gives me some sense. A few more words of context would be helpful - and explaining your role on this team too.
- Your overview of agricultural team is very thorough and the detail and context is just enough. You provide some statistics even, as to why the team is needed for the population. You also share your role - wonderful. Powerful work that you’re doing.
- When you say the new management endorsed “our” sustainable agriculture approach - do you mean one created by you and Ali?
- Would be amazing if you had a few pictures of you and Ali, and you and your family. I am once again amazed that you are juggling a family of four and your career, plus your education. Wow! How do you do it? You could write a manual on how to be powerhouse. 
- I love the methephor of walking on the slope of your LIPD mountain. Great creative writing to explain the changes and intrigues ahead.
- Good map of revised goals.
- On timeline - renegotiation I think is a great skill - as long as your are tracking and engaging concisely, which you are. Well done for navigating these accountabilities through to completion.
- The planning and flexible planning reminds me of my own routine reflections/dynamic scheduling and overflows, which is how I track my own time.
- The bit your share on reduced sleep and spirituality is very inspiring. I’m looking into this as well. Staying calm while awake also greatly reduces need for sleep.
- Wondering about your skill flex assessment?
- Though critical evaluation is indeed an assessment of the outcomes looking to critique and evaluate the project, it is also heavily about comparing the work of others. I do not see evidence of your research. 
- 

Projects Reviews
- Would be helpful if each page might include an introduction. 
- Maybe consider renaming these pages to OP 2, 3, 4 so that the number matches the OP number? Right now you have them as project 1-3.
- Glad you provide a link to OP. However it says access denied - so you I do not think added the secret URL. Please update.
- I like how you have it broken out into Activities, Key Learnings and Outcomes. This is very useful as an overview.
- Lovely results/impact graphic.
- On OP 3 - I’m glad that Itai was able to help you with feedback. 
- I like that you added a section on what could be done differently. I see that you mention collecting feedback as a point of relevant reflection. I noticed that you don’t have much mention of details related to feedback from Nicole, Itai, or peers of Gaia U and am glad to see you are paying attention to feedback loops, perhaps just not documenting them.
- OP 3 link also not accessible. Please add secret URL.
- On OP 4 - Are you thinking of moving to Egypt?
- This bit on OP 4 definitely feels like it needs an introduction, even more than the previous 2. I’m unsure by reading the nuggets you provided, as to what is actually happening.

Outcomes
- Very exciting about the connections that your were able to make and enrich though Gaia U trainings and network.
- I’m still looking at if I can afford to attend the PDC in Egypt. 
- Ok, here’s your skill flex assessment. When you say learning cycle - do you mean since the last OP, or the Capstone cycle? How does this compare to the intentions and skills you shaped in the LIPD? Can you rate your progress using any metrics of qualitative or quantitative analysis?
- Was hoping to see some conclusive remarks on patterns you observed within various sectors - international field, Syria, your local community, within your own learning, etc…

Path Ahead
- Wow! You’re enrolling in your MSc with Gaia U! I would be honored to serve as your Advisor if you are interested and open to my mentorship. 
- This training and the link to Egypt look very promising.
- Very lovely training agenda. This is for 2-days? Looks like a lot to cover in a short window. Are you making slides/hand outs? Would be great to add these to your portfolio.
- Can you provide a summary of the training you did with Andrew, or a link, so others can access? Ah - never mind I see you have this in supporting evidence.

Supporting Evidence
- Glad to see a few pictures.
- Appreciating the overview of the drylands training.
- Good you added some resources.
- Where is your cumulative supporting evidence? Things that validate your three projects (particularly things you created).
- Also, where’s your cumulative annotated resource review?

Journals
- Wonderful pictures of your daughters at the Syrian coast!
- Thanks for sharing these journals.