Operational Coherence Consulting

Formulaic, processual, prosaic, and best practice-based approaches are vital to consulting and are an integral part of supporting wildland fire. Recognizing the essential contributions of larger firms, Operational Coherence adopts a complementary and additive approach, advancing consulting through the creation of new knowledge, thoughtful reflection, meticulous care, theory, experience, and innovative tools and techniques designed to address unique challenges.

As the wildfire innovation marketplace continues to see the introduction of new products and services while legacy challenges continue to persist, there is a need for custom methodologies and tools founded on transforming research into actionable guidance that can support problem-solving, design, and strategic decision-making. Operational Coherence uses design thinking and the study of complexity to meet a wide variety of needs. 

What is in a Name?

The name of this consultancy is derived from the renowned scientist Dr. Humberto Maturana’s notion of operational coherence. Operational coherence refers to the meaningful relations, patterns, and interactivity that become coherent and stable within a domain through recurrence. Operational coherences are the "what makes sense" within a domain and the system it is a part of, logically and understandably, but also through use. Operational cohernces become so familiar that the coherences can be operationalized through verbal or non-verbal communication. While established domains may have multiple operational coherences, new domains may be waiting for them to emerge.