ABSTRACT
In engaging with care managers in co-operative inquiry I was attempting to do a number of things. The first was to construct a situation in which I could glean from care managers the current state of practice as far as their role in the continuing implementation of community care policy was concerned. This would provide evidence to compare with that from the first set of interviews, and address the research questions about limitations to policy implementation and the role of street level implementers. In addition, I was interested in exploring the possibilities for utilising co operative inquiiy to develop practice that might, in a small way address some of the problems of more traditional forms of implementation. This meant, effectively, the testing out of co-operative inquiry as a research methodology which involves learning and practice development. Recognising that social worlds are constructed by actors in relationship with one another, this approach seemed an appropriate way to investigate with street level bureaucrats as they played their part in constructing community care policy. Finally, in the spirit of co-operative inquiry as a participative venture, I was keen to respond to the interests of the group members with whom I was to engage. This, I believed, held the promise of revealing other issues that had not been apparent prior to this.
