Theory U and AI automation drive citizen solutions in third sector organizations

The first offering of the extension course Citizen Formation through Project Extension I combined Theory U with process automation using artificial intelligence to support third sector organizations. The project promotes citizen formation by connecting academic learning with real problem-solving in partnership with societal institutions. The course was carefully structured by Prof. Dr. Tatiana Soster and Prof. Me. Wilson Nobre, and offered to fifth-semester students of undergraduate programs in Public Administration and Business at the School of Public Policy, Government, and Business (FGV EPPGE). The activity also involved the participation of Prof. Dr. Efrem Maranhão Filho in evaluating the automations developed by students on the Pipefy platform.

Students were introduced to Theory U, proposed by Otto Scharmer, which outlines a transformative journey in "U" for individuals, teams, and organizations. This trajectory begins with suspending automated responses and opening the mind, heart, and will for sensing; deepens into presencing—connecting with the future that wishes to emerge—and culminates in action, through crystallizing intention and rapid prototyping. In summary, it is a process of leadership and learning integrating deep listening, collective reflection, and practical experimentation.

As students engaged with Theory U, they collaborated with partner organizations to deeply understand their demands regarding processes and co-create solutions tailored to each institution's needs. Concurrently, they immersed themselves in the Pipefy platform, focusing on digitalization and process automation utilizing agents of artificial intelligence. This combination of theory and practice provided an innovative experience of citizen formation through university extension.

At Abrace (Brazilian Association for the Assistance of Families of Children with Cancer and Hemopathies), the focus was on people management. Karina Aparecida Santos, an analyst in the area, emphasized the clarity of the students' proposal, the care taken in onboarding collaborators, and the group's collaboration.

At Impact Hub Brasília, focused on socio-environmental impact through entrepreneurship and innovation, the challenge involved improving commercial processes. David Borges, the organization's manager, highlighted the alignment between theory and practice and the detailed mapping of the presented flows.

At COIAB (Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon), the work concentrated on financial processes. Roberta Shibata, administrative-financial manager, noted that students understood the flows well and that the proposed automations help reduce rework and increase transparency. Helen Teixeira added that the materials will be useful in transitioning to the new financial system.

At CAFI (Amazonian Center for Indigenous Training), the challenge involved course planning. Maria das Graças expressed gratitude for the students’ empathetic listening and highlighted the productivity of the meetings, the quality of the methodologies presented, and the applicability of the proposed flows, which the institution would adopt.

As a result, the course reinforced citizen formation by consolidating knowledge in Theory U and process management, delivering real solutions to challenges faced by partners such as Abrace, CAFI, COIAB, and Impact Hub. In partnership with Pipefy, students also had the opportunity to become certified in five modules. At the end, Fernanda Cunha (Pipefy) emphasized:

"What I witnessed here was far beyond the tool itself. The groups learned in a few months not only how to use Pipefy but also the entire business diagnosis—knowledge that usually takes much longer to acquire."