What Is Pattern Literacy?
Patterns reveal how a system behaves over time. When the same issue repeats — delays, breakdowns, role conflicts, communication loops — the problem is no longer isolated. It becomes a structural signal.
Why Patterns Matter
Patterns show you what the system is actually doing — not what it claims to do. Once a pattern forms, future behaviour becomes predictable, which makes risk easier to identify and document.
The Four Pattern Types
Procedural Failure Patterns
Delays, unclear steps, looping processes, or shifting requirements.
When procedures fail predictably, the system is revealing its true operating conditions — not a one-off administrative error.
Explore Procedural Patterns →Power & Role Dynamics Patterns
Shifts in authority, contradictory instructions, or uneven application of power.
These patterns reveal how influence, authority and responsibility are functioning within a system — not always how they are documented.
Explore Power & Role Patterns →Communication Breakdown Patterns
Mixed messages, missing information, or unstable communication channels.
Communication patterns shape how risk moves. Breakdowns here often accelerate harm before anyone notices.
Explore Communication Patterns →Equity & Safety Patterns
Repeat disadvantages, uneven workloads, safety risks or exclusion.
These patterns highlight where fairness, access or safety are not consistently protected — often before harm becomes visible.
Explore Equity & Safety Patterns →Why Pattern Literacy Supports Advocacy
Patterns give you evidence. They show that harm is not random or personal — it is systemic. This shifts the conversation from “what happened” to “what structures allowed this to continue”.
Pattern Literacy helps you:
- Identify risk early
- Describe system behaviour clearly
- Document issues more effectively
- Understand the likely trajectory of harm
- Determine when structured support is required
Pattern Literacy is a foundation skill in the Strategic Advocacy Australia → Australian Advocacy Institute learning pathway.