This article describes a process of working in Cambodia with a small group of individuals and organisations who identified learning as an essential component of their approach to capacity development. Over a six‐month period, group members used the Learning Inquiry Process developed as part of the work of the project ‘Facilitating Learning in Action for Social Change’ to reflect on and deepen their understanding of both how they learn in their work and effective ways to facilitate the learning of others. The article shows the extent of the gulf between the theory and practices of learning in the context of social change, and the difficulty for practitioners of making space for learning practices. It shows that where there is readiness for learning, the responsive application of an appropriate framework can help guide and identify learning.