The document discusses systems change, focusing on the work of the Lankelly Chase Foundation in supporting agencies dealing with severe and multiple disadvantage. It defines systems change as intentionally altering a system’s function or structure through purposeful interventions. The guide provides insights into different perspectives on systems change, such as practitioners, advocates, operational researchers, service reformers, learners, and living systems. Each perspective offers unique insights into tackling social issues and driving systemic change within organizations and society. The document aims to demystify systems change, encourage systemic action, and emphasize the importance of addressing root causes while meeting immediate needs in the social sector.

Recognizing patterns and constraints is essential for understanding complex systems and creating stability. Constraints like connections, exchanges, attractors, boundaries, and identity shape how systems organize and evolve. Managing these constraints can help stabilize beneficial patterns or disrupt ineffective ones in both work and life.

This document discusses the concept of innovation portfolios and how they can help tackle global and societal challenges that require systems transformation. Innovation portfolios consist of a collection of intertwined initiatives that share a common intent in terms of creating impact and enable collaboration among stakeholders. They are useful for challenges that contain significant uncertainty and require constant interaction with relevant stakeholders. The document outlines the practices and principles of innovation portfolios and compares them to strategic portfolio management.

Compassionate evaluation helps organizations improve by providing objective feedback and encouraging growth. It focuses on supporting and appreciating efforts while acknowledging challenges. This approach aims to generate learning and trust within organizations for better outcomes.

An Artificial Intelligence summary of Nora’s creative trans-contextual combining wouldn’t seem very appropriate. Perhaps providing extensive highlights from my reading of Combining – under the URL – is marginally less inappropriate in its decontextualization of things?!

The terrain in which the Shifting Systems Initiative (SSI) operates has itself been shifting significantly in recent years. SSI’s choices about strategic focus, niche, and positioning for the future are best made while taking into account the following: a deep understanding of the broader context and the dynamics at play in areas in which SSI intervenes, the assets it has developed that serve as the foundation for future work, and the lessons it has learned from its experiments catalyzing change to date. This report is designed to take readers through this process step by step. First, we share insights about the changing context and its implications for SSI (Section 2.1). Then we synthesize findings about how SSI is perceived and the value it has added to the field, including reflections on the effectiveness of the suite of tactics it has deployed thus far (Section 2.2). Next comes a set of recommendations for increasing SSI’s impact in the future, followed finally by five potential scenarios for SSI’s position and perspective going forward (Section 3).

The text discusses how system change can bring about democratic renewal. It emphasizes the importance of transforming existing systems for positive societal outcomes. The Danish Design Center explores this concept on their website.

The text discusses Challenge-led Innovation as a way to foster systemic change through collaborative and innovative approaches. It emphasizes the importance of setting directional goals, engaging diverse stakeholders, and using portfolios of projects to drive progress towards achieving challenges. The framework prioritizes learning, experimentation, and coherence across projects to maximize impact and create better outcomes.

Civil society has been instrumental in driving innovation and progress in the measurement of corruption and anti-corruption efforts over the past 30 years. Three distinct waves of measurement have evolved, focusing on measuring corruption, anti-corruption, and assessing anti-corruption ecosystems. The role of civil society in pushing the boundaries of what can be measured has been crucial in advancing the fight against corruption.

The NPC Systems Practice Toolkit v1.1 is a comprehensive resource that introduces systems practice and provides tools, frameworks, and concepts to help individuals and organizations work effectively in complex systems. The toolkit is divided into sections: Understand, Design, Act, and Learn, each containing various tools and resources. The Understand section includes tools such as the Complexity Canvas and the Iceberg Model, which help analyze and understand complex systems. The Design section includes tools like Systems Mapping and the Three Horizons Framework, which assist in designing interventions and envisioning new systems. The toolkit aims to provide a practical introduction to systems practice and support individuals in their systems change journey.

The text discusses the role of love in systems change, highlighting its transformative power and potential to create more equitable and regenerative systems. Love is seen as a fundamental element that can influence individual actions, relationships, and community dynamics within systems change work. The author encourages reflection on how love can be amplified in self-awareness, relational interactions, and community engagement to drive positive change.

The Open Government movement has seen significant growth and involvement from diverse stakeholders over the past two decades. While progress has been made in promoting transparency and accountability, challenges remain in achieving broader impacts such as redistribution and democracy. A renewed focus on political power dynamics and problem-solving approaches is needed to drive meaningful change within the Open movement.

The text discusses the Estuarine Mapping framework and its evolution, emphasizing the importance of understanding the present situation before making decisions. It introduces concepts like Actants and ASHEN mapping to help identify manageable elements and generate actions effectively. The goal is to improve decision-making in complex systems by creating a clear map of opportunities and potential actions.

Complex systems involve interactions between multiple elements, leading to emergent properties. These systems are non-linear, open to their environment, and require constant energy flow for survival. Understanding these principles is crucial for effective intervention in complex systems.

The text discusses how Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) can be seen as an infinite game rather than a finite process. It explores the idea of MEL evolving into systems stewards and weavers, emphasizing learning, reflection, and adaptation over proving predetermined outcomes. The document outlines experiences from the MEL in Systems Change Inquiry Group and highlights the importance of inquiry as an infinite game, with examples of self-organized inquiry sessions and the role of facilitators in guiding conversations. It also touches on the significance of collective reflection, emergent questions, and the role of MEL in designing organizational rituals. The text suggests approaches for MEL practitioners to co-create learning processes, engage in experimentation, and utilize coaching circles to navigate complex systems and foster deeper insights.

The School of System Change is exploring Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) as a systemic practice to drive change. They are investigating how MEL can support systems change, address power dynamics, and enhance learning in organizations. The focus is on evolving MEL practices with a systemic lens to unlock deeper understanding and drive meaningful change.

The document challenges the concept that outcomes can be “delivered” by organizations, programs, or projects, unraveling the flawed logic behind Payment by Results (PbR) and Social Impact Bonds (SIBs). The premise that outcomes are simply “delivered” is debunked through various examples, such as the complexity of systems like the obesity epidemic, where outcomes are emergent properties of intricate interactions. The piece also critiques the flawed assumptions of PbR and SIBs, highlighting how they fail to address real-world complexities and often lead to gaming performance data rather than genuine results. Ultimately, the document advocates for a shift towards a more evidence-informed approach called “Co-Missioning” to genuinely support the creation of real-world outcomes beyond the limitations of PbR and SIBs.

The text discusses the importance of policy research closely tied to implementation in African states to improve economic transformation. Emphasizing local context and expertise over external influences can lead to more effective policymaking in low-income countries. Investing in domestic policy research within government, think tanks, and universities is crucial for sustainable economic development in Africa.

The author explores the concept of granularity in archaeology and its connection to typology, emphasizing the importance of managing complexity by going lower in granularity when in doubt. Incorporating variety and diversity into typologies helps make sense of ancient artifacts through different perspectives and promotes recombination of granular items in new ways. Holding typologies lightly is advised, as they are tools for understanding rather than definitive truths.

The text discusses the limitations of traditional, mechanistic approaches in policymaking and the need for a more nuanced theory of change that considers complex systems. The author highlights the importance of focusing on systemic reform and capacity-building efforts over quick-fix interventions. Embracing an enablement approach and investing in long-term soil-tending work are presented as essential for improving government competence and effectiveness.

The article discusses how radical collaboration is crucial for addressing complex societal challenges through systems change. It highlights the importance of letting go of traditional solutions, slowing down to gain a deeper understanding, and collaborating with diverse stakeholders, even those with conflicting views. The key shifts outlined aim to enable creative action and system transformation for tackling pressing issues like climate change.

The text discusses the importance of measuring systems change and the challenges involved in doing so effectively. It highlights the need for diverse perspectives and storytelling to capture the complexity of systems change. Emphasizing the role of collaboration and social change in achieving a more systems-conscious approach is key.

Live demonstrations and discussion of how various people are using Tana for personal knowledge management.

Portfolio Sensemaking is a process that helps individuals and organizations make strategic decisions by reflecting on past experiences and insights. It involves participative learning, strategic conversations, and extracting actionable intelligence. By leveraging diverse perspectives and experiences, Portfolio Sensemaking aims to generate new knowledge and guide decision-making at both individual and organizational levels.

The final post in the series discusses the 3As Framework, focusing on Agency, Affordance, and Assemblage for understanding complexity and guiding interventions. These concepts help map out possibilities, attitudes, and actions needed for change, offering a practical tool for navigating complex systems effectively. The post also teases future developments in decision-making processes and emphasizes the importance of understanding and utilizing these frameworks in designing interventions.

The text discusses the importance of prioritizing relationship-centered practices in various sectors and communities. It emphasizes the transformative impact of putting relationships first and highlights real-life examples of individuals and organizations making a difference through relational work. The text also encourages readers to reflect on the role of relationships in addressing social issues and improving systems.

Few people argue that relationships don’t matter, but many feel they don’t have the time, capacity or permission to prioritise them. This Case Maker assembles the evidence base for putting relationships first, describing why relationships matter, what great relationship-centred practice looks like, and how it could make an impact in your context. Use it to: Deepen your understanding of the difference that putting relationships first makes in a range of different contexts and scales; Develop your own narrative of why more investment in relationships will lead to better outcomes in your community or organisation; Start a discussion and build awareness around the value of relationship-centred practice amongst your team.

Corruption analysis involves understanding driving factors and actors involved. Systems mapping and stakeholder analysis are key tools in this process. Effective anti-corruption programming requires a thorough diagnosis of corruption dynamics.