We are currently witnessing how philanthropy is embodying a powerful shift from being at the center of social change efforts to acting as a facilitator, connector, and learner in a larger ecosystem of actors working to create lasting, systems-level change. Drawing on themes surfaced in the recently published Stanford Social Innovation Review article, “Where Strategic Philanthropy Went Wrong,” co-authored by Mark Kramer and Steve Phillips, the speakers reflected on the learnings and changes within the field and invite attendees to examine their own potential as agents of change.

This article suggests that there are (at least) two predominant mental models about how systems change (theories of change), which have implications for how philanthropies (and others) might contribute to systems change (theories of action). One is a “systems dynamics” model, which holds on to the idea of finding leverage points to shift the dynamics of complicated systems.The other is a “systems emergence” model which more fully acknowledges the complex nature of many social challenges. The authors make the case that: Approaches to supporting systems change ought to be aligned with understandings of how change happens (while also testing and adapting those understandings over time); and, that, – by making our mental models about how systems change happens explicit, we can support more constructive conversations and collaborative learning about approaches to supporting systems change, and their effectiveness.

The text discusses the quality of evaluations on anti-corruption interventions, focusing on the need for clear aims and evaluability of programs. The evaluations often struggle to assess external outcomes and lack rigorous methods for impact evaluation. Recommendations are made to improve the overall quality of evaluation research in this area.

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 Centre for Public Impact (CPI) uses a principles-focused approach to understand and measure impact in complex systems. They prioritize principles over rigid metrics to allow for flexibility and adaptability in evaluating governance initiatives. By promoting systems change through principles of better governance, CPI aims to drive sustainable impact and continuous learning.

Community-based learning ecosystems lie at the very heart of our understanding of the world, of its being and of its transformation. Being immersed in community-based learning ecosystems is a shared experience for all of us. By trusting this as an invitation to a process of inquiry, learning, and understanding, we begin to live out our human potential and realise our humanity. We will witness how a humanising society grows from metamorphic niches in learning communities. And it will change our understanding of learning and understanding, of development and transformation, and the roles of those who want to change the world.

Societal metamorphosis is a term emerging from Tamkeen’s societal development practice. It describes a development practice and approach that is not only constantly referred to as magical in its manifestations yet also transcends the prevalent approaches to systems change. In a socio-systemic complexity evaluation the Tamkeen community foundation for human development in Tangier, Morocco, and the European School of Governance (EUSG) in Berlin, Germany, are engaging in a systemic inquiry initiated research into societal metamorphosis. Exploring Tamkeen as a body of co-reflected experience, together with all the partners who are co-creating it, opens the possibility to grow a shared understanding of societal development and the silent nature of metamorphic transformation beyond the magic and the prevalent frames of knowing. Growing from metamorphic niches societal metamorphosis realises a humanising society.

The article discusses the concept of relational infrastructure, highlighting its importance in fostering collaboration and driving change within communities and organizations. It draws parallels between relational infrastructure and the interconnectedness found in natural ecosystems, emphasizing the need to invest resources in nurturing and leveraging these social connections effectively. The author, Sam Rye, advocates for understanding and prioritizing relational infrastructure to enhance collective action initiatives and create sustainable social, economic, and environmental outcomes.

Sensemaking is the process of turning information into shared understanding. It can happen at both individual and collective levels. Different organizations use sensemaking to extract insights and create meaning from data.

Sense-making is about understanding the world to make decisions. It involves creating awareness and making sense in complex situations. Different perspectives from academics like Karl Weick and Brenda Dervin contribute to this field.

The document discusses the concept of aphanipoiesis, which refers to the unseen coalescence of multiple factors that brings about vitality, healing, and creativity. The author explains that these unseen processes are essential for change and evolution, but they are often overlooked or misunderstood. The concept of aphanipoiesis is relevant to our current emergencies and challenges, as it requires a shift in deep presuppositions and ways of perceiving one another and the world. The Warm Data processes are presented as a means to explore and facilitate this shift. The author emphasizes the need to recognize and challenge the historical influences and limitations of reductionism and control in the study of life and society.

Impact measurement is a common practice, but change may not always follow. Historical threads have shaped modern impact measurement, emphasizing the need for critical reflection. Understanding the complexity and uncertainty of impact measurement is crucial for addressing challenges effectively.

Recent discoveries in narrative sensemaking explore models like Cynefin and emphasize the interplay between directed structure and self-organization. The “confluence” model merges these concepts to enable a deeper understanding of social life and the unity of diverse perspectives. Building a sensemaking framework involves mapping narratives onto resonant meaning spaces to facilitate emergent patterns and insights.

This report explores the concept of collective settings as a way to strengthen American democracy through shared governance and accountability. By investing in these settings, the aim is to create a more inclusive and dynamic civic infrastructure for everyday democracy. Researchers and leaders are encouraged to support the rebuilding and repair of collective settings to foster collaboration across diverse groups in solving public issues.

The study explores how state actions can empower marginalized groups through collective action. It compares cases where state initiatives enabled citizen participation and led to power shifts, despite facing challenges. This research highlights the importance of state-society synergy in driving inclusive governance reforms.

The text discusses how philanthropies, like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, can better support economic development in low-income countries by focusing on boosting private sector growth and improving public goods provision. It emphasizes the importance of investing in medium to large businesses, especially those owned by women, to create sustainable job opportunities and drive economic growth. The text suggests that philanthropies should take unorthodox approaches and be willing to take smart risks to make a significant impact in low-income countries’ development.

Monitoring, evaluating, and learning (MEL) professionals face challenges in assessing the long-term sustainability and system change of complex interventions. Traditional evaluative methods and tools often do not account for the future potential for sustainability or the various forms it can take. To address this, the authors developed a relational rubric that focuses on relationships and sequences to assess complex causality and identify signals of prospective sustainability. The rubric is grounded in systems thinking, co-production, and social learning theory. By applying the rubric, the authors were able to better understand and communicate results about the scale-up and sustainability of interventions. They call for more consensus on the conceptual framework for sustainability and the development of relevant evaluation tools that consider limited budgets and timelines. The authors…

The text discusses knowledge management at a summit in Dublin, emphasizing the importance of sharing tacit knowledge through human interactions. It highlights the role of AI in decision-making and the need for a cohesive strategy integrating capacity development, learning, and KM for organizational effectiveness. The author reflects on the challenges of managing knowledge and the value of combining explicit documentation with rich, tacit interactions.

In this paper, we challenge the universality of three basic assumptions prevalent in organizational decision support and strategy: assumptions of order, of rational choice, and of intent. We describe the Cynefin framework, a sense-making device we have developed to help people make sense of the complexities made visible by the relaxation of these assumptions. The Cynefin framework is derived from several years of action research into the use of narrative and complexity theory in organizational knowledge exchange, decision-making, strategy, and policy-making. The framework is explained, its conceptual underpinnings are outlined, and its use in group sense-making and discourse is described. Finally, the consequences of relaxing the three basic assumptions, using the Cynefin framework as a mechanism, are considered.

The text discusses the need for evaluations to adapt to complex social issues by taking an emergent approach and considering the interconnected components of systems. Evaluators should focus on understanding the whole system, identifying points of energy, and tracking non-linear relationships between initiatives and outcomes. Embracing complexity in evaluation can lead to more authentic and effective strategies for societal change.

Empowerment philanthropy is proposed as a new approach to help people find their own solutions for societal challenges. Strategic philanthropy has been ineffective in creating lasting solutions over the past decades. Government plays a crucial role in addressing social and environmental problems on a national scale, highlighting the limitations of philanthropy.

The UNDP is using a portfolio approach to manage interventions for system transformation. They focus on measuring progress and value across multiple interventions to achieve positive change. Frameworks and theories help guide the measurement process for complex system change portfolios.

Metaphors can help us see complex issues in new ways, like reframing arguments as dances instead of battles. Transitioning from project-based work to system-driven approaches is like moving from building houses to designing livable cities, where interactions and unpredictability shape outcomes. Collaboration and new perspectives are needed to improve quality of life in cities.

The two loops model of change emphasizes looking within the existing system for clues on future patterns and behaviors. Affordances, as highlighted by J.J. Gibson, are crucial relationships between the environment and actions. Recognizing and utilizing affordances can help shape new directions and behaviors in complex systems.

Social Finance, in partnership with the System Innovation Initiative, spent 12 months between 2022 and 2023 exploring how evaluation works for system change. Motivated by our work in recent years to unpack and explore how system change comes about, we and many others across the social impact space are increasingly asking how to know we are making progress? To start to answer this, we spoke to 50+ system change practitioners, funders and evaluators globally to learn how people are approach the topic, what is working, what isn’t working, and what the implications might be for those funding system change, as well as those leading it.Building on this research, as well as over a decade’s practical experience working with our partners across a range of sectors on large-scale system change projects, in this webinar, we will share our insights and reflections on: Why is evaluating system change so hard?; How should evaluation adapt, and what should it not lose?; What does system change evaluation look like in practice?; and, How might we track progress?