A human-centred approach to systems innovation
I remember having one of my first conversations about systems change about 5 or 6 years ago - the concept of course was not new, but this was one of the first times we were seeing a lot of chatter from the sector around thinking in this way. The use of systemic approaches and thinking probably began more in the early 2000s, whilst in the mid to late 2010s, UK organisations such as the Young Foundation, Forum for Futures and NPC started to see systems thinking as a key part of how they achieved the work they do.
Yet the one thing that became clear when I first started having these conversations was that everyone had a different definition of what it meant to ‘do’ systems change. The lack of a common language across different sectors and disciplines added to the complexity of defining systems change, as practitioners and researchers needed to bridge diverse vocabularies. With systems change being interdisciplinary in nature and context-dependent, there was incredible frustration with what this actually meant, what we could practically focus our efforts on - and not just ‘rebranding’ existing concepts for the sake of funding and/or delivering differently.
Slowly, it became easier to identify patterns in what made a ‘systems change’ project. To recognise that there were some shifts and movements around how you start to intervene within systems to effect meaningful change and what the practical actions were to begin disrupting broken systems or improving impact within systems. For example, The Participatory City Foundation’s ‘Every One Every Day’ project in Barking and Dagenham embeds communities in co-design, as does Camden Giving’s approach to grant-giving. Both reflect a commitment to systemic change at the community level, whilst Nesta’s Collective Intelligence work looks at leveraging relationships and collectivity to address complex systemic issues.
Yet whilst I could recognise that it was about collaboration and shifting who was making decisions, it remained hard to imagine how we might create a streamlined approach to thinking about different elements of systems change and areas of action.
But in November 2022, many of my questions were answered when the Rockwool Foundation’s System Innovation Initiative released a series of white papers addressing the four keys of systems innovation. These working papers outlined a new way of looking at how we approach and categorise systems change, through the lens of four elements in the system that have the most leverage to influence meaningful change. These are:
Purpose
Power
Resource flows
Relationships
The System Innovation Initiative explores different perspectives on how to intentionally work with purpose, think and act on power in systems, change the ‘relational architecture’ of a system, and how resources can be found, freed, framed or redirected to support effective innovation.
Here at TSIP, we immediately felt connected to this way of thinking and began thinking about our own work and the context in which we operate, and how we as an organisation leverage these four keys. We began applying these concepts to our own work, to reframe our theory of change, identifying a re-imagined version of these keys that specifically apply to us (see here for more information on our strategy and Theory of Change):
Participation – of communities and individuals in the decisions that affect their lives.
Mindsets – changes in mindset at all levels to reflect different ways of living and being together.
Redistribution – of assets (including information and knowledge), power and resources (including but not limited to money!)
Through this process, we had an opportunity to look critically at how an organisation can map a system and its role within it, how to effect change across the four keys of systems innovation, and how to apply that thinking to refining a strategy, to informing programme and project development. We have developed a unique approach to applying systems innovation thinking to the work that we do have been working with our partners to re-examine the systems in which they operate and refine their approaches in a practical way, making the keys work for them.
From this process, we have learned a lot about how organisations can approach this process, and what to keep in mind as they do so:
Start with understanding - embracing a holistic view of the system you work in, mapping what is as a way to understand what could be, identifying common pain points, areas of opportunities, and where you sit within that.
Co-creation and human-centred approach is essential - within any system, the relationships between different elements drive power, resources and purpose. At TSIP we appreciate that in order to disrupt or re-imagine, we need to first reconsider whose perspective is driving a systems map, and how that influences where key opportunities and challenges lie. Putting those that experience social challenges at the heart of solving them, whilst ensuring they have access to the resources, assets and power to make the changes they want to see is a key part of challenging the way that systems have repeatedly oppressed and excluded those most marginalised.
Adapt and iterate - systems are constantly changing and evolving. Our approach to working with clients and creating systems innovation is rooted in the knowledge that any action to shift the system while create new feedback loops, and require constant re-iteration to respond to new feedback loops and causal chains - it is important to remain flexible and adaptive and foster a culture of continuous learning, experimentation and adjustment.
Be part of the collective - cultivate systems leadership, empowering others to navigate complexity, drive innovation, and inspire collective action within the system. This can be done by sharing learning transparently about systems change processes, collaborating on resolving systemic challenges rather than focusing solely on your role within the system, as it will always be interconnected and difficult if not impossible to make long-term changes alone.
Address root causes - prioritise interventions that address root causes rather than symptoms, aiming for transformative change rather than superficial fixes. At TSIP, our mapping work helps to identify what the drivers of challenges are vs what is a result of existing systems and structures and how to apply pressure on the causes rather than bandage up the symptoms.
Look at culture - one of the reasons mindsets is a key part of TSIP’s strategy is how important an organisation’s culture is in driving change in a systemic way - as often the challenges are interconnected and require significant shifts in ways of working, a culture that embraces collaboration, long-term thinking, and strategic resource allocation is key
Don’t get caught up in the complexity - systems change is complex and interconnected and can look messy. One of the challenges we have dealt with in working with clients and amongst our own team is how easy it is to get overwhelmed. Within our workshop-based approach to applying systems thinking, we break down the systems into manageable components, looking at one key or one challenge through this lens first and then beginning to map it. We also use visualisation tools and participatory processes to enhance collective understanding.
And it isn’t just us that have loved this new approach - we have worked with local governments and large associations to explore their unique role in driving inclusive systemic change. We have explored the creation of new strategies and Theories of Change and looked at the role in which new projects, the re-framing of resources, improved relationships and governance models and unified visions can influence significant change at a systems level.
We are keen to continue supporting clients and partners to get that same ‘lightbulb’ moment that we had - and begin thinking in a systems way through the work with us and beyond. For more information on our approach and how we might work together, please get in touch.
What do we mean by systems change and innovation?
At TSIP, we envision systems change as a strategic and intentional effort to reshape the root structures and interconnections within complex social, economic, and environmental systems. It involves a deep understanding of the intricate relationships at play and a commitment to transformative interventions that address systemic challenges. In our approach, systems change is about fostering sustained impact by collaboratively influencing the underlying dynamics that contribute to societal issues. We frame systems change within the context of innovation, seeing it as a dynamic and adaptive approach challenging traditional paradigms around power, resources, knowledge, relationships and mindsets (among others). Systems innovation, as we see it, is about cultivating creativity and resilience to address evolving challenges. It is about re-imagining new systems and the ways that they are reinforced whilst fostering a culture of learning and collaboration.
Written by Marion Brossard, Head of Service Design & Co-Production