Deloitte/The Monitor Institute/Doblin,. Charlie Ursell. STAGE. ROLE. THE STRATEGIST. THE FIRESTARTER. Growth. Building,
Who’s helping to build the field of systems change? TABLE 1: ROLES THAT BUILD THE FIELD OF SYSTEMS CHANGE? SOME EXAMPLE INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS
ROLE
DESCRIPTION
THE STRATEGIST
The intrapreneur who starts multiple systems change ventures from within an organization, convenes the partners, pulls in resources and makes things happen.
Richard Spencer at Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), Tim Brodhead at Social Innovation Generation (SiG).
THE FIRESTARTER
The dynamo who partners with founders to help turn concepts into strategy.
Reos Partners, Tim Merry of Change Ahead, Maria Scordialos and Vanessa Reid of Living Wholeness Institute, Jennie Winhall, The Art of Hosting network, Sarah Schulman of InWithForward, Practical Action, Deloitte/The Monitor Institute/Doblin, Charlie Ursell
Growth
THE ILLUMINATOR
Al Etmanski, Zaid Hassan of Social Labs, Kennisland
Building, amplifying and accelerating the work of the systems change ecosystem
The pattern spotter who creates maps, writes articles, and shines a light on emerging trends in the field.
THE DIGITAL
The creative mapper who builds tools to make systems easier to see.
Kumu, Thicket, Idiagram,
THE EXPERIMENTER
The hardworking leader of a growing systems change project.
Sarah Brooks at U.S. State Department Veteran Services, Tessy Britton at Participatory City, Michael Field of USAID, Chelsea Mauldin of Public Policy Lab, Imandeep Kaur of Impact Hub Birmingham, Chad Park of The Natural Step Canada’s Energy Futures Lab
THE FACILITATOR
The connector, out in the field meeting people in the ecosystem, introducing fellow system change practitioners to one another, building platforms that keep connections growing.
Ben Taylor of Red Quadrant, Lucho Osorio of MaFi, Andrew Campbell of Massive Small
THE CONVENER
The host who gathers groups of systems changers together to connect and learn.
Anna Birney at Forum for the Future, SiX and its Funders Node, The SEEP network, the BEAM Exchange, Joeri van den Steenhoven at MaRS Solutions Lab Vanessa Timmer and BCPSI’s System Change Group, RSD5, The Happening, Tatiana Fraser, Vickie Cammack of TIP Studio, Massive Small Collective
STAGE
Germination Seeding new systems change initiatives
DESIGNER
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Who’s helping to build the field of systems change? TABLE 1: ROLES THAT BUILD THE FIELD OF SYSTEMS CHANGE STAGE
Growth Building amplifying and accelerating the work of the systems change ecosystem
DESCRIPTION
THE LEADERSHIP
Supporters who build the capacity of existing systems leaders to do their work better.
Academy for Systemic Change, The Rockefeller Foundation, Systems Changers from The Point People and Lankelly Chase, Andres Roberts at Way of Nature ,Leaders Quest, Simon Fraser University’s Social Innovation Certificate program, Steve Waddell and Networking Action
Organizations that fund di rent players within the field of practice, or platforms that are helping it to emerge faster.
The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, Lankelly Chase, Tellus Mater, The Big Lottery Fund, Gulbenkian Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, Ashoka, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Suncor Energy Foundation, Garfield Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Robert Bosch Stiftung Foundation
Systems change projects that have moved beyond a start-up stage to become established organisations and can be used as case studies.
MaRS Solutions Lab, Future of Fish, The Finance Innovation Lab, GovLab, Criterion Institute.
Create theoretical and practice-based research within the field of systems change, based at universities and learning hubs.
Derek and Laura Cabrera at Cornell University, Charlie Leadbeater Mulgan at Nesta, Frances Westley at the University of Waterloo’s Waterloo Institute for Social Innovation and Resilience (WISIR), The Presencing Institute, Schumacher College, Ashoka, The Stockholm Resilience Centre, Orit Gal at Regent’s University, ISSS, Roland Krupers, Enrique Martínez at Brown, Sarah Whiteley, Cheryl Rose, Darcy Riddell & Michele-Lee Moore, Mark Cabaj, Grantmakers for E ctive Organizations (GEO), International Futures Forum
Individuals who use the platforms they are given to talk about the need for systems change.
Pamela Hartigan at Skoll, Darren Walker of The Ford Foundation, Marc Ventresca at Oxford Said Business School
Programs designed to challenge civil society organisations to start thinking more systemically.
Smart CSO’s, Hivos, Campaign Lab, Social R&D
ACCELERATOR
THE ECOSYSTEM FUNDER
Conservation Stabilizing roles that turn experiments into established cornerstones of the field
SOME EXAMPLE INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS
ROLE
THE SHINING STARS
THE KNOWLEDGE BUILDER
Creative destruction
THE INCUMBENT
Challenging the status quo
THE CIVIL SOCIETY
DISRUPTOR
ACTIVIST
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Who’s helping to build the field of systems change ? TABLE 2: WHAT KIND OF CHALLENGES ARE THESE LEADERS TACKLING? SOME EXAMPLE INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS
CHALLENGE
DESCRIPTION
SUSTAINABILITY
Working to transform big systems like food, finance and energy that need to shift to create a sustainable world.
The eLab, Sustainable Food Lab, Food Secure Canada, Canopy, the Transition Network, the Energy Futures Lab, B9 Shipping, The Forestry Lab, Global Alliance for Food Security, Operation: Eat Right, The Ecofiscal Commission, Clean Energy Canada, The Great Lakes Protection Fund, Inclusive Food Systems at Scale: Impact Hub DC
Working systemically to shift our health systems.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, WellAhead, Russell Gundry at the NHS, The Leading Causes of Life.
From the world of development this group explores the role of market systems in reducing poverty.
Oxfam, Aspen Institute’s ANDE, The Springfield Centre, Mesopartner, DIFID, USAID.
PUBLIC SERVICES
From pioneers of civic innovation, to those redesigning government services, this group work on a wide set of issues from prison reform to mental health.
GovLab, Public Policy Lab, PCO Innovation Hub, Smart Justice Network, Toronto Atmospheric Fund, Alberta CoLab (authors of A Field Guide to Systems Change), Collaborate, Redquadrant, MindLab.
FINANCE &
Systems change projects designed to question and rebuild our economic and finance systems.
The Next System Project, The NEON Network, The Capital Institute, The Finance Innovation Lab, Tellus Mater, ALT/NOW at the ntre, B Corp, Big Society Capital, Global Social Impact Investment Steering Group (GSG)
PLACE-BASED
Systemic innovation at a city, town or neighbourhood level.
The Participatory City Lab, City Catapult, Lucie et André Chagnon Foundation, CityStudio, Living Cities, Cities for People, Toronto Atmospheric Fund, 00, The Massive Small Collective, Gorka Espiau and The Young Foundation’s Amplify program, Ontario Trillium Foundation
THE PROFESSIONS
Pioneers helping to evolve the professions to meet the needs of people and planet in the 21st Century.
Engineering Change Lab, AuditFutures, Ashoka U, RECODE, The Comms Lab, BOND, START, IFAC, Tamarack Institute, Innoweave, The Intersector Project, Systemic Design Research Network, Partnership Brokers Association
BUSINESS
Support for systemic intrapreneurs embedded in mainstream business.
Volans, SustainAbility, Business Intrapreneur’ Networks, Aspen, ImpactSquared, BMW Foundation, Schwab, Society for Organizational Learning, the Natural Step, BSR, SCiO, FSG, Network for Business Sustainability (NBS)
EDUCATION
Reinventing education at every level.
Michele Kahane at The New School, The Innovation Unit, Education Pioneers at Kennisland, RECODE, AshokaU, Education Design Lab.
HEALTH
MARKET DEVELOPMENT
THE ECONOMY
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