Advancing the Adoption of Systemic Design in Changemaking Organisations: Applying and critiquing the SHIFT framework

Lewis Muirhead, Ryan Murphy, and Louise Gallagher

Systemic approaches to change are critical for addressing the world’s complex problems. Yet, designing systemic change and evaluating its progress require systematic methodologies. The importance of systemic design principles is well-recognized, but adoption of systemic design practices is still uncommon in changemaking initiatives and organizations. In this workshop, we will facilitate discussions on the challenges of adopting systemic practices in strategy and evaluation. Participants will examine these tensions in their own organizations and contexts, sharing their own understanding of the factors that limit adoption and the possible downstream effects on effective systemic change. Finally, we will guide participants in applying the SHIFT framework for assessing readiness for systemic practice. Participants will leave the session with a greater understanding of systemic evaluation, a deeper perspective on the meta-wicked problem of systemic change management. They will develop insights into their own readiness for systemic practice, and strategies for engaging stakeholders in meaningful evaluation processes, responding to why innovative approaches may meet resistance in practice. Finally, they will gain useful heuristics for changing the systems of systems changemaking organisations. By the end of the session, participants will have developed actionable steps to enhance their approach to systemic change. We hope that workshop participants will also critique these concepts. By relating participants’ experiences to our own, we seek a deeper understanding of the dynamics and complexities of the adoption of systemic design practices.