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Balancing Acceleration and Systemic Impact: Finding leverage for transformation in SDG change strategies

Format: Papers, RSD10, Topic: Socioecological Design

Ryan J. A. Murphy, Nenad Rava, and Peter H. Jones

Acceleration increases the rate of progress toward system transformation. Systemic outcomes are durable impacts from coordinating foundational changes. We studied the form, leverage, quality, and effectiveness of theories of change in the 35 Joint Programmes of the UN’s Joint SDG Fund. We conducted four analyses on programme strategies: (1) Classified types of Theories of Change, (2) Analyzed cases to identify the most effective JP Theories of Change; (3) Defined how leverage could accelerate the SDGs and their targets for social protection; (4) Analyzed cases to show leverage in the JP’s change strategies. We argue that programmes with systemic theories of change and that show effective leverage will be more effective in accelerating the achievement of social protection. We advise designers of complex change strategies adopting these systemic design tools to formulate strategies for systems-level change. Our analyses identified important tensions in the pursuit of acceleration. While goal acceleration is a means to an end, acceleration can become the goal; we must balance by design for long-term systemic impact. These desiderata are relevant to large-scale transformation contexts such as SDG programmes, climate change strategies, and other contexts where leverage can both accelerate and reach systemic program goals.

Keywords: acceleration, systemic change, strategies, leverage, sustainable development goals (SDGs)

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Citation Data

Author(s): Ryan Murphy, Nenad Rava, and Peter Jones
Year:
Title: Balancing Acceleration and Systemic Impact: Finding leverage for transformation in SDG change strategies
Published in: Proceedings of Relating Systems Thinking and Design
Volume:
Article No.:
URL: https://rsdsymposium.org/
Host:
Location:
Symposium Dates:
First published: 3 September 2021
Last update:
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Copyright Information

Proceedings of Relating Systems Thinking and Design (ISSN 2371-8404) are published annually by the Systemic Design Association, a non-profit scholarly association leading the research and practice of design for complex systems: 3803 Tønsberg, Norway (922 275 696).

Attribution

Open Access article published under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International License. This permits anyone to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or form according to the licence terms.

Suggested citation format (APA)

Author(s). (20##). Article title. Proceedings of Relating Systems Thinking and Design, RSD##. Article ##. rsdsymposium.org/LINK

Publishing with RSD

Proceedings of Relating Systems Thinking and Design are published online and include the contributions for each format.

Papers and presentations are entered into a single-blind peer-review process, meaning reviewers see the authors’ names but not vice versa. Reviewers consider the quality of the proposed contribution and whether it addresses topics of interest or raises relevant issues in systemic design. The review process provides feedback and possible suggestions for modifications.

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Editor: Cheryl May
Advisors:
Peter Jones
Ben Sweeting

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In 2022, the Systemic Design Association adopted the scholar's spiral—a cyclic non-hierarchical approach to advance scholarship—and in 2023, launched Contexts—The Systemic Design Journal. Together, the RSD symposia and Contexts support the vital emergence of supportive opportunities for scholars and practitioners to publish work in the interdisciplinary field of systemic design.

The Systemic Design Association's membership ethos is to co-create the socialization and support for all members to contribute their work, find feedback and collaboration where needed, and pursue their pathways toward research and practice outcomes that naturally build a vital design field for the future.

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