Luiza Moreira and Luiz Francisco Araújo
The Third Sector plays a fundamental role in addressing complex societal challenges in areas such as health, education, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion. However, despite its potential, there is a lack of consolidated studies on how systemic design methodologies can be applied in nonprofit contexts.
This research conducted a narrative literature review with an exploratory and descriptive approach. Searches were carried out using Google Scholar and SciELO with the terms “Systemic Design,” “Systems Thinking,” “Third Sector,” and “Social Sector.” From 25 initially identified articles, 12 were selected after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, focusing on diversity, methodological richness, and relevance.
The review identified recurring challenges, such as cultural resistance, methodological rigidity, resource limitations, and difficulties in stakeholder alignment. At the same time, successful cases demonstrated the potential of systemic design to foster collaboration, integrate local knowledge, and generate sustainable strategies.
The findings suggest that systemic design is still a relatively underexplored field within the Third Sector, reinforcing the relevance of further research. We recommend separating analytical evaluation from critical discussion to clarify contributions and limitations. Overall, systemic design emerges as a promising framework for strengthening organisational resilience, promoting social innovation, and addressing complex systemic issues.
Systemic design provides nonprofit organisations with holistic and participatory tools that can improve decision-making and long-term impact. Future research should expand longitudinal evaluations and invest in context-specific methodologies.
Keywords: systemic design, third sector, social innovation