Resources on systems: Toolkits & Practice Guides

Ok you’re committed to taking a systemic approach, now what?

I’ll tell you what — Total Overwhelm — as you Google it and try and work out where on earth to start.

The good news is there’s been some brilliant collating of tools, frameworks and practice guides for systems change over the last two years.

To make this simple, I’ve looked back through my newsletter content for the last year and condensed this down to the best.

My newsletter is designed to share resources across the field of systems change, so if you want to keep abreast of developments, check it out and sign up. I know everyone hates newsletters, but if you’re interested in systems change, this one is seriously simple and useful.

If you have great resources I’m missing, get in touch (rachel@thesystemstudio.com). And if you missed my blog last month on communicating systems change, you can check this out here.

Systems Toolkits

Toolkit: From the Academy for Systems Change. Taking you through tools for systems leadership, developing a system-wise team, building organizational capacity and engaging stakeholders for systems change. Systems Leaders Fieldbook.

Toolkit: Great list of systems tools and resources, designed for grantmakers, but could be used by anyone. Developed by Geofunders, Systems Grant-making Resource Guide.

Practice Guide: Another useful collection of tools for systemic design from Alberta CoLab, Field Guide to Systems Design.

Practice Guide: Specifically for Innovation Labs, (often used in systems change) Social Innovation Lab Guide from The Waterloo Institute of Social Innovation and Resilience.

Collaboration and community building

Framework: How can we help people create more meaningful communities? This tool is great from Community Canvas.

Toolkit: Nice toolkit from Ashoka on Forming innovative alliances

Systems change for campaigners, activist and organizers

Toolkit: I really, really love this toolkit from the NEON network learn everything from effective campaign strategies for systems change, to building your systems leadership

Measuring systems change

Resource List: Systems change evaluation resources list, from the helpful people at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation