School of System Change in Health

Learn to rethink health system transformation: revolutionise your ability to lead and facilitate change in health through our journey into the foundations of systems change practice.

5 months

fundamentals

Online
Select session
2025
30mins
APPLICATIONS OPEN Feb 03
Applications have closed

Rethinking health system transformation

Welcome to our School of System Change in Health course tailored for health leaders who are eager to drive transformation within the health systems in which they operate. At the School of System Change, we recognise health leaders as catalysts for change, not only at an individual level but also through the ripple effects they create within their organisations and broader ecosystems.

We firmly believe that by nurturing a community of systems change leaders within the health sector, we can significantly accelerate the shift towards a new paradigm in health. A paradigm which emphasises novel ways of action, heightened agency, and conscious leadership - all essential components for co-creating health systems capable of thriving in a complex and uncertain future.

Our goal is ambitious yet essential. We aim to equip health actors with the skills necessary to cultivate, lead, and facilitate profound changes across diverse sectors and geographical landscapes. By doing so, we aspire to build momentum and foster a vibrant community of systemic practitioners in health.

Is this course for you?

Do you find yourself lying awake at night, pondering the same questions that keep us awake too?

  • What does it take to design health systems that nurture people's well-being and resilience rather than simply treating their illnesses?
  • How do we craft health systems that prioritise both human and planetary health?
  • How might we build resilience at the individual, community and system level?
  • How can we infuse more humanity into healthcare?
  • Who bears the responsibility for reimagining our health systems - is it us?
  • How can we possibly rethink health systems when healthcare professionals are constantly battling daily crises?
  • Who is the health workforce of the future? 
  • And many more…

We understand the profound tension between the commitment to caring for patients on the frontline and the urgent need to transform and rethink our health systems. This tension often leaves health leaders and practitioners feeling paralysed, even hopeless. Some of us may have spent years applying temporary fixes to complex issues, only to find ourselves stuck in a cycle of perpetual firefighting.

If these questions resonate with you, then you're exactly who we designed this programme for. Join us as we navigate this journey together, empowering us to break free from the constraints of traditional thinking and pave the way for a future where health systems truly serve the needs of individuals and the planet alike.

What to expect

On this course, you will embark on a transformative journey where you will have the opportunity to explore your personal inquiries within your respective field, using systemic tools to dissect complex challenges. Funded by the Johnson & Johnson Foundation and delivered in partnership with Inner Ripple, our facilitation team will host you in facilitated workshops, peer learning, and reflections to apply systems thinking to your personal inquiry. This is not just another Zoom-delivered programme - it is designed as an inspiring, thought-provoking breathing space enabling you to approach your work in a completely new way. World-class practitioners will be your guides, bringing a plethora of disciplines from across the health and systems fields to meet the needs of your practice and learning style.

At the School of System Change we believe that the most powerful learning experience exposes you to a broad range of tools, frameworks and approaches to help you find the best way in for you. Learn more about our multi-method approach to systems change learning. Through guided support and experiential learning, you will unravel the intricate layers of your inquiry, fostering deep understanding and innovative solutions tailored to your unique context.

Learning Outcomes

Through this course you will learn to:

  • Co-inquire on the multifaceted aspects of health system transformation
  • See patterns and connections, applied to different health contexts
  • Understand systems change as a process, practice, and an outcome
  • Navigate a variety of systemic framings and approaches
  • Apply different tools and methods to gain deeper insights into your personal inquiry

As much as you will come away with systems change learning, you’ll also emerge from the experience as changed people - adopting new mindsets, worldviews and approaches to solving problems. And last but not least, you’ll have developed relationships with other like-minded changemakers and belong to a community of practice.

Learn more about the School's curriculum

Module 1 will focus on sharpening your understanding of systems change, using practical approaches to explore dynamics of change, and deepening your appreciation of how worldviews shape your thinking and the multi-faceted aspects of health system transformation. Content is brought in by several contributors and experienced practitioners from various backgrounds who introduce their frameworks, approaches and perspectives from complexity, systems thinking, futures, transitions, living systems and regenerative practices.

Module 2 will support you in strengthening your systemic practices and applying these to your field of interest. You will develop strategies for creating deep change with small interventions. You will learn about how to work differently with others, addressing equity, power and working with conflict as well as enabling collaboration. The whole programme is underpinned by action inquiry, giving you the opportunity to sit with the challenges you have been experiencing and gather new insights and perspectives on how to best intervene and facilitate change.

Module 3 will explore facilitation as an essential systemic practice, focusing on noticing patterns, observing group dynamics, and enabling collective wisdom to surface. Through reflective exercises and real-time experimentation, you will deepen your capacity to navigate complexity and work with different power dynamics to guide the birth of new ideas and new collaborations, by holding space for transformative processes to unfold. In your 1:1 coaching session you will have the opportunity to dive deeper into your individual development of practice or inquiry and get support for your applied experimentation.

Date & Time

Course dates

  • Module 1
    • Part 1: 7 & 8 April 2025
    • Part 2: 14 & 15 April 2025
  • Module 2
    • Part 1: 12 & 13 May 2025
    • Part 2: 19 & 20 May 2025
  • Module 3
    • Part 1: 1 & 2 September 2025
    • Part 2: 8, 9 & 11 September 2025

The programme is a 5-month online learning journey made up of three modules. Online learning cohort time will total at 52 hours over the five months. Each participant will have one 50-minute 1:1 coaching session as part of Module 3.

Timing

All online sessions will be held within 08:00-12:00 ET / 13:00-17:00 BST / 14:00-18:00 CEST / 15:00-19:00 CAT.

Participants must commit to participating in all of the online sessions and contributing constructively to peer group learning, as much as possible. You can join from anywhere in the world, so long as you can attend the times listed above and keep your camera on.

Check your time zone

How much time will I need to commit outside of sessions?

We typically recommend around 2 hours per week between full-cohort sessions. This includes peer learning group time organised with your team on top of time you spend taking the content into your work or processing information while walking to meetings. We give this estimation as a rough guide so you know what to expect - this is a ‘the more you put in, the more you get out’ situation.

To get the most out of this experience, we ask that you do everything you can to arrange your schedule so you can be fully present for all sessions. This is to support the learning experience of your fellow participants as well as your own.

Facilitators & Contributors

Facilitators

Marion Birnstill

Founder, Inner Ripple; Collaborative partner of the School of System Change
Facilitator

Marion's journey in philanthropy, social change, and partnership co-creation spans over...

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Payam Yuce Isik

Facilitator and Coach at Tribe - Dialogue Change Leadership
Facilitator, Contributor

Payam is an executive and team coach and a facilitator. Her work focuses on creating di...

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Producer

Clara Hesseler

Producer at the School of System Change / Forum for the Future

In the last years, Clara (she/her) has been strongly involved in climate activism and g...

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Contributors

We are always evolving our content to bring you the cutting-edge of systems change. Contributors for this year’s programmes are being finalised. Previously, content was brought by:

Joy Green

Systemic Futurist
Contributor

Joy is deeply experienced in using Futures for system change. She was previously the Pr...

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Martin Kalungu-Banda

Senior Faculty at Presencing Institute
Contributor

Martin has worked at senior levels in business, government and international developmen...

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Belamie Peddle

Partner, facilitator, supervisor and instructor at Lewis Deep Democracy
Contributor
Health

Belamie specialises in giving people the skills and tools to manage the messy realities...

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Louise Armstrong

Process doula, freelance systems change designer, facilitator and coach
Facilitator

Louise is constantly exploring what it means to live change. She’s a loyal friend, part...

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Dr Jean Boulton

Visiting Senior Research Fellow, University of Bath
Contributor

Jean teaches, researches, consults and writes about the implications of ‘embracing comp...

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Rupesh Shah

Senior Lecturer and Staff Tutor, School of Engineering and Innovation, The Open University
Contributor
Health

Rupesh has supported learning about systems thinking at the Open University for almost ...

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Nora Murphy Johnson

Co-Founder and President at Inspire to Change
Contributor

Nora Murphy Johnson, PhD, is the President of Inspire to Change. She holds a PhD in Eva...

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Dr Rachna Chowla

Joint Director of Clinical Strategy, King's Health Partners
Contributor
Health

A Doctor at heart, I speak the language of medicine. But, coupled with my MBA, Big Phar...

Read more

As well as Angela Gichaga, Health Financing Alliance; Karolien van Brekel, International Positive Health Institute; Nadia Sandi; Lauren Hermanus, How We Adapt; and Margaret Hannah, International Futures Forum.

Cohort

This course is right for you if:

  • You have a strategic role and/or capacity to experiment and advocate for new models of care within your ecosystem and aspire to spark transformational change in the way health is governed, financed, organised and delivered
  • You are looking to really dive into systems change and develop your practice through learning multiple methods and approaches from across the field
  • You are interested in working towards a more just, equitable and regenerative future
  • You are ready to dive into the unknown, challenge your assumptions, and commit to the work required to get the most out of the programme

People working for pharmaceutical or medical device companies, and/or consulting firms in the health sector are welcome to apply.

If you are looking for a shorter introduction to systems change, our Delta course might be right for you.

Who else will be on the course?

This programme is designed for a cross-section of professionals who can influence health systems at a regional, national or local level. We are not only looking for people who work in healthcare settings, but also those whose work contributes to the wider health of society. We expect that our participants will have varied backgrounds and contexts and this is fine (and in fact desired). 

Mirroring systems change principles in our cohort, we aim for a group of diverse people, from organisations such as:

  • Public-sector providers
  • Public-private partnerships in health, health system strengthening, health system transformation 
  • NGOs focusing on health, capacity building, asset development (or community development where health plays a major role)
  • Private healthcare providers seeking innovative approaches to advancing global health equity, fostering sustainable healthcare, or developing interventions that intersect with fields like climate and food systems.
  • Government and healthcare insurance agencies representatives, assessment departments or policy units
  • Or anyone looking to make a mark on health system transformation with a strong appetite for change and agency

Equity & Diversity

We seek to create safe and brave spaces for participants from different backgrounds and lived experience to engage in learning together. We acknowledge the power and responsibility we hold in our role as a convenor and learning provider, placing multiple ways of knowing and awareness of difference as fundamental design principles in our programmes.

Read more about our commitment and journey around equity and difference.

Accessibility

If you will need additional support for your wellbeing or access needs, then please let the team know as soon as possible, so we can factor this into our session design. You can let us know in the application form or email us at [email protected] - we are happy to arrange a call to discuss how we can support your learning. Our producer, Clara, will also be on hand throughout the course if you have any questions or concerns to raise.

Course Fees

Full rate: 3500 GBP
For people in countries with strong economies, larger organisations and well-paid professionals.

Middle rate: 1750 GBP
For people in countries with moderate economies, small organisations (fewer than 10 employees) and individuals.

Discounted rate: 500 - 1000 GBP
For people in need of financial assistance to support their learning. Only a few discounted rate slots are allocated to each cohort.

Add Ons: £100 GBP per each additional 1:1 coaching session (50min)
Each participant will have one 50min 1:1 coaching session as part of Module 3.

If you have any questions about course fees or if these are a barrier to you joining the course, please reach out to [email protected].

Info Sessions

To learn more about the course and meet the hosting team, please join an information session:

  • Mon 24 February, 11am-12pm ET / 4-5pm GMT / 5-6pm CET / 6-7pm CAT
  • Mon 10 March, 11am-12pm ET / 3-4pm GMT / 4-5pm CET CET / 5-6pm CAT

Apply

Complete our application form by Wednesday 19 March 2025, 13:00 CET. It usually takes about 30 minutes and you can save your progress as you go.

Apply

About Inner Ripple

Inner Ripple operates at the intersection of Inner-led change, Regenerative Futures, and the humanisation of health systems, offering spaces for shared reflection on the profound physical and emotional toll of living through, hoping for, and working on change. By expanding how we design transformational pathways, Inner Ripple seeks to move beyond the paradigms that created our current crises, nurturing a future consciousness rooted in care, humanity, and collective healing.

Contact Us

Want to speak with one of our team to answer any specific questions you may have? Please email us at [email protected] and we'll be in touch to help. We look forward to hearing from you!

30mins
APPLICATIONS OPEN Feb 03