Becoming a learning and practice partner
As the world’s major social and environmental issues intensify, there is increased activity and investment in tackling them. Yet we are not seeing the results we need. Organisations require new ways of thinking, acting, and being that support them to embrace complexity and address the challenges of our time. Systems change offers a practical approach.
A learning and practice partnership enables you to learn to lead change in complexity: working relationally, at multiple levels, and adapting to our alive and constantly changing world to transform systems for a just and regenerative future.
Leading systems change initiatives can be overwhelming and difficult. Our experience is that those walking this winding path can benefit from an ally to accompany them, offering guidance, inspiration and resources along the way.
We understand that investing in change is a transformative step, and should be tailored to your unique needs. When you embark on a partnership with us, we will discuss your ambitions and co-design the best approach.
Whether that’s long-term accompaniment during an initiative, a tailored course to develop capabilities, or a blend of both, we can support you to:
Download our 1-pager for a summary of how we can support you. To receive our monthly newsletter with systems change resources, insights and inspiration, share your email with us.
To discover how a learning and practice partnership can help your organisation or network thrive, get in touch with Sean, our Learning and Practice Partner Lead, at [email protected].
How we will work together
Our accompaniment approach
As a learning and practice partner, we walk alongside you to understand your emerging needs, help you make decisions, step into action, and enable you to build the skills and confidence needed to realise your boldest aspirations. Together, we’ll cultivate systemic practices and processes that drive transformative change in your work so you can design and deliver approaches to achieve your ambitions.
Through a bespoke blend of coaching, designing and delivering tailored courses and learning sessions, facilitating processes, and curation and development of resources, we accompany you to find the best overall learning and practice approach for your change work and to apply this to your context.
“Adopting a strategy that was clear in its ambitions to effect systemic change changed the way we approach our work. It changed the way I think and understand the complex challenges we face.”
Is our accompaniment approach right for you?
Accompaniment is right for you if:
You need a bespoke approach to learning and capacity building for systems change in your organisation that is iterative and adapts to your emerging needs.
You want your team to learn about systems change together, so you can apply learnings directly to the work you are doing together.
You need 1:1 support as you navigate leading the design, delivery and cultivation of systems change practice in your organisation.
You have a specific systems change goal that you need support in achieving.
You want to simultaneously build capabilities and work towards a goal.
You are likely to have a distinct challenge or question that you want longer-term support for. Previously, we have supported learning and practice partners to:
Develop a systems change strategy and organisational systems practice framework (covering practice, process, and outcome).
Design and embed a new strategy and MEL approach (monitoring, evaluation, learning) that embraces complexity and enables iterative adaptation.
Onboard new people in an organisation with systems change introductory sessions.
Build team facilitation skills ensuring there is lasting in-house capacity to sustain impact beyond our partnership.
Undertake a governance transformation process.
Prototype multi-stakeholder systems initiatives enabling actors to organise within and across sectors.
What to expect
Lineage
The field and practice of systems change is rich and evolving. Our learning and practice partnership approach is built upon the shoulders of many different practitioners and knowledge systems.
We’d like to acknowledge some of the strongest influences:
- Organization Unbound’s Accompanied Learning
- John Paul Lederach’s Accompaniment
Who we have worked with
We have worked with organisations such as Small, Drosos, and Bosch Foundations; IDH Trade, UKRI Net Zero initiative with local authorities, WWF, Royal Society of Chemistry, and OnPurpose; on areas such as systems change curriculum development, systems change initiative design, organisational governance, MEL development, and more.
Learn more about specific partnerships below. Come back to this page as we add more examples.
Drosos Foundation
Since 2022, the School has worked with Drosos Foundation as a learning and practice partner to rethink its role in supporting change - not just through funding, but in how it works, learns, and collaborates. We accompanied Drosos Foundation through a process of organisational alignment that laid the groundwork for a global, yet contextually adaptable and flexible strategy across multiple regions.
Tailored courses
If you’re not ready for a longer-term partnership or don’t need one at this time, we can start working together on a tailored course.
When creating a tailored course, we work closely with you to craft bespoke content, harnessing the collective experience of our facilitators and contributors to bring our multi-method approach to life in a way that’s right for your organisation. A co-designed learning journey for your team or organisation offers interactive and applied learning that grows a practical understanding of systems change.
We have designed and delivered courses on areas such as:
- Leadership for systems change
- Systems change programme development
- Convening as a process of change
- An introduction to systemic practice
Take a look at our course pages, our Constellating Change and MEL learning and practice series, and Anna’s article about our refreshed curriculum for a sense of the breadth of our content, learning outcomes, and some of the different practices we can help you to cultivate.
Get in touch
Interested in bringing systems change learning into your work, or want to find out more? Get in touch with Sean, our Learning and Practice Partner Lead, at [email protected] to discover how a learning and practice partnership can help your organisation or network thrive.
