Building Systems Thinking Capacity for Systems Change: A Behavioural Science Lens

Navigating and dealing with nonlinear, complex problems is the new norm, yet most organisations, including the public sector, who is often the gatekeeper of large systemic change interventions, still predominantly operate with a traditional, linear toolbox.

Subsequently, systems thinking, and the tools and methods it offers, has been increasingly called for, both as an approach and a competency for decision makers in the context of addressing climate change, health, sustainable development or similar complex wicked problems. In its application, it is seen as both a method and toolkit to inform the design and practice of multipronged interventions for accelerated system level change. Yet, the confusion around what exactly systems thinking entails and what "taking a systems approach" subsequently means, makes turning this call into practice an uphill battle for both practitioners and academics.

The aim of this research is to deepen our understanding of how systems thinking is embedded in public sector organisations to build internal capacity for complex problem solving and systems change. Applying a behavioural science lens, it will explore what this capacity ‘looks like’ at different levels of organisational hierarchy and in different settings, how it is experienced when done well, as well as identify enabling contexts and settings. It will draw on both, practice and academic perspectives, to identify overlaps, differences, and gaps to inform future research and implementation practice.