Top picks from Raccords and our guests, Annika and Darcy

Our contributors, Annika Voltan and Darcy Riddell, share their favourite resources for further exploration of the systems change approach:

Stanford Social Innovation Review
A favourite of Annika’s, this magazine and its related media (including a blog, a podcast, a newsletter, and more) offer foundational as well as emerging perspectives on issues of social innovation and systems change. Both accessible and rigorous, the contents offer insights into current research and its application in real-world contexts. A veritable gold mine!
“Stories of Change”
Darcy highly recommends this video series by the School of System Change, a UK-based capacity-building school for systems change led by Dr. Anna Birney. Each video presents a story of change illustrating a systemic schema, along with an accompanying toolkit for digging into both the story of change and the schema. This is a very insightful turnkey tool.
The Systems Sanctuary
Cited as a favourite by both Darcy and Annika, The Systems Sanctuary is a learning and support community for change leaders. It offers peer-to-peer learning opportunities, a place to share experiences and ideas, and research and resources.
Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows
The Raccords team would like to put in our two cents here and recommend this must-read book on the systems approach. A pioneer whose work has sparked international debate on the Earth’s capacity to support human development, Donella Meadows offers key insights that are essential for developing our systems thinking skills and dealing with today’s challenges.
“Systems Thinking is Not Optional: Lessons From a Pandemic”, by Steve Woodsmall
Raccords also recommends this TED talk in which the politician, activist, and outspoken systems approach advocate Steve Woodsmall explains why quick fixes to complex problems usually fail. His vivid explanations help to clarify why the systems approach is more effective than non-systemic alternatives.

Read the other sections of this issue

THE PODCAST

Forget about one-size-fits-all solutions to complex problems

Recorded remotely on October 21, 2021, this podcast is a conversation with Annika Voltan, Executive Director of the Community Sector Council of Nova Scotia… Read more and listen to the podcast

THE INTERVIEW

How can we equip ourselves to make use of the systems approach?

For Darcy Riddell, Consultant in Strategy and Systems Change, the systems approach is the only way to observe and take action in the world so that we can achieve positive change… Read more

THE VIDEO

Discovering transitional-space projects in Montreal to illustrate the systems approach

Real estate development is a good example of a milieu characterized by systemic dynamics. In particular, it involves property issues and questions of use and ownership… Read more and view the video