In order to be effective, and get local buy-in, solutions must be built taking into account specific cultural and social contexts. Systems change will not happen using a one-size-fits-all approach, particularly in terms of applying solutions created in the West in other cultural contexts. To scale, social entrepreneurs and other innovators don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time they want to implement a solution in a new context. They’ve developed strategies to work within a theory of change framework and best practices while maintaining enough flexibility so the solution can be adapted to local environments as needed. Many interviewees spoke about starting with a more general, universal template that can be adjusted and adapted — based on the advice of local experts — for new contexts. Some organizations act as conveners rather than owning the whole process, to tailor solutions to cultural contexts.
Insight 1: Build Partnerships and Collaborate Effectively
A single organization cannot create and sustain systems change alone. It takes collaboration among networks, partnerships and coalitions to maximize the strengths and fill in
