Insight 6: Focus on the Long Haul

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

Government partnerships can provide access to funding on a larger scale. They also increase the possibility that the government will take over a program, which

Systems change requires organizations to be flexible, to quickly pivot if needed. Funding can’t be tied up with so many restrictions as to prevent this

Successful solutions rely on the input and insight of people with firsthand knowledge of the problems. Centering their knowledge requires an ideological shift so that

Sustainable solutions create opportunities for people to strengthen their individual agency and decision-making power. Making it possible for individuals and communities to improve their access

Many solutions need to be transparent and free to achieve the broadest possible scale, providing the necessary information and permissions for others to replicate them.

Deeply entrenched ideas and beliefs can limit the opportunities of certain groups. Working to change dominant narratives — such as prevailing patriarchal or racially biased

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