METHOD OF TRANSFORMING
PROJECTS INTO SYSTEMIC CHANGE
Vincentian Family
Systemic Change Meeting
November 4-7, 2010, Belleville, Illinois
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Systemic Change:
•It is a process that favors a
structural change of a whole system
•It is a change that leads to a radical transformation of
the life of the excluded through specific strategies,
needed to produce those changes
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Systemic Change:
“Our project, although it may not
achieve a radical transformation in the lives of our
brothers and sisters, is a necessary project.”
What should we do?
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Do people change?
It is a fact that most people
do not want to change
What it is difficult to transform is the mentality, our
mentality, in order to generate transforming strategies.
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M The Marillac Vincentian Center
on the road towards transformation ARILLAC
VINCENTIAN CENTER
 SOCIAL CO RESPONSIBILITY
 AND EDUCATION
 FOR A WORLD WITHOUT VIOLENCE
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The Center is located in a very poor
community
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Our efforts did not contribute to improve the quality
of life of the members of the community
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A radical Change was needed
“Training women to achieve
their empowerment”
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“Social Co-responsibility for
a world without Violence”
Process leading to transformation
Methods employed:
• The Flow of Change
• Strategies for Systemic Change
The strategies of Systemic Change are at the same
time:
•
Doctrinal Frame
• Guide /Action Lines
• Criteria for Projects evaluations
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Mission oriented Strategies
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1. Establishing the urgency to change
It is a fact that most people do not want to change
•
People will be more committed to changing
if the change speaks to their hearts.
•
The primary challenge is to change behavior
•
This may be best accomplished by enabling people to see a
truth that influences their feelings
The heart of change
is in emotion
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• Is the project still needed?
• Does it respond to the present needs of the population?
• Which are the problems that have been detected?
• What are the reasons for changing?
• The risks for not changing?
• Why the project has not transformed the lives
of the people who are poor?
• What results do we expect to achieve with the
project?
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Our project did not respond
to the real needs of the population
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2. Create a transformational vision
There must be a vision to direct the change effort, so
that the possible “futures” may be seen.
Where transformation is desired, there should be
effective strategies to achieve strategic changes.
The new vision implies a redefinition of the project’s objectives
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Holistic Vision: spiritual and corporal
Work
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Education
Money
Health
Food
Holistic Vision:
Inclusion of subsystems
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“Social coresponsibility and education
for a world without violence”
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Promoting a culture of gender equality
“It is not enough to do good,
we must do good well”
without attacking poverty causes,
it is impossible to achieve a truly transforming effect.
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3. Build the guiding team
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4. Communicate the vision for buy-in
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Collaboration and networks that
give place to a new project
5. Empower others to act according to the vision
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Exemplary leaders
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Young women from the community,
members of the guiding team
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6. Create short-term wins
• Long term visions may be broken down into
short terms sub goals
• Incremental change and small wins build
confidence
• These contributions toward change should
be celebrated
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Reconstruction and readaptation of the Center
Program “Three in One” 2009
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Examples of short term wins
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April
May
June
Creation of a network
-----------------
---------------
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Reconstruction of the
--------------
Center
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-----------------------
Equipment
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5
July
Inclusion of women
from the community
Guiding team
--------------------
-------------------
7. Don’t Let Up
• The vision must be
supported by all systems,
structures and policies
• If one part of the organization
changes, then other parts of the
organization need to be examined
for ripple effects
• The urgency at the beginning of the change effort
needs to continue, even after small wins occur
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How is the project seen for the future
Women as multiplying agents
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How is the project seen for the future
• Multiplying and generator effect
• Women of the community facilitating the talks and workshops
• New leaderships among the women
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Horizontal multiplying effect
Vincentian Center in
San Luís Potosí
Marillac Center
“Social co responsibility for
a world without violence”
Pilot project: Multiplying
effect in all the
Vincentian volunteers’
centers in the country
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8. Institutionalize new methods,
policies and strategies
• Any new culture that is working well
for the organization should not only
be “frozen” into place but
continuously nurtured
• Role modeling on the part of the leaders and key individuals will
constantly remind organizational members of the higher purpose
values and behaviors that keep their culture strong
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Some of the main
ACTIVITIES
according to the new vision
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Promotion of ethical and Christian values
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Psychological assistance for women
and for whoever requires it
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Human rights and Legal and judicial support
 Respect of their human rights,
specially their right to live with
dignity and free from violence
 A complaint department of the
Human Rights Commission
 Talks and workshops
 Legal counseling
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Health Brigades
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Mediation between couples
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“SUSTENTA” program
(Food Bank)
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Workshop: Prevention of violence against
women and children abuse (CAVIF)
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Workshop for parents:
“How to communicate with my children”
“Families free of Violence” …
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Computing classes
Use of Windows and the most common programs:
Word, Excel, PowerPoint
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Transform your life practicing
Yoga
Discover your inner self
and fill your life with energy and peace
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CENTRO MARILLAC
ACTIVITIES ADDRESSED TO MEN, YOUNGSTERS
AND CHILDREN
Integral formation for men, young people and
children (IEEA)
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Spiritual Formation, ethical and moral values
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Different opportunities for young people
TEMZCALLI: Organization to prevent addictions
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Different opportunities for young people
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Workshops on preventive health for
youngsters (IMSS/Colegio de Médicas Potosinas)
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Summer Camp and
extracurricular activities for children
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Prevention of accidents and burns
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Social Work
 Detection of individual, familiar and
communitarian problems
 Surveys, interviews, personalized attention, and
socio-economical studies
 Cases analysis
 Projects for personal and
communitarian improvement
 Promotion of the Center’s activities

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Counseling and attention to families that
suffer from extreme poverty and violence
 Vincentian Listening
Center
 Attention to their physical and
emotional health
 Psychological and legal




counseling
Nutritional support
Work and social security
Medical and dental attention
Home improvement, etc.

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CONCLUSION
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