Addressing Global
Change Challenges
Developing organizational innovation
Steve Waddell
Co-Lead Steward
GAN-Net
+1 (617) 482-3993
swaddell@gan-net.net
…making globalization work for all!
Agenda
1. Introductions (90 seconds each)
2. Behaviour over Time Chart – dialogue
tool
3. Global Action Networks – potential
solution
4. Principles for Global Change – guiding
framework
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Introductions – 90 seconds each
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Reflection
Name
Organization
What are you passionate about?
Why did you choose this workshop?
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Behaviour Over Time Chart




Reference Behaviour Pattern
From events to patterns
Builds consensus on scale
A start to systems dynamics modeling
4
Example:
CARE and “Poverty” in Guatemala
This helped us shift
our focus, as a group.
Capacidad de desarrollar
mi propio potencial
(control de auto-determinación)
Ultima
10
auto-determinación
Democracia real
y justicia
Estado deseado
8
6
3
Acuerdos de Paz
1996
FRG
2000
La Brecha
Regreso a la democracia
1985
Estado actual
Falta de
auto-determinación
Esclavitud/
autoritarismo
0
-20 años
(1 generación)
hoy
20 años
(1 generación)
Tiempo
Source: Interviews and workshop with 10 CARE employees January 2004.
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You Assignment: Draw a BoT for
“Sustainability”
10
Sustainability:
the possibility that
humans and other
life flourish on the
Earth forever.
0
1977
2007
2037
6
From an
organizing perspective
…what is needed to respond to
this scale of challenge?
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From a “Government World”
National
Governments
Big Labor
Social
Contract
Negotiations Big Business
8
To a “Governance World”
Political
System
Government
Natural
Environment
Economic
System
Business
Social
System
Community-Based
Organizations
9
From an Organization-Centric
World
Business
Associations
Government
Investors
Communities
Suppliers Business Customers
Pressure
Groups
Business
Employees
Competitors
10
To an Issue/Opportunity-Centric
World
Business
NGO
Gvt.
NGO
Issue/ Gvt.
Opportunity
Business
Business
NGO
Gvt.
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From a Hierarchical World…to a
Network World
Organization
Partnership
Network
Number of
Legally Distinct
Dntities
One
Small to Modest Very large
Organizing
Structure
Hierarchical
Spoke and
wheel
Multi-hub
Organizing
Logic
Administering/
Managing
Coordination
Coherence
Operating
Focus
Organization
Task
System
Participation
Closed
Highly
controlled
Loosely
controlled
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From an Inter-national World
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To a Global World
From 1st & 2nd…to 3rd Order Change
First Order
Second Order Change
Third Order Change
Desired
Outcome
“More (or less) of
the same.”
Reform
Transformation
Purpose
To improve the
performance of
the established
system.
To change the system to
address shortcomings
and respond to the needs
of stakeholders
To address problems from a
whole-system perspective
Replicates the
established
decision making
group and power
relationships
Brings relevant
stakeholders into the
problem solving
conversation in ways that
enable them to influence
the decision making
process
Creates a microcosm of the
problem system, with all
participants coming in on an
equal footing as issue owners
and decision makers
Confirms existing
rules. Preserves
the established
power structure
and relationships
among actors in
the system
Opens existing rules to
revision. Suspends
established power
relationships; promotes
authentic interactions;
creates a space for
genuine reform of the
system
Participation
Process
Opens issue to creation of
entirely new ways of thinking.
Promotes transformation of
relationships with whole-system
awareness and identity;
promotes examination of the
deep structures that sustain the
system; creates a space for
fundamental system change
Global Action Networks (GANs):
Possibly a critical innovation
1. Global
2. Focused on issues for the public good
3. Inter-Organizational Networks
 Not between individuals
4. Diversity-Embracing & Boundary-crossing
 North/South, rich/poor, policy makers, technoscientists, funders, global institutions, professional
disciplines, and cultures
5. Systemic change agents
 Engaging business, government, and civil society
(non-profit) organizations
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A few dozen GANs—and growing…
Some GANs that have participated in GAN-Net activities:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Building Partnerships for Dev. in Water and Sanitation
Cooperative Programme on Water and Climate
Forest Stewardship Council
Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition
Global Compact
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Global Knowledge Partnership
Global Reporting Initiative
Global Water Partnership
Global Youth Action Network
Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict
International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development
IUCN – The World Conservation Union
International Fair Trade Association
Marine Stewardship Council
Microcredit Summit Campaign
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership
Social Accountability International
The Access Initiative (TAI)/ Partnership for Principle 10
Transparency International
Youth Employment Summit Campaign
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Your Assignment:
 Identify key organizing and change design
principles and the meta-level work that are
necessary to realize
the possibility that humans and other life
flourish on the Earth forever.
 Principles are not values…they should provide guidance
for people who want to steward the emergence of
sustainability. What are the design principles of the
organization that YOU would advocate?
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Societal Learning and Change Matrix
Societal
Political
Systems
Economic
Systems
Social Systems
Sectoral
The State
Sector
The Market
Sector
The Social
Sector
Organiza- Government Businesses
tional
agencies
Communitybased Orgs.
Individual Mentally
centered
Emotionally
centered
Physically
centered
Waddell, Steve. (2005). Societal Learning and Change: How Governments, Business and Civil
Society are Creating Solutions to Complex Multi-Stakeholder Problems. Sheffield, UK, Greenleaf
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Publishing.
Suggested Principles
1. Make the approach multi-stakeholder;
2. Aggregate stakeholders by organisational
sectors;
3. Address the individual to societal change
challenges;
4. Make ‘learning’ a core value;
5. Understand the work as building complex
systems;
6. Organise for ‘third-order’ change; and
7. Think in terms of development stages.
Waddell, Steve. 2007. "Realising Global Change: Developing the Tools, Building the
Infrastructure." Journal of Corporate Citizenship Special Issue. No. 26. Summer.
www.gan-net.net
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…making globalization work for all!
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