Systems Change

A main finding from this project is the importance of taking a holistic perspective to sustainability innovations. A holistic perspective is essential for success and involves new roles, skills and ways of working. The new roles are, for example, innovation intermediation. The new ways of working include co-creation and acting as a network. The new skills include balancing and bridging between stakeholders with diverging logics and world views, taking a systems design approach to tackling challenges, and leading ecosystem networks.

Within this research topic we created

countriesthroughout3Articles7PhDs2Master Theses6

PhDs


Highlighted Stories

THE NETWORK STORY
OF THE FORESTRY CASE

  • (1/4) With this example we want to show how innovation happens in collaboration between multiple stakeholders. The network is gradually increased, but it takes time. This case relates to forestry development in Tanzania. The collaboration between Finland and Tanzania goes back 50 years.
    Following several bi-lateral forestry projects, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Environment and Resources in Tanzania co-initiated the 16 year Private Forestry Program (PFP) that aims to build the industry based on small-holder forest owners. The first 4 year period of the project is implemented by Indufor, a Finland based consultancy.
  • (2/4) The PFP operations are initiated in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. During the first phase, the focus is on planting trees. Tree Growers Associations are formed locally, and through them the small holders get training on how to manage their forests.
    In addition, PFP initiates relations to a wide range of stakeholders, including private companies, local authorities and NGOs. They establish relationships, but with the longer-term aim that the TGA will eventually manage such relations.
  • (3/4) The PFP operations are initiated in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. During the first phase, the focus is on planting trees. Tree Growers Associations are formed locally, and through them the small holders get training on how to manage their forests.
    In addition, PFP initiates relations to a wide range of stakeholders, including private companies, local authorities and NGOs. They establish relationships, but with the longer-term aim that the TGA will eventually manage such relations.
  • (4/4) New Global entered the picture, when PFP was planning how to engage the international private sector. We initiated a field study to deeply understand the activities of PFP. We also became advisors together with forestry investors, and we supported PFP in organising an international forestry conference in Tanzania that brought all stakeholders together.
    One of the participants of the conference was the Finnish sawmill company Slidetec. From New Global our researcher Tatu Lyytinen also initiated a start-up called Pico-tec.

Highighted Stories

Sebkha Sejoumi development project 

Tunis, Tunisia

In this project, New Global is piloting its findings and methods acquired in the past six years. The aim is to illustrate how all this knowhow can be applied in practice.

  • (1/4) Sebkha Sejoumi is a Ramsar protected urban wetland in the heart of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. It is home to a vulnerable ecosystem hosting tens of thousands of migratory birds annually and the surrounding city is creeping closer and closer to its banks every year. The development of Sebkha Sejoumi presents a complex combination of ecological, social, and economic challenges. The natural ecosystem is threatened by urbanisation and its side effects. Development, nonetheless, is needed to improve the living conditions for the people living around the wetland that currently suffer from flooding, youth unemployment, poverty and insecurity.
    Reaching social sustainability is needed to ensure long-term ecological sustainability. The challenges embedded in this project offer a unique opportunity to pilot the New Global interdisciplinary approach to solving complex sustainability challenges by balancing between the social, economic, and environmental perspectives in a holistic and pragmatic way.
  • (2/4) Following discussions on ministerial level between Finland and Tunisia, a group of experts has been complied to make a proposal for a more ecological development of Sebkhat Sijoumi. SYKE (Finnish Environment Institute) provides technical solutions to the environmental challenges, Business Finland looks into financial and institutional aspects, and New Global is responsible for social inclusion and ecologically sustainable urban planning.
    Finnish stakeholders also include the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Finnish Embassy in Tunis. The goal is to find a sustainable solution to the aforementioned challenges and to create a process to achieve that.
  • (3/4) New Global approached the challenge on all fronts. In this project, we wanted to translate our research findings into usable ecosystem leadership methods for multi-stakeholder innovation processes and develop a plan for inclusive business creation during the development project.
    We also proposed approaches to engaging stakeholders and local communities in the design process and to applying inclusive construction models and harnessing grassroots business potentials. In addition to this, we created a draft for the land-use of the area to support both the ecological and social sustainability of the area and proposed a set of tools to improve ecological sustainability in different scales.
  • (4/4) Equally important as the solution, was the process to achieve it. We engaged the communities living around the wetland and worked in close collaboration with local non-governmental organisations and authorities.
    Partly our role was that of an outside facilitator to mediate the collaboration between the local actors. We wanted to ensure that the local communities are engaged in the planning and implementation phases and that the overall solution supports the local economy.

Publications