Many of our most vexing social challenges, from poverty to climate change, are borne out of large, complex systems in which the pathway to change is uncertain and non-linear, and patterns and behaviours in the system are deeply entrenched.
Our systems work has focused on strengthening and co-creating the institutions, strategies, and practices that the ECD ecosystem needs to thrive, and increasingly, by situating ECD as a multi-dimensional route to shifting South African inequality.
We strive to record our lessons from this process, with the goal to elevate Global South systems thinking by reflecting on the tactical and theoretical approaches honed by Ilifa.
This detailed case study explores Global South systems thinking, by reflecting on the tactical and theoretical approaches honed by Ilifa to unlock systems change in South Africa’s early childhood development (ECD) ecosystem, and ultimately advance ECD as a critical human development lever.
This summary case study explores Global South systems thinking, by reflecting on the tactical and theoretical approaches honed by Ilifa to unlock systems change in South Africa’s early childhood development (ECD) ecosystem, and ultimately advance ECD as a critical human development lever.
This case study is specifically designed to capture the key lessons for systems change actors, including practitioners, funders, and policymakers, drawing on the experience and impact of Ilifa’s work across the South African ECD ecosystem.
The case study, based on Ilifa’s body of work, contributes to a collective and cumulative body of operational knowledge that can support systems change catalysts to shift system dynamics and expand their toolkits. This learning brief is designed to capture the key lessons for systems change actors, including practitioners, funders, and policymakers, drawing on the experience and impact of Ilifa’s work across the South African ECD ecosystem.
It seeks to provide systems change practitioners with practical lessons for implementing systems change, and acts as a point of discussion for evaluating the role organisations such as Ilifa can play in bringing about systems change.