RELEARNING THE SYSTEMS PRACTICE – AN INFINITE LEARNING JOURNEY TO TRANSFORM COMPLEX SYSTEMS
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Towards the end of 2022 in a UNDP workshop designed to build a learning community and empower policymakers and practitioners in the southern border provinces, more than 50 system practitioners from various government agencies, local government organizations, civil society and communities jointly reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of processes they used to develop local food systems and related policies. They also mutually learn new approaches and tools with a focus on innovative process and systems practice.
The key findings from the co-learning process are that to transform any systems ones must enhance stakeholder participation in every opportunity possible, constantly analyze the powers and interests of those involved, create strategies and communications that are context specific. Importantly, monitoring and evaluation must focus on the learning and adaptation of people involved. Even if you are working on a small project, you can contribute to the systems change: just be aware that your work is part of a complex interconnected system, and when possible, keep reviewing your process, find a common understanding of systems with a community of practitioners, gradually expand your scope of work, and create new high-impact work together with others. Keep repeating the process, going back and forth if needed. Ultimately, the relearning process of systems practice is to expand from a community of practice who develop new practices together to a community of influence where the new practices become new norm.
An infinite game of non-linear complex problems will require an infinite learning process for a community of change-makers.
Reference: UNDP (2021) Guide to Effective Collaborative Action: Deep collaboration for systemic change in food and agricultural commodity systems, NY. 
Reference: UNDP (2021) Guide to Effective Collaborative Action: Deep collaboration for systemic change in food and agricultural commodity systems, NY.
