Session Description
The world is changing in many different ways, creating numerous challenges to Impact Assessment. Foremost among these challenges, marked by uncertainty, interdependence and rapid change, are the planetary boundaries. Strategic and Systems Thinking can align to boost Impact Assessment to move beyond procedural compliance and impacts prediction of effects of discrete interventions. Strategic thinking takes a long shot into futures direction, led by purpose, seeking options to meet the purpose. Systems thinking reveals connections and feedbacks, cumulative effects and thresholds that linear approaches often miss. Together, they enable the identification of leverage points, foreclose unintended consequences, and compare pathways under different assumptions about the future. Together they are well placed to assess planetary recovery mitigation/regeneration alternatives. This integration also strengthens participation, with stakeholders exploring shared problems, values and uncertainties, co-creating solutions, instead of only reacting to predetermined proposals. With strategic and systems thinking a learning and governance process gets in place to support impact assessment to become more adaptive, influential and capable of guiding transformative action toward desirable futures. With this session I seek to invite all those using strategic and systems thinking in impact assessment, complementary or in an integrated way, to come forward and to share their practices and learnings.
This workshop complements the Fit for Future Initiative and related IAIA discussions on Global Commons Alliance
Session Summary
Strategic and systems thinking are well placed to assess planetary recovery, capable of guiding transformative action in a learning and governance process. With this session I seek to call upon those outthere thinking strategically and in systems in IA to share their practices and learnings.
Additional Information
This workshop complements the Fit for Future Initiative and related IAIA discussions on Global Commons Alliance partner initiatives. 3F is proposing a stream called “Systems and strategic thinking for planetary recovery”. To maximise cross-participation and avoid duplication, please schedule it so it does not overlap with other sessions proposed for this stream.
Session Chair
Maria Rosario Partidario
Tecnico - Universidade de Lisboa
Portugal