In this week’s episode, Heather Grady from Rockefeller Philanthropic Advisors (RPA) and Tanya Beer, an independent consultant, present the Shifting Systems Initiative Evaluation. The evaluation explores what systems change means to the philanthropic and funding sector, and evaluates the contribution of the Shifting Systems Initiative to the sector.

Our discussion examines systems change practically, and explores alternative entry points such as ‘doing the inner work’, working together, implementing intersectional systems thinking, and trusting in order to cede control and take risks.

Heather and Tanya bring up the fact that thinking about race and systems change is often given low priority and is grossly underfunded. This limits effective action, confirming the perception that systems change and anti-racist action are an inefficient use of philanthropic organisations’ time and resources. We discuss how to move past this blockage into identifying entry points for practical action.

Heather proposes longer-term, more adaptive and responsive funding as a solution that would benefit both the grantees and the funders, who can free up resources and time. Tanya suggests adapting the risk framework so that a lack of systems of change is perceived as the real risk.

Heather Grady is Vice President at Rockefeller Philanthropic Advisors, RPA, and leads the practice area of Environment and Climate Change. She co-founded and leads the Shifting Systems Initiative as part of her work with RPA.

Tanya Beer is an independent consultant. She focuses on strategic learning facilitation for organisations and collaboratives. She's co-author of the evaluation of the Shifting Systems Initiative. Before going freelance, Tanya was Associate Director of the Center for Evaluation Innovation, which pushes evaluation practices in new directions and into areas that are hard to measure, such as advocacy, communications and systems change.

If you’re interested to find out more about their work, take a look here:

• Heather Grady LinkedIn
• Tanya Beer LinkedIn
• Heather Grady X (Twitter)
• Tanya Beer X (Twitter)
• Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
• Centre for Evaluation Innovation

Relevant resources:

• Shifting Systems Initiative
• Evaluation of Shifting Systems Initative
• Edwin Ou - Skoll Foundation