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Featured stories

Read about our latest activities, blog posts and publications.

Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs): Reducing the waste mountain using systems thinking

The ESR Social Systems Team was represented at the 2021 Aotearoa Virtual SDG Summit “Collaboration for Systemic Change(external link)”. The team, along with Justin Connolly of Deliberate(external link)(external link), ran a workshop for participants to explore using systems thinking tools to develop action plans that would effectively reduce solid waste. The workshop “Utilising systems thinking to address waste minimisation” can be viewed here(external link), and the notes from the workshop can be downloaded here(external link)(external link). The team has plans to continue to be involved in the SDG Alliance to promote localised action on SDGs.

Systems Dynamics conference: causal loops, collaboration and change

Sudesh and Suzanne presented the team’s work on Beyond Behaviour Change for waste minimisation at the virtual international conference of the Systems Dynamics Society. Sudesh’s presentation focused on the systems insights from the research that showed how we could create effective social change to reduce waste. Suzanne explained the collaborative methods that were used to get stakeholder input for the research - in the middle of a pandemic. In addition, Suzanne wrote a Conference Highlights blog post(external link) which reviewed conference presentations which analysed gender issues. The conference, of which Sudesh has been a regular attendee, is an opportunity for members of the team to learn more about the theory and practice of systems dynamics.

Special Issue on Systems and Complexity Informed Evaluation Practice

Systems and complexity informed evaluation practice is the topic of a recent issue of New Directions for Evaluation(external link). The issue was co-edited by Mat Walton along with Emily Gates and Pablo Vidueira. The issue consists of several examples of systems and complexity used within evaluation practice, including an article(external link) by Maria Hepi and colleagues reflecting on collaborative work between ESR and Hauora Hokianga and hapū. Reflections and suggestions(external link) for continued development of the field are also featured.