LocationsUnlocking Complexity with System Thinking in Mozambique: A Journey with UNDP
October 30, 2024
Author: Mário Chilundo, Head of Experimentation | Co-Author: Edo Stork, Resident Representative
Co-Author: Alexandra Antunes, Head of Solutions Mapping | Co-Author: Julieta Massango, Head of Exploration
Setting the stage:
Mozambique, like many other countries, faces complex development challenges that require more effective, innovative, and new approaches. Out of many possible issues, UNDP Mozambique has identified challenges such as economic diversification, youth employment, and resilient infrastructure to be candidates for a new way of working using systems thinking that is different from the regular project management and traditional results-based management approach. UNDP calls this new approach the “portfolio approach”.
On the journey of engaging Systems Thinking using a Portfolio approach, the UNDP Mozambique country office is paving the way for more a more effective, participative, and agile approach. Together with representatives from various Ministries, and with the support of NORCAP (part of our partnership with the Norwegian Refugee Council, we embarked on a transformative Systems Thinking Training.
Figure 1: put a brief description of this and why it is relevant
Who and why?
The training brought together 40 participants from different portfolio teams — Resilience Infrastructure, Youth Employment, and Economic Diversification — as well as government representatives. This hands-on training focused on understanding the basic concepts of Systems Thinking and secondly, to develop the skills to map, visualize and analyze feedback loops, causal relationships, and leverage points that drive system behaviors. Systems thinking software like Vensim was used to create Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs), which helped to better understand system dynamics in each portfolio.
The hands on training connects to UNDP’s Portfolio Approach which aims with Government and partners together to analyze the complexity of the issues and together to learn from each other to understand what sort of interventions can act as catalysts to improve the development context of the country.
Figure 2: Participants in the workshop
Small Interventions vs Big Changes
A significant takeaway from the training is that small interventions at critical leverage points can lead to substantial change to the whole system. The workshop guided participants through different systems archetypes, such as "Limits to Growth" and "Fixes that Fail," “reinforcing loops”, and “balancing loops”, enabling them to diagnose challenges and design more sustainable interventions. Participants also identified practical ways to integrate systems thinking into their ongoing work, from stakeholder engagement to portfolio document refinement.
As can be seen from Figure 3, it is difficult, if not impossible, to identify a root cause to complex development challenges and this is a mayor departure from traditional development thinking which puts development projects at the forefront to solve development problems. Systems Thinking still leaves room for traditional project management but considers the entire complex system and its challenges and is constantly on the lookout for those areas in the system that can be leverage points to transform the system to a better state that produces better development results for the people.
The training was successful in demonstrating how systems thinking can add value in addressing development challenges in Mozambique. But also there is a realization that the workshop are part of the first steps of a longer journey of innovation and transformation. As UNDP together with the Government of Mozambique and partners continue their journey of embedding systems thinking into its Portfolio Initiatives, it is expected that this approach will lead to more adaptive, sustainable, and impactful solutions.
Unlocking Development Paths
The training was successful in demonstrating how systems thinking can add value in addressing development challenges in Mozambique. But also there is a realization that the workshop are part of the first steps of a longer journey of innovation and transformation. As UNDP together with the Government of Mozambique and partners continue their journey of embedding systems thinking into its Portfolio Initiatives, it is expected that this approach will lead to more adaptive, sustainable, and impactful solutions. The collaboration between all marks a new era of development in the country, where interconnected problems are tackled with a systems mindset.
Summary: Bright Future Ahead
To operationalize systems thinking with government and partners, it’s crucial to recognize and understand the interconnections and structures that shape complex systems. This involves graphically laying out the system including identifying and mapping feedback loops, which help highlight the dynamic nature of these systems and how actions can produce long-term ripple effects. By pinpointing leverage points—key areas where small interventions can lead to significant change—we can design agile learning strategies that try to influence the system into a better state rather than dealing with the symptoms. Ultimately, this approach ensures that interventions are more adaptive, resilient, and capable of addressing the underlying challenges.
The future of development in Mozambique looks promising with the integration of systems thinking. While traditional project-based approaches will remain important, this new framework—using the UNDP Portfolio Approach—offers a strategic shift towards more effective and innovative solutions. By recognizing the complexity of challenges and leveraging the relationships between system elements, UNDP and its partners can drive meaningful change. Although this journey has just begun, it signals a transformative shift toward solutions that can accelerate sustainable development and create long-term impact for Mozambique’s future.