Updated on 20th June 2024
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Think of a social or environmental issue that is dear to your heart. You will soon realise that because of the interconnectedness and interdependence of all life, that issue is systemic in its nature. Is it plastics in the ocean? Homelessness? Gender-based violence? The COVID-19 pandemic?
Whatever issue you’re trying to tackle as a changemaker, it might be useful to look at it through a systemic lens to gain a broader perspective and find the most strategic way for your initiative to make a difference in that particular system.
The 5Rs Framework helps you train your “systemic impact” muscle 💪 and enhance your capacity for scaling your impact. Are you ready to train? 🏋️
Building on the “muscle” analogy, to achieve systemic impact, you need to think of this work as a practice: a way of seeing, understanding, and engaging with the system. Systems practice is an ongoing process, but it can be divided into four phases:
The 5Rs Framework focuses on each of the four phases of systems practice mentioned above. It maps five key dimensions of systems: results, roles, relationships, rules, ****and resources. Collectively, these 5Rs serve as a lens for mapping and assessing systems and a guide for identifying and monitoring interventions designed to strengthen them.
<aside> ⚠️ Bear in mind that this framework is an oversimplification – remember that systems are never still forever and are connected to and influenced by other systems.
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We chose a rectangular shape to represent a system, but of course, you can draw a different shape (e.g. elliptical shape). What matters is the line distinguishing your system from its environment. The space within the boundary defines your system.