We build your capacity to design and deliver systems change so the populations you care about thrive. We specialise in cross-sector collaboration and systemic transformation and our support to you can range from weeks to years, and from local to national.
We take a phased approach to systems change that we call the Collaborative Change Cycle. The Collaborative Change Cycle supports collaboration to address complex issues by spelling out the work involved in the phases and stages of an effective systems change process.
We provide coaching to anyone in the systemic initiative. This includes leaders, sponsors, members as well as backbone leaders, teams, chairs/members of leadership tables and funders.
The coaching focuses on
We provide systems change start-up support to build the foundations of initiatives.
The need for learning and development can be particularly high in the beginning with a need for structured support that is part leadership development, part learning program and part action learning.
We work with the collaboration to design learning and experiences that enable participants in ‘start-up’ initiatives to:
No matter where you are up to, if your initiative is approaching a critical development moment we can provide intensive support over a short period of time.
Sometimes initiatives need an injection of significant and specialised support to make progress, at critical development moments. This often looks like:
We provide catalysing support through a CFI Catalyst Team. The Team typically work with an initiative over 90 days, providing customised support that can include:
One of the initiatives CFI has provided catalytic support to was Hands Up Mallee, in Mildura, Victoria.
Get in touch about Catalytic Support“Without the support of CFI to build the approach and galvanise the need for a change in practice, nothing would have happened in our community. We simply wouldn’t be where we are today without that support” Executive Officer.
We design and deliver tailored world-class skills and practice development programs to systems change initiatives. We know that for skills and practice to stick we need deeper learning opportunities and reflective practice outside our business as usual.
We design tailored programs in adaptive leadership, systems thinking and practice together with practical collaboration approaches enabling you to apply your learnings directly to the challenges or opportunities you face.
Get in touch about Leadership and skills developmentWe walk alongside your initiative building capacity over the long-term. We provide highly responsive, tailored and flexible support 2 – 6 days per month that can be dialled-up or dialled-down based on need.
Support is provided by a CFI Systems Change Coach who learns your context with additional support and team members drawn from the CFI Network and strategic partners, as required.
The capacity-building support is tailored to the unique context of your initiative and is focused on enabling progress and impact. The people and collaborations are supported to learn by doing. Support typically takes the form of coaching, advising, mapping progress, developing skills, enabling cultural change, and facilitating learning and rapid adaptation.
We also roll up our sleeves and provide practical help when needed. This ranges from: community mobilisation, empowerment, leadership development, facilitation and co-design; through to data analysis, measurement and evaluation.
One of the initiatives CFI has provided embedded support to since 2014 is Maranguka in Bourke, NSW.
Get in touch about Embedded Support“CFI has shifted our thinking as a community. They guided our strategy and working groups, helped establish early wins and build momentum for change. As change began to happen, CFI led the team on the journey of establishing a measurement system to track progress of our community’s Project. I highly value the work of CFI and their unwavering support. It is one of the reasons that our Project is moving forward in such a positive way.”
– First Backbone Leader
We partner with funders and backbone teams to co-convene people from the systems you want to change. By bringing together people who understand or are impacted by systems failures, we work to shift the conditions that are holding these challenges in place.
We provide neutrality, systems change design thinking, facilitation and strategic advice. In short, we share the risk with you.
Get in touch about Co-conveningWhen we support your initiative, the principles that guide CFI are:
At CFI, the way we work is just as important as what we do. Through enacting our principles, we role model what systems leadership looks like.