Building Shared Knowledge for Systems Change Measurement and Learning

Across philanthropy, more foundations are embracing systems thinking as they navigate a period of profound uncertainty and change. Yet a persistent gap remains: while systems approaches are gaining traction in strategy, the field lacks shared knowledge and practical guidance for how to learn and measure progress in this complex context.

In 2023, we launched a Systems Change Community of Practice to bring together foundation learning and evaluation leaders to work through these questions together. This page shares two resources developed through the CoP to help build a more connected and capable field:

The Field Learning Agenda outlines six key themes shaping systems change measurement and learning—from clarifying what "counts" as systems change to communicating progress when outcomes are emergent, indirect, or long-term. It reflects questions practitioners are genuinely wrestling with and offers a starting point for collective inquiry across the field.

Top 25 Systems Change Resources curates essential readings, frameworks, and tools organized by the learning agenda themes. From foundational framings like The Water of Systems Change to practical toolkits for sensemaking and participatory evaluation, this collection makes useful materials easier to find and signals the kinds of knowledge products the field needs most.