What Is System Change?
Joi Danielson
System Change and Transformation Specialist
What are we referring to when we say ‘the system’? Watch Joi Danielson as she outlines the challenges and patterns of system change.
What are we referring to when we say ‘the system’? Watch Joi Danielson as she outlines the challenges and patterns of system change.
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What Is System Change?
11 mins
Key learning objectives:
Define system change
Outline 3 requirements of system change
Identify the 6 spirals of change
Overview:
System change is about transforming the underlying structures, processes, and incentives that shape how a system behaves over time. It goes beyond fixing individual problems - it means addressing the root causes that keep those problems in place. But system change is complex because no single actor controls all parts of a system. Policymakers, financiers, innovators, and implementers often work separately, driven by different incentives and timelines. Coordination across actors, addressing all parts of the system and scaling beyond pilots is needed to create system change.
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Summary
What is system change?
System change is about transforming the underlying structures, processes, and incentives that shape how a system behaves over time. It goes beyond fixing individual problems - it means addressing the root causes that keep those problems in place. Systems are made up of interconnected parts: institutions, resources, and actors; decision-making processes and feedback loops; incentives and market drivers; and even the mindsets and values that influence behaviour. When these elements interact, they create complex outcomes - so changing a system requires understanding and shifting how they work together.
Why is system change so challenging?
System change is complex because no single actor controls all parts of a system. Policymakers, financiers, innovators, and implementers often work in silos, driven by different incentives and timelines. This leads to fragmented approaches that rarely add up to transformation. Even when good ideas emerge, they often stay small-scale pilot projects that never reach the scale needed for global impact. Real system change requires coordination, alignment, and a willingness to take on complexity.
What are the three key requirements for system change?
- Coordination across actors: Aligning those who create the vision for change with those who can fund, orchestrate, and implement it on the ground.
- Addressing all parts of the system: System change requires redesigning incentives and building investable models that restore, rather than deplete, natural systems.
- Scaling beyond pilots: True transformation happens when effective solutions grow beyond the pilot stage to operate at national or global scale.
What are the six spirals of system change?
Across different movements, successful transformations tend to include six recurring spirals that reinforce each other. These spirals don’t happen in sequence - they evolve together, feeding one another. When enough of them mature, large-scale system change becomes possible.
- Storytelling and narrative: Shaping public understanding and will
- Data and hypotheses: Making problems and solutions visible
- International agreements: Setting shared goals and accountability
- Policy and regulation: Turning intent into enforceable action
- Frontline pilots: Testing and proving what works in practice
- Finance and investment: Funding mature solutions and rethinking what’s not yet ready
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Joi Danielson
Joi Danielson is a transformation leader with over 15 years of experience driving complex, high-stakes system change. She began her career as a consultant at McKinsey, later became a Partner at Systemiq, and now serves as Managing Partner of Vital Ocean. Joi specialises in turning ambitious ideas into practical, lasting outcomes that deliver real impact at scale, while developing the leaders and partnerships needed to sustain that change.
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