Many of the challenges organisations face sit within complex systems where traditional planning approaches fall short. We help teams embed systems thinking into how they plan, make decisions, and respond to the complexity around them.
From organisational strategy through to capability building for frontline teams, we support organisations to think and work systemically so they can have greater impact.
Talk to us about systems strategy
Systems thinking is most powerful when it moves beyond a one-off exercise and becomes part of how an organisation plans, prioritises, and makes decisions. We work with organisations to embed systems thinking into their strategy, evaluation, and day-to-day practice so that it shapes how they understand problems, design responses, and measure progress.
This can look quite different depending on the organisation and its context. For some, it means developing a systems-informed strategy from the outset. For others, it means building capability across a team so they can apply systems thinking tools themselves. And for others, it means using systems methods like network analysis or systems mapping to generate the insights that inform strategic direction.
A systems map or network analysis on its own is useful, but its real value comes when it informs what an organisation does next. We help clients move from systems insights to strategic action, identifying leverage points, designing interventions that account for system dynamics, and building monitoring approaches that track whether the system is shifting as intended. This is what we mean by systems strategy: using a systems lens to make better decisions in complex environments.
We invest heavily in building the capability of the teams we work with. Our workshops combine conceptual foundations with hands-on practice using real examples from the organisation's own context. We cover core systems thinking concepts, practical mapping techniques like causal loop diagrams and stakeholder maps, and methods for identifying where to focus change efforts. We also provide ongoing mentoring and follow-up resources so teams can continue applying what they've learned.
Across our systems capability building work, we've supported organisations ranging from state government agencies and local councils through to advocacy organisations, universities, and international bodies. The common thread is helping people develop practical skills in thinking and working systemically within their own context.
We work with organisations at different stages of their systems thinking journey, from first introductions through to deep organisational embedding.
Working with leadership and staff to embed systems thinking into how an organisation operates, from defining what a systems approach means for the organisation through to training, mentoring, and strategic integration.
Tailored workshops that build practical skills in systems thinking, from introductory sessions through to extended hands-on sessions where teams develop systems maps for their own strategic challenges and identify leverage points for change.
Using systems mapping, network analysis, and other methods to generate the insights that shape strategic direction. This includes identifying where to invest, who to partner with, and how to design interventions that account for system dynamics.
Using social network analysis to understand the relationships and collaboration patterns that shape how a system operates, then using those insights to inform strategic engagement, partnership development, and resource allocation.
Supporting teams to apply systems thinking in their own contexts through one-to-one mentoring, co-facilitation, and follow-up sessions that help translate workshop learning into sustained practice.
Linking systems thinking to evaluation planning, so organisations can track whether their efforts are producing the systemic shifts they intend. This includes designing monitoring frameworks that capture system-level change over time.
A selection of our work embedding systems thinking into strategy, planning, and organisational practice.
VicHealth
Ahead of the release of their new 10-year strategy, VicHealth committed to adopting a more explicit focus on systems thinking. We designed and implemented an organisational change effort that defined what a systems approach looks like for VicHealth, co-designed the approach with executives and managers, and rolled out training to all staff. This work now underpins VicHealth's way of working.
Beyond Blue
With over 273,000 interactions a year, Beyond Blue recognised the need to strategically integrate its Support Service into the wider sector rather than duplicating what others already offer. We mapped the support services landscape and potential referral pathways using SNA principles, producing a strategic guide to inform where and how Beyond Blue should grow its formal and informal partnerships.
VicHealth
Delivering one-to-one systems thinking mentoring and support to councils across Victoria, helping them apply a systems lens to health promotion initiatives and Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan planning.
Knox City Council
Developing a unique SNA methodology for Knox City Council to measure community resilience over time and use it as a strategic tool for engaging organisations in emergency management planning. The methodology was designed for Council to own and share across municipalities.
University of Melbourne
Delivering a half-day workshop for the Wattle Fellowship, the University of Melbourne's co-curricular program for sustainability leadership. Participants developed systems maps of large-scale sustainability challenges and built skills in stakeholder mapping and critical systems thinking.
Market Forces
Building systems thinking capability for Market Forces staff working to shift financial flows away from fossil fuels. Through a hands-on workshop, participants developed systems maps of the factors influencing fossil fuel and financial institution decision-making, identified leverage points for change, and explored how to link systems strategy to their advocacy planning and evaluation.
Strategic planning is one part of our broader systems capability. See the methods that inform our strategy work.
Whether you're looking for a one-off workshop, ongoing mentoring, or support to embed systems thinking across your organisation, we'd welcome a conversation about how we can help.
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VicHealth
Prior to the release of their new 10-year strategy, VicHealth committed to adopting a more explicit focus on using systems thinking in their work. This wasn't about adding systems language to existing plans. It was about fundamentally shifting how the organisation understands problems, designs responses, and measures progress.
We were engaged to design and implement this organisational change effort. The work began with co-designing a "definition document" with VicHealth's executive team, setting out what a systems approach looks like for the organisation, including roles, language, and expectations. We then worked with managers to scope specific training needs for their teams.
Based on these processes, we designed and rolled out systems thinking training to all staff, mentored "systems champions" within the organisation, and developed supporting content for the launch of VicHealth's new strategy. The training combined core systems thinking concepts with practical exercises using VicHealth's own strategic challenges, so staff could immediately apply what they learned.
This work now underpins how VicHealth operates. The systems approach has been embedded into their planning, delivery, and evaluation processes, and the organisation continues to build on the foundations established through this project.
Beyond Blue
The Beyond Blue Support Service receives over 273,000 interactions a year, with demand continuing to grow. Beyond Blue recognised the benefits of integrating its service into the wider support services sector rather than duplicating what others already offer. The question was: where should they focus their partnership development, and what would effective referral pathways actually look like?
We were engaged to map the support services landscape and potential referral pathways to guide Beyond Blue's strategic expansion. This began with a desktop review of organisations delivering services that address common drivers of mental distress, including financial strain, grief, and loss. Working with Beyond Blue, we identified a starting set of 10 organisations to consult in depth.
Our consultations explored how each organisation felt about a formalised referral pathway with Beyond Blue, what their current service systems and partnerships looked like, what a networked approach might require given their infrastructure and resourcing, and any concerns they had. Through this process, we developed a service system map based on SNA principles, a summary of consultations and resource considerations, and a set of recommendations.
These outputs gave Beyond Blue the evidence to make strategic decisions about where and how to grow their formal and informal support and referral networks, ensuring their expansion efforts were targeted where they would add the most value to the broader service system.
