Systems change is a process of comprehensive transformation that shifts the paradigms, patterns, and structures of a system and its relationships so that desired outcomes become possible. It requires us to unfold the nested and dynamic relationships which exist between and within the parts of a system to see what new configurations might be possible and desirable. This necessitates ongoing inquiry into the values and feedback mechanisms at the source of a system’s design and power, so that agents within a system can orient toward a vision and sense of purpose that serves and enhances the lives of the people and the ecosystems of a system.

See also: systems theory, complex system, relational process, systems thinking, critical thinking