Tools and approaches creating shared understanding of systemic change: Reflections on three case studies

This paper relates to possibilities of promoting sustainable change. More specifically, it addresses the challenge of how to facilitate the building of a shared understanding of change among multiple stakeholders in order to work towards a shared goal. It builds on three case studies in different fields i.e. welfare and health services, energy-efficiency and renewable energy in housing districts, and mining industry. All cases deal with changing complex sosio-technical systems, which is analysed using frames, approaches and tools from transition management and the multi-level perspective, stakeholder engagement, knowledge management and foresight. The multi-level perspective guides their analysis as the theoretical framework. The paper assesses the possibilities and restraints connected to tools and approaches for tackling the building of a shared goal on a micro-level. Our study suggests that these tools and approaches help the stakeholders to reflect their knowledge against the multi-level perspective, position the required changes in time, identify key actors of change and thus create a shared understanding of the systemic change.