In this 90-minute live program you will learn:

  • The basic concepts of systems thinking and systems mapping, and how they differ from stakeholder maps and theories of change
  • How to decide where to intervene to change a system 
  • Why systems change is not necessarily the best strategy for solving social problems
  • How to construct systems maps using the free web-based tool Kumu
  • The importance and risks of mental models, and how to improve them 

This webinar introduces the mindsets and skills for thinking about systems and learning to map them—essential knowledge for any social entrepreneur, philanthropist, policy maker, or citizen who wants to understand how the world really works and solve just about any problem facing society.

Social problems are complex. Whether we are focused on climate change, homelessness, racism, or pandemics, we confront a vast array of agents, behaviors, incentives, institutions, contexts, and materials. Every effort to solve these problems requires understanding causal relationships beyond those that are readily visible and predicting consequences from interventions beyond those that are intended. Without such foresight, solutions can fail and sometimes have unintended adverse consequences. 

Systems thinking reveals the web of associations in which such problems reside. It seeks to identify causal relationships among the multiple factors that generate problems and to help design enduring solutions. 

For social entrepreneurs, systems thinking can emphasize where and how they are most likely to get their best results. Systems thinking can also help philanthropists assess impact from their investments and define success. For policy makers, systems thinking can help reveal unintended consequences from courses of action. 

This webinar uses examples from the free online course Thinking in Systems. Participants are encouraged to browse this course before the webinar, and to use it as a resource afterwards.

Key Takeaways:

  • Participants will understand the two basic types of systems maps: causal loop diagrams and stock and flow diagrams.
  • They will also learn how to use the free online systems mapping tool Kumu to describe and analyze the systems in which their own problems are embedded.
Pre-work

Before the webinar, participants are strongly encouraged to: 
  1. Read and watch the first module of Thinking in Systems, involving the availability of Naloxone to community groups.
  2. Use Kumu to create a simple systems map. Participants who sign up will be given detailed instructions.
     

Program Features:

Who Should Attend? This webinar provides essential knowledge for any social entrepreneur, philanthropist, policy maker, or citizen who wants to understand how the world really works and solve just about any problem facing society.

 Expert Speaker: The webinar is taught by Paul Brest, former dean and professor emeritus (active) at Stanford Law School, a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, co-director of the Effective Philanthropy Learning Initiative at the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, and co-director of the Stanford Law and Policy Lab. He was president of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation from 2000 to 2012. He is co-author of Money Well Spent: A Strategic Guide to Smart Philanthropy (2nd ed. 2018), and has written many articles on nonprofit strategy, philanthropy, and impact investing. He also the co-creator of the free online interactive courses “Developing a Strategy for Social Change and Thinking in Systems.”

Real-world Case Examples: The webinar will be taught using examples including the use of Naloxone (Narcan) to reduce opioid overdose deaths, the consequences of smoking, unconscious biases, and youth homelessness.

Closed Captioning Available: Live transcription is available for this program. To activate Closed Captioning during the live broadcast, click on the upward arrow next to the CC icon and select the Subtitling option. To disable Closed Captioning, click on the upward arrow next to the CC icon and select the Hide Subtitling option.

On-Demand Version: Register and access the recording of the live event on-demand 24 hours after the webinar ends and anytime over the next 12 months.

dollar symbol FinalPrice for this webinar: $99 This price includes access to the live interactive webinar and unlimited access to the recorded webinar video and resources for 12 months from the date of broadcast.



If you have any questions about this program, write to us at [email protected]. 

Presenters

  • Paul Brest
    Paul Brest is former dean and professor emeritus (active), at Stanford Law School, a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, faculty director at Effective Philanthropy Learning Initiative at Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, and co-director of the Stanford Law and Policy Lab. He was president of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation from 2000-2012. He is co-author of Money Well Spent: A Strategic Guide to Smart Philanthropy (2nd ed. 2018), Problem Solving, Decision Making, and Professional Judgment (2010), and articles on constitutional law, philanthropy, and impact investing. His current courses include “Problem Solving for Public Policy and Social Change” and “Advanced Topics in Philanthropy and Impact Investing.” He also is the instructor in an online course, “Essentials of Nonprofit Strategy,” offered by Philanthropy University. Brest is a fellow in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and holds honorary degrees from Northwestern University School of Law and Swarthmore College. Before joining the Stanford Law School faculty in 1969, he clerked for Judge Bailey Aldrich of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and Justice John M. Harlan of the U.S. Supreme Court, and did civil rights litigation with the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund in Mississippi.
    Former Dean and Professor Emeritus (active),
    Stanford Law School
  • Moderator
    David V. Johnson
    David V. Johnson is deputy editor at Stanford Social Innovation Review. He is a former philosophy professor turned journalist with more than a decade of experience as an editor and writer. Previously, he was senior opinion editor at Al Jazeera America, where he edited the op-ed section of the news channel’s website. Earlier in his career, he served as online editor at Boston Review and research editor at San Francisco magazine the year it won a National Magazine Award for general excellence. He has written for The New York Times, USA Today, The New Republic, Bookforum, Aeon, Dissent, and The Baffler, among other publications. He has taught at Stanford University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). David earned a PhD in philosophy from Stanford University, a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, a master’s degree in classics from Cambridge University, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and history from the University of California, Berkeley. He lives in Berkeley.
    Deputy Editor,
    Stanford Social Innovation Review