Experience Learning
NAVIGATING CHANGE IN COMPLEX SOCIAL SYSTEMS
Systemic change typically unfolds within complex social systems where interactions are dynamic and often unpredictable. Many of our most pressing social challenges – like poverty and climate change – stem from these large, intricate systems, making the path to meaningful change uncertain and non-linear. In these systems, behaviours and patterns are deeply ingrained.
Unlike intervention-based programmes that focus on improving individual parts, systemic change involves understanding and shifting the interdependencies within the system. This approach requires identifying key actors, relationships, and patterns, and finding ways to leverage these elements to create lasting change. It’s about learning, adapting, and embracing complexity as the system evolves, rather than trying to eliminate it.
By focusing on the bigger picture, practitioners of systemic change are more likely to trigger continuous, sustainable change. The ripple effects of such changes can help address inequalities, disrupt cycles of poverty, and spark transformation across various sectors.
This learning brief contributes to a collective and cumulative body of operational knowledge that can support systems change catalysts to shift system dynamics and expand their toolkits. It is designed to capture the key lessons for systems change actors, including practitioners, funders, and policymakers, drawing on the experience and impact of Ilifa Labantwana’s work across the South African early childhood development ecosystem.
This learning brief seeks to provide systems change practitioners with practical lessons, and act as a point of discussion for evaluating the role organisations such as Ilifa can play in bringing about systems change.
Get to know Ilifa
Ilifa Labantwana is a South African NGO that is driving systems change in early childhood development (ECD). It does this by strengthening and co-creating the institutions, strategies, and practices that the ECD ecosystem needs to thrive, and increasingly, by situating ECD as a multi-dimensional route to shifting South African inequality.
SOUTH AFRICA’S ECD ECOSYSTEM
South Africa’s early childhood development (ECD) ecosystem is a complex network that spans multiple government departments, formal institutions, and civil society organisations, as well as a diverse informal economy comprising non-profits, micro-enterprises, parents and caregivers.
CHALLENGES
The ECD system grapples with narrow definitions, distinct sector boundaries, and ambiguous areas of responsibility.
IMPORTANCE OF ECD
The early years are crucial for a child’s emotional, cognitive, and social development.1 These formative years influence future health, academic success, job prospects, and the ability to break the cycle of poverty.2
ESSENTIAL SERVICES
A comprehensive ECD approach includes maternal and child health services, nutritional support, caregiver support, early language development, and early learning stimulation. Formal services include clinic-based healthcare, home visits, financial assistance through the Child Support Grant, and limited funding for registered ELPs. Additionally, a vast network of informal, non-state, women-led early learning initiatives, supported by various organisations, plays a vital role in filling service gaps.
1 The Lancet. “Advancing Early Childhood Development: From Science to Scale: Executive Summary.” The Lancet 389, no. 10064 (2016).
2 Martorell, R. “Improved Nutrition in the First 1000 Days and Adult Human Capital and Health.” American Journal of Human Biology 29, no. e22952 (2017).
3 Figures from Ilifa Labantwana, derived using data from the 2019 General Household Survey, as well as the
INEQUALITIES
The ECD scene is marked by glaring disparities. Many children, especially from low-income families, lack access to pivotal services, with only 35% attending early learning programmes (ELPs).3 Of these, only 25% are subsidised by the state4; one in four of these children are nutritionally stunted.5
ILIFA’S ROLE
Over the course of its lifespan, Ilifa has increasingly focused on strengthening the systems that support ECD service provision, with special attention to areas where the essential package of services is underdeveloped.
REFLECTIONS
Over time, Ilifa has established itself as a key player within the ECD system. Initially, Ilifa focused heavily on interventionbased approaches, with limited understanding of how different components of the ECD ecosystem interconnected. The organisation’s shift towards a systems perspective marks a significant strategic evolution.
“In the early years, we were not even starting to think about how you develop a more comprehensive picture of children using data, let alone the notion that the system had to cater for all children –not just those who happened to be in a registered ECD centre.”
—
Board member
A common metaphor used to understand complex systems is Goodman’s Iceberg Model (see Figure 1 on page 3). This model suggests that the events and behaviours we observe in a system are produced through a network of underlying trends, relationships and beliefs.
4 Figures from
5 GrowGreat. “Cocare Maternal Support Study.” 2021. https://www.growgreat.co.za/wpcontent/uploads/2021/03/GG-COCARE-REPORT-final-1.pdf
2014 DSD ECD Audit and various surveys conducted by Ilifa Labantwana.
Ilifa Labantwana, derived using data from the 2019 General Household Survey, as well as the 2014 DSD ECD Audit and various surveys conducted by Ilifa Labantwana.
What we see at the surface of the South African ECD ecosystem is stark inequality in access to ECD services, with the odds stacked against poor children. Beneath this inequality lies a pattern of chronic underfunding in disadvantaged areas, and a regulatory and financial framework that complicates access to government support for early learning providers.
These systemic issues are shaped by prevailing mental models – deep-seated beliefs about the nature of ECD, who benefits from it, how it should be provided, and the extent of the government's responsibility to support it.
As a system actor, Ilifa has increasingly focused on addressing the structures and mental models that shape the ECD ecosystem. Rather than ‘scaling’ particular models of ECD provision, it has strengthened large-scale systems to support a range of provision models, ultimately universalising access to quality ECD.
KEY APPROACHES
Ilifa has adopted several key approaches in its systems change efforts:
Understand the system through iterative testing, learning and integration.
Collaborate with diverse partners to compound system impact.
Universalise impact by focusing on operational support systems.
Embracing emergence by staying both patient and agile.
Bridging the system by building mechanisms to connect its disparate parts.
A SYSTEMS VIEW OF THE ECD ECOSYSTEM BASED ON GOODMAN'S ICEBERG MODEL
Events Starkly unequal access to ECD services with the odds stacked against poor children. Intergenerational cycles of poverty and inequality are reproduced.
Patterns Without stable funding, existing ELPs struggle to sustain services or improve programme quality, and new entrants are dissuaded.
Early learning and home visiting services for poor households are under-provided and under-resourced, placing a disproportionate burden on the families that can least afford it.
Underlying structure Eligibility requirements for ELPs to receive state support are ill-fitting to the realities of a largely-informal sector. Without this, ELPs rely heavily on caregiver fees, in contexts where caregiver income is limited and volatile.
Meanwhile, home visiting is deprioritised in public health systems with community health workers underresourced and under-capacitated.
Mental models An assumption that the public mandate to support ECD is limited to relatively formal service provision in purpose-built institutions. Outside of this, early learning and care is assumed to be a private responsibility of families (mostly women).
Figure 1: Goodman's Iceberg Model.
KEY LESSONS FOR SYSTEMS CHANGE PRACTITIONERS
Ilifa’s journey underscores that systems change is inherently complex and demands a deep understanding of the local context. Success requires collaboration, adaptability, and a willingness to learn – and even to fail. By maintaining a humble and flexible approach, organisations can make meaningful progress toward systems change, even in challenging and contested environments.
Below, we summarise the key lessons and approaches for implementing systems change strategies:
CULTIVATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE SYSTEM
To navigate the system effectively, systems change actors must identify opportunities and levers for change, as well as potential avenues for collaboration. In complex, ever-evolving systems, gaining this understanding requires deliberate and ongoing effort.
HOW ILIFA HAS USED IT
Ilifa’s strategy is continuously shaped and re-shaped by ongoing research and experimentation by the organisation and in collaboration with its partners. By generating supporting evidence and co-developing strong information systems, Ilifa fosters a culture of continuous learning within the ECD ecosystem. This evidence-based approach strengthens Ilifa’s credibility as a system actor, galvanises partnerships, and informs strategic decisions on where to focus efforts.
IMPACT
“…Just [by] describing and quantifying the challenges, the red tape, the administrative blockages… [so that] it’s not just… a big black hole, we can actually tease out what all those blockages are exactly. [We can understand] how they contribute to the overall system. When you understand that, you can start to address things.”
— Anonymous, works in the ECD sector
WHY THIS MATTERS
Building a strong evidence base is not just a strategy – it's the foundation from which all other systems change efforts grow. A deep understanding of the players, rules, relationships, and impacts within the ECD ecosystem is crucial for ongoing learning, adaptation, and improvement. All of these are essential markers of systems change.
Ilifa’s emphasis on evidence generation has been pivotal in transforming South Africa’s ECD systems. By leveraging evidence and technical expertise, Ilifa has driven changes in financing and regulation, demonstrated new ECD models, and tracked progress across the sector. Additionally, Ilifa has helped stimulate the system’s capacity for evidence generation, funding research, producing the South African Early Childhood Review, and supporting initiatives like Innovation Edge, which developed the Early Learning Measurement (ELOM) Tools: South Africa's first locallydeveloped, fair, and standardised instruments for measuring child development. Ilifa has also bolstered data and information systems within government, aiming to improve data-driven decision-making.
Ilifa recognised early on that systems-related evidence was lacking in the ECD sector and focused on evidence generation as one of its key roles and purposes. Ilifa believes that without understanding how the system is organised, it is impossible to re-organise resources and processes that lead to lasting change.
At the heart of Ilifa’s unique capability lies its ability to generate, mobilise and engage ECD evidence. This evidence has also been key to Ilifa’s credibility with government and other partners, enabling access to spaces where large-scale decisions are made. Ilifa’s technical expertise and evidencegeneration capabilities also make it a valuable advocacy partner for civil society organisations.
CONSIDERATIONS
While Ilifa’s focus on evidence generation positions it as a critical asset to the ECD sector and a key player in systems change, it also relies on strong relationships and sector capacity to produce reliable, regular, and robust evidence. However, this emphasis on high-level, technical work might lead to a perception of Ilifa as disconnected from the everyday realities of ECD implementation, potentially risking its relevance to on-the-ground practices.
COLLABORATE WIDELY AND WITH HUMILITY
Effective systems change work involves forming a variety of tactical coalitions and partnerships to work across the system, rather than in isolation. Instead of prioritising the success of their own organisation, systems change practitioners should focus on addressing the larger problem. Rather than asking, "How can we maximise our own achievements?”, systems change organisations should consider, "What is the best role for us to play?" – one that complements and enhances the efforts of other actors.
PARTNERING WITH GOVERNMENT
HOW ILIFA HAS USED IT
Ilifa has shown agility in partnering with various government departments and levels, aligning its efforts with where the system's needs and opportunities are greatest. By leveraging its technical expertise and deep understanding of the system, Ilifa has earned credibility with government. In these partnerships, Ilifa has positioned itself as a thought partner rather than a service provider, focusing on strengthening state capacity without seeking credit or ownership.
“Relational work takes time. It takes decades. But it’s needed to build trust,
which is also catalytic.”
Jeroo
Billimoria, Catalyst 2030
WHY THIS MATTERS
Being a systems change actor doesn’t mean working in every part of the system; it means focusing on your strengths and leveraging partnerships to amplify your impact. Changing a system is not something that can be done alone. Instead, it requires forming a range of tactical coalitions and partnerships to work effectively across the system.
For Ilifa, this started with coalition-building – bringing together close partners and allies, including implementers, innovators, and funders. Over time, this approach has expanded to include engagement in the political arena and developing partnerships with government. As one Board member put it, collaboration is a “delicate dance,” and Ilifa has embraced an approach that values alliances over antagonism.
IMPACT
Through concerted long-term technical support and seconding capacity to the National Department of Health (NDoH), Ilifa has been able to co-develop, grow, and sustain its Side-by-Side mass communication campaign. Similarly, by building trusting and lasting relationships with Treasury and supporting the Department of Basic Education in taking on the ECD function, Ilifa has established itself as a reliable thought partner in ECD financing and expansion planning.
What is Side-by-Side?
Side-by-Side is a campaign for pregnant women and caregivers of children younger than five, which uses multiple communication channels.
It’s led by the NDoH but owned by all national, provincial and local departments, NGOs, community based organisations, and all other partners who are working and caring for children.
Working with the North West Department of Social Development, Ilifa was also able to co-develop an integrated ECD delivery system, exploring different models of community-based delivery and the systems needed to support them.
Recognising that local governments have more control over ECD infrastructure budgets than the national government, Ilifa partnered with non-profit organisation Kago Ya Bana to influence and support changes in local practices. This strategic partnership allowed Ilifa to make an impact at the municipal level, even with its limited capacity to engage directly across all municipalities.
PARTNERING WITH OTHER ORGANISATIONS
HOW ILIFA HAS USED IT
By seeding and nurturing enduring partnerships with a close coalition of organisations (SmartStart, Grow Great, Innovation Edge, Kago Ya Bana and the DG Murray Trust), Ilifa strengthens and is in turn strengthened by a wider ECD ecosystem.
IMPACT
CORE COALITION:
Partnerships have enabled Ilifa to concentrate on driving national system-level change while staying connected to onthe-ground programming through initiatives like Smart Start and Grow Great. It has also addressed municipal challenges through Kago Ya Bana and leveraged cutting-edge evidence from partners such as Innovation Edge, DataDrive2030, and RESEP. These organisations complement and inform each other's strategies, creating a synergistic approach. Additionally, Ilifa's collaboration with the Equality Collective, which led to the Real Reform for ECD initiative, has heightened the emphasis on sector-wide coalition-building and advocacy.
EMERGENT PARTNERSHIPS:
In response to ad hoc system needs and shared interests, particularly in advocacy and alliance building, Ilifa's partnerships have accelerated, especially in response to the challenges posed by COVID-19.
Rather than being in the service of their own organisations, systems change practitioners should instead focus on addressing the problem. Achieving this requires a deep understanding of how other actors operate and identifying opportunities for collaboration to amplify impact. Ilifa's leadership knows there is room to grow in this regard. The organisation has not yet made a concerted effort to fully understand the diversity of players in the ECD sector or to explore collaboration opportunities thoroughly. Instead, many of these partnerships have been relatively ad hoc or based on long-established relationships. However, Ilifa also recognises that it cannot (and should not) act in every part of the system. Instead, it should focus on areas where it is best positioned to unlock significant impact.
SYSTEMS CHANGE FUNDERS ALSO BENEFIT FROM COLLABORATION
Funders can enhance their impact on systems change by collaborating with other funders and fostering networks of grantees that learn from and complement each other’s efforts.
“I think the pooled funding is a very, very important component of Ilifa – the fact that all the donors put their money into one pot reduces the risk of being tugged in different directions. And it forces the discipline of a joint governance structure, because the funders want to know how the money is spent.”
Board member and funder
WHY THIS MATTERS
By working together towards common problems, funders can pool resources instead of acting in isolation with reduced impact. Given the slowness of system-level work, collaboration can help alleviate pressure on funders.
Ilifa’s collaborative ethos is reflected in the support of its funders, who have offered the long-term, flexible funding required for systems change. In addition to coming together to fund Ilifa, they have also worked on a range of other projects together, supporting spin-off projects in the ECD implementation and innovation space, while protecting Ilifa’s ability to focus on systems. By working collaboratively with other ECD funders, each individual Ilifa funder has also magnified its own impact on the system.
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RECOGNISE GOVERNMENT’S VALUE IN THE SYSTEM
Substantial and sustainable systems change requires government to lead (and largely fund) the process. Fostering meaningful government ownership requires us to work with state partners to build their capacity, and grapple patiently with cumbersome bureaucratic government systems.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Widespread systems change is difficult to achieve without the government taking meaningful ownership of the problem. Ilifa’s leadership believes that the most significant transformation in the ECD ecosystem must come from government. Ilifa’s own modelling and expansion work suggests that substantial change in the ECD ecosystem will require significant increases in the annual ECD budget, alongside the development of regulations and systems that ensure an accountable flow of funds directly benefiting children.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN PRACTICE?
Recognising the government as an essential partner in systems change requires system actors to:
Work alongside state partners: Actively build their capacity through collaboration.
Exercise patience: Navigate and, if necessary, reform cumbersome government systems.
Engage early: Involve government partners from the start to develop a shared understanding of systemic problems and their root causes.
Leverage evidence: Use data and diverse perspectives to inform decisions and build trust, prioritising the collective good over individual contributions.
CONSIDERATIONS
Ilifa’s leadership has made a deliberate decision to target government systems, believing this is where the biggest wins for the ECD ecosystem can be achieved. But it has also acknowledged the costs involved in this approach.
While it is important to acknowledge government’s critical role in the system, it is equally important to remember that government is not the system. By focusing too narrowly on the government’s role, Ilifa risks operating under the pretence that ECD is the sole purview of the state. In many ways, the government has become Ilifa’s primary beneficiary. One Board member expressed concern that by dedicating so much effort to supporting the Department of Education in taking on the function shift, Ilifa risks “taking the eye off the prize – which is a comprehensive programme for children across the country.” It’s important to remember that the government is just one player in a vast and complex ECD ecosystem, where much of the service provision occurs outside the state.
Some ECD sector stakeholders interviewed for this case study worried about the implications that Ilifa’s increasingly narrow focus on government partnerships might have on its relationships with civil society, and its ability to hold the state accountable. “When you’ve sort of signed an MOU with government,” one ECD social entrepreneur said, “You’re almost working for them, so it’s hard to push against them.”
This perception presents potential challenges for Ilifa’s coalition-building and advocacy efforts. Due to its focus on government systems and its history of primarily technical work, Ilifa’s collaboration with other players in the ECD ecosystem has been somewhat limited. While collaboration has been a powerful tool in Ilifa’s systems change strategy, it has largely involved a select group of close partners. As a result, Ilifa’s role as an advocate for, or representative of, the broader sector may be questioned.
Given the perceived growing distance between Ilifa and ECD providers and families on the ground, some interviewees for this case study expressed concerns about Ilifa’s ability to effectively represent the sector to government, which at times appeared to monopolise the organisation’s attention.
Others, however, argued that Ilifa’s close relationship with government is precisely what gives it leverage when advocating for change on behalf of the sector. In their eyes, Ilifa strikes an often delicate balance between supporting and capacitating government, while also holding the state to account.
While negotiating a good relationship with government and other partners is critical, many systems change catalysts will argue that systems work can’t be done without government, particularly if the system needs to be sustainably funded. For Ilifa, intentional collaboration in the ECD ecosystem must include government, which holds the mandate and responsibility for ECD. But the state cannot succeed alone.
FOCUS ON SYSTEMS AND UNIVERSAL IMPACT
Achieving universal access is not about scaling a particular model; it’s about building an environment in which a diversity of models can flourish. Social change will not be achieved by simply increasing production. Local knowledge and contexts matter, as do the public systems that either support or constrain providers.
In systems change, “the social change practitioner is not just responsible for planting the seed (scaling), but also for gaining access to land, cultivating the soil, remaining vigilant for pests and disease, and trusting that optimal weather conditions will materialise for that seed to grow. Ultimately, the conditions are far out of the hands of a single farmer and will largely rely on the broader ecosystem in which the planting takes place.”
WHY THIS MATTERS
Ilifa has sought to universalise rather than ‘scale’ its impact. The term scale often implies that greater impact is achieved by increasing throughput in a system – essentially, the idea that social welfare should operate like a fast-food chain. In other words: “We want social welfare to be like McDonald’s.”7 But in complex social systems, where context matters, impact often depends on sustained and tailored tactics. Global South research8 on ECD ecosystems supports the idea that while broad national programmes are necessary for scaling ECD, they must be flexible enough to adapt to local norms and practices.
HOW ILIFA HAS USED IT
Over time, Ilifa has sharpened its approach to the concept of scaling. Instead of focusing on ‘scaling out’ successful programmatic interventions, it has increasingly focused on what it calls universality: building the conditions in which scale is possible. This means working at the level of policy, regulation and financing to change conditions in the system (what some refer to as ‘scaling up’) and shifting power, attitudes and values in the system (sometimes called ‘scaling deep’).
IMPACT
Ilifa’s strategy has increasingly centred on strengthening public systems that create the necessary conditions for ECD services to flourish, including policy, regulation, financing, information systems, and quality assurance and support. Ilifa is also partnering with organisations like SmartStart to develop a viable, large-scale delivery platform that connects government and ECD providers through established networks built on mutual trust.
SHIFTING POWER:
The Side-by-Side campaign empowers caregivers with the knowledge and tools needed to support early stimulation and healthy development in children, thereby expanding access to information and shifting power to families and households.
S HIFTING VALUES AND ATTITUDES:
Ilifa has worked to challenge two key assumptions: 1) that quality ELPs can only be delivered in purpose-built centres, and 2) that only 'quality' programmes should receive funding. Instead, Ilifa has demonstrated that 1) quality ELPs can take many shapes and forms, and 2) quality improvement often hinges on receiving adequate funding.
EMBRACE EMERGENCE
Systems are made up of interconnected, dynamic flows and feedback loops. Staying attuned to emerging needs and opportunities is essential for being responsive
“With this dual approach, we are prepared for the opportunities that complexity affords us: the chance to learn.”
Rayner & Bonnici, in The System Work of Social Change6
6 Rayner, S., and Bonnici, F. The Systems Work of Social Change
7 Rayner, S., and Bonnici, F. The Systems Work of Social Change
8 Goldhill, S., and Lewis, P. “Early Childhood Development in the Global South.” Journal of the British Academy 8, no. 2 (2020): 1–7.
Rayner & Bonnici, in The System Work of Social Change9
9 Rayner, S., and Bonnici, F. The Systems Work of Social Change
WHY THIS MATTERS
Systems change work rarely follows a linear path with direct outcomes or predictable timelines. It often involves the slow process of building relationships and gradually dismantling entrenched patterns. However, it also demands agility to respond to emerging opportunities, work with complexity, and adjust course when a strategy isn’t working.
Shifting complex social systems requires engaging with their inherent complexity. This involves, on one hand, leveraging data and models to understand the system and articulate the complexity at play, and on the other hand, embracing the uncertainty that these systems present. In essence, understanding the system and embracing emergence must coexist in a productive tension.
Embracing emergence often requires a delicate balance between patience and agility. To allow things to unfold, systems change catalysts must align with the natural pace of things. Big, complex systems are often cumbersome and difficult to shift. Achieving real change means committing to the long term, while building the evidence, relationships, and credibility needed for substantial progress. However, while systems change can be slow, it also requires the ability to act swiftly when opportunities arise. This demands both agility and long-term flexible funding.
Systems change funders must also get comfortable with the concept of emergence. This means supporting organisations to test, adapt, learn and fail, while also exploring alternative strategies to measure impact. Funders should incorporate flexibility, patience, and collaboration into their practices.
Ilifa and some of its key partners have benefited from a group of funders who share an interest in ECD systems change. This long-term flexible funding has facilitated collective strategy and governance, while also enabling both agility and longterm gains.
HOW ILIFA HAS USED IT
PATIENCE:
Ilifa’s partnerships, particularly with government, have been hard-won. Over many years, they have worked to gradually build institutional capacity, challenge entrenched attitudes, shift resource allocation patterns, and establish consensus among diverse stakeholders. This would not have been possible without patience and flexible funding.
AGILITY:
Systems change work is as relational as it is technical. It involves building connections across different scopes and sectors. These relationships facilitate agility, allowing system actors to come together responsively to address emerging needs and shared interests.
IMPACT
LONG-TERM GAINS:
Many of Ilifa’s biggest wins (including increased budget allocations for ECD, changes in registration requirements for early learning programmes, and the Side-by-Side communication campaign) have required and thus facilitated sustained, long-term partnership building.
RESPONSIVENESS:
Ilifa demonstrated great agility in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: the organisation was able to galvanise new and established partners in advocacy and relief efforts, and document learnings to inform systems for distributing funds to informal ELPs.
MEASURE SYSTEMS CHANGE, RATHER THAN DIRECT OUTCOMES ALONE
Measuring impact is widely recognised as a challenge for systems change organisations. This is because systems change often involves many actors and events over extended periods, during which circumstances, opportunities, and obstacles are likely to evolve. Traditional impact measurement has resulted in a significant bureaucratic burden for NGOs and a high degree of complexity from funders. Often, NGOs are pulled from their core work to meet funders’ requirements and struggle to find funding for the work they find most impactful.
Rather than being punitive or restrictive, the role of a systems change funder should be to ask insightful questions. This includes recognising that not everything can or should be measured and revising impact measurement frameworks to facilitate meaningful learning.
‘Vanity metrics’, such as the number of beneficiaries reached, often encourage organisations to focus on ‘proof’ of their good work, using linear models of causality that don’t align with the nature of systems change. Instead, metrics for systems change should incentivise testing, learning, responsiveness and collaboration.
As Ilifa is a systems change organisation, its impact should be measured at the system level – focusing on how the system itself, or understanding of it, has evolved (or not), and tracking appropriate milestones along the way.
STRENGTHEN CONNECTIONS BETWEEN DISPARATE PARTS OF THE SYSTEM
Complex systems are often hindered by poor coordination, misaligned structures, and even hostility among stakeholders. Systems change catalysts must communicate and collaborate in ways that strengthen connections between different parts of the system.
“The reason Ilifa has been so successful is that the team has developed a deep understanding of both the vulnerabilities within the NGO sector and the complexities faced by state actors and their vulnerabilities.”
Funder and Ilifa founder
WHY THIS MATTERS
Being a systems actor requires specific types of individuals –those who can handle the technical aspects of understanding systems and building diverse partnerships, while also being able to navigate the interests of both government and civil society.
HOW ILIFA HAS USED IT
Ilifa has often acted as an intermediary between stakeholders within the ECD ecosystem. In this role, it has focused on the interdependencies and feedback loops in the system: understanding what needs to change, but also strengthening the system’s ability to manage, and benefit from, that change.
Most especially, Ilifa has served as a bridge between government support systems and the early learning sector, helping the sector to effectively receive and absorb government support to improve quality and access.
IMPACT
Ilifa’s work aims to strengthen the connections between government regulation, financing, and policy systems and the everyday needs of diverse ECD providers. This involves identifying the best levers to facilitate the flow of resources, information, and funding to ECD providers. For example, Ilifa has advocated for ELP registration requirements that better align with the needs of the largely informal sector and has worked to develop financing mechanisms to support infrastructure upgrades. However, Ilifa also recognises that these changes will only be effective if there are systems in place to support local-level implementers, such as social workers, who must allocate and monitor new funds.
Another example of Ilifa’s approach is its ability to identify the mass communication opportunity presented by the distribution of the Road to Health (R2H) booklet, along with the system dependencies and weaknesses that needed to be addressed to leverage this opportunity. To enable this change, Ilifa strengthened linkages in the system by seconding capacity to the Department of Health (DoH) to support the development of the Side-by-Side campaign. Ilifa recognised that health workers needed support in using the newly designed R2H booklet, and gradually assisted the DoH in taking primary financial ownership of the campaign.
This is the learning experience of:
This learning brief was adapted from a publication authored by Percept Collaborative Advisory & Spring Impact and first published by Ilifa Labantwana. This brief was edited by Camilla Bath and Rahima Essop.