Strategy development and impact measurement for systems change

  • Client: World Economic Forum
  • Location: Geneva

The challenge : Designing strategic frameworks for global platforms tackling systems-challenges

Inspired by demand from partners of the World Economic Forum, the Platform of Global Public Goods (PGPG) is a bold response to the urgency and scale of the environmental and developmental challenges facing the planet. The Centre’s mission is to enable public, private and civil society leaders to form exceptional cross-cutting communities of action to deliver practical outcomes in line with meeting the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement.

The work of the PGPG is vital yet extraordinarily ambitious; it is a platform of platforms; each bringing together stakeholders to tackle a range of complex problems ranging from ocean health to urbanization. And as such, each platform requires tailored strategies, the means to hold itself to account and mechanisms for tracking progress.

The work of the PGPG is vital yet extraordinarily ambitious; it is a platform of platforms; each bringing together stakeholders to tackle a range of complex problems ranging from ocean health to urbanization.

Our work : Establishing theories of change and metrics for accountability

Wasafiri has been working closely with both the PGPG and platform teams to help establish a strategic agenda underpinned by a credible Theory of Change and metrics of progress. The work demanded detailed mapping of stakeholders and their respective interests, a review of existing charters and terms of reference for the platforms, and an analysis of donor reporting requirements. Our consultants designed processes for each team to define and test metrics for each activity and workstream, in ways which allowed for non-linear interrogation of progress and results.

The outcome : New approaches to tracking progress on global systems challenges

For complicated problems such work is relatively straightforward. For problems as complex as climate change, such work is pioneering.

These Theories of Change and corresponding metrics serve as live frameworks for each platform, helping ensure a focus on areas of systemic impact, an appropriate balance of effort and resourcing, and dynamic tracking of progress.

Examples of our work

Generation Africa: Grow Entrepreneurs.Transform Food.

New approaches for preventing violent extremism in East Africa

Millions of smallholders reached through private investment

Systemcraft Labs: innovating new approaches for complex problems