Network & Ecosystem strengthening
Root Change supports partners to see, strengthen, and activate the relationships that shape coordination, trust, influence, and action across communities, coalitions, organizations, and partner ecosystems.
Ensuring networks and ecosystems grow, strengthen, and take action
We support organizations, coalitions, and movements in mapping relationships, building trust, aligning structures, and taking coordinated action to achieve strategic goals. Strong ecosystems actively scan their environment, forge connections across sectors, nurture partnerships, and mobilize actors to increase collective influence and impact.
Our approach to building resilient ecosystems includes:
- Network insight & mapping, including Pando network analysis, stakeholder mapping, and partner ecosystem scans
- Collective action, which comes from joint vision/goals, coordinated strategy, unified success metrics, and shared leadership
- Strategic messaging & communications, including storytelling, community outreach, and trusted messenger cultivation
- Movement building, through coalition strengthening, trust-building workshops, cross-movement connections, and mobilization techniques
Stories & Insights
Trust Capital: What Two Years of Participatory Action Research Taught Us About Economic Development
What WiLEAD’s First Year Taught Us About Environmental Action as Democratic Practice
The Future of Facilitation: Combining Human Connection with Smart Technology
Telling the Stories Behind Social Change
Network & Ecosystem Strengthening in Practice
Pando Toolsuite: Root Change created Pando, a pioneering technology platform powered by social network analysis that transforms complex data into actionable insights through intuitive visualizations, dashboards, and theories of change such as our Youth Equity Index. Pando has helped organizations in more than 25 countries map, analyze, and strengthen the systems in which they operate. For example, we completed an evaluation of four country networks for the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.
Collective Impact models: Root Change’s collective impact approach helped more than 200 organizations organize around shared advocacy goals and achieve dozens of policy reforms in Nigeria. The initiative is widely recognized as a successful model for coalition building and Collective Impact.
Field-building in systems change: Root Change helped shape the field of systems thinking in development by pioneering social network analysis, and influencing USAID’s embrace of Capacity 2.0, its Local Capacity Strengthening Policy, and the Agency’s approach to collective action.
Strengthening Health Equity Ecosystems in California: Root Change supported California’s VA58 campaign by facilitating regional convenings that connected over 200 community-based organizations, strengthened networks, and built peer learning opportunities. We helped CBOs leverage trusted messengers, collaborate across communities, and develop strategies and messaging to advance equitable health outcomes across the state.
Community LINKS SMS Connect: Root Change developed mobile-based systems that improved coordination among governments, schools, health providers, and social workers serving vulnerable children in Namibia and Uganda. The systems strengthened child protection, improved service delivery, and supported family reintegration efforts.