Theory of Change in Complex Systems: Strengthening Families Example
This working document brings together a paradigm shift in social service systems with a paradigm shift in how systems are conceived. The social service shift is from primary attention to risk factors to primary attention to protective factors. It is based on the research of the Center for the Study of Social Policy and operationalized in their multi-state Strengthening Families initiative. The systems theory shift is from systems being viewed primarily as controllable and predictable to viewing systems as complex and heavily adaptive and frequently unpredictable.
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