Mapping existing targets and strategies
Systems change requires changes across many different levels and domains. With so many changes that need to be made, it can be difficult to know where to start. A useful starting point can be to map existing targets and strategies onto the new wellbeing economy vision, to get an overview of the changes that need to be made and where some of the gaps might be.
For example, once they had developed their vision for how their city could thrive within the Doughnut, the three city governments of Portland, Philadelphia, and Amsterdam mapped their existing targets and strategies onto their Doughnut vision, to be able to assess the alignment of their existing targets and strategies with the Doughnut vision.
After desk research to identify existing targets, workshops were held with city officials, subject matter experts and community organisations. During these workshops, participants collectively reflected on the sufficiency of their city’s social and environmental targets and strategies. They noted wellbeing dimensions for which the city had no related targets and identified areas in which they believed the city’s scope and level of ambition should be raised.
Building on the Two Loops model (Section 7.2), the following questions can help to identify which targets, strategies and activities need to be strengthened and which ones need to be downscaled:
The old
The dominant system
What kinds of local economic activities and processes impede progress towards the wellbeing vision and the identified wellbeing priorities?
What mental models, power dynamics or incentives keep these activities and processes in place and how can they be realigned?
Who will this transition be hard for? How can they be acknowledged and supported?
The new
The emergent system
What kinds of local economic activities and processes contribute to the wellbeing vision and priorities?
What examples of such activities and processes already exist in the local context and embody the desired ways of working and outcomes?
How can these (emerging) initiatives be nurtured, supported and scaled up?
What is already in place that can be built on? What elements, resources and initiatives that exists in the old system can help to nourish and grow the new system?