10 Guiding Principles of a Systemic approach • Begin with the end in mind • Look at the whole picture instead of focusing only on parts and elements • Look at the “bottom of the iceber” and understand underlying cultural patterns • See relations and connections instead of singular events/actors • Seek actively and integrate different viewpoints and multiple perspectives • Look at failures in the system, not in persons • Look at resources and strengths, not only deficits • Look for entry points and connections, while recognizing the limits of intervention • Include ongoing reflection and self-reflection Figure 1: The 10 Guiding Principles of a Systemic Approach Departing from these principles, the systemic approach is to be understood as a useful additional perspective to our common ways to view, think and act in this world. It is meant to motivate us to: • • • • Act in a consistently goal-oriented way – to ‘begin with the end in mind’: What do we want to concretely achieve? What does success look like? What is different after the successful intervention and how do we and others recognise this change? View things holistically - ‘looking at the whole picture’. This includes the ‘bottom of the iceberg’- namely the hidden factors such as culture/ mindsets/ attitudes – but also relations and connections between events and actors. This can be achieved by integrating different perspectives in our change process. Focus on the system - rather than looking at and blaming the individuals operating in it, the focus moves to the system, meaning the structural and root causes behind a problem and the resources available for change. View change as circular and highly complex – this is why flexibility, constant evaluation, seeking feedback, and learning by doing are important systemic principles. Such a view moreover helps us to stay humble and not to despair when change does not occur as we have planned. Rather we learn to stay alert for “windows of opportunity” for change.18 These principles influenced the design and evaluation of the project activities, e.g. through the identification of relevant participants, the agenda, and questions for the discussions during the events as will be further shown below. A systemic approach is particularly advantageous in the field of procedural rights. It helps complement the normative perspective, common among human rights practitioners and legal professionals, towards a holistic view, considering factors, such as attitudes in society towards suspects and accused, the culture in the police, prosecution, or judiciary. It shifts the focus from the problems and deficits to discovering the existing resources of a system and the opportunities for change. 18. See also the “Principles for how to bring about change” in Green, How Change Happens (2016) 22. 13