Navigating Complexity in a Changing World.
Navigating complexity can be a daunting task. But with the right tools and insights, it is possible to understand how change happens and to design and evaluate interventions that can help achieve desired outcomes.
This is where the Actor-Based Change (ABC) Framework comes in. The ABC Framework is a practical tool that helps us understand the dynamics of complex systems and design interventions that can lead to meaningful change. On this website, you’ll find resources and insights on the ABC Framework, as well as case studies and examples of how the framework has been used to guide real-world interventions.
What is the ABC Framework?
The Actor-Based Change (ABC) Framework is a tool that helps us understand how change happens in complex systems. Developed by Andrew Koleros, Sean Mulkerne, Mark Oldenbeuving and Danielle Stein, the framework is based on the idea that complex systems are made up of a large number of interconnected actors (people, organisations, etc) who interact with each other in a dynamic and non-linear way. These interactions can lead to emergent properties and behaviours that cannot be predicted or controlled through traditional linear cause-and-effect thinking.
The ABC Framework builds on this understanding of complexity by providing a way to map and analyse the actors and their interactions within a system. It helps identify key actors, understand their behaviours and, and visualise the relationships and power dynamics between them. This enables us to design and evaluate interventions that take into account the complex and adaptive nature of the system, and to anticipate how the system might respond to these interventions.
While the framework can be used to analyse and understand any complex system, it has been particularly useful in the field of international development and social change
Where can I find resources?
American Journal of Evaluation
If you are interested in learning more about the theoretical underpinnings of the ABC Framework, you can read the original paper, published in the American Journal of Evaluation in 2020. The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the framework and its theoretical foundation, and is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about how the framework was developed and how it can be applied in practice. The paper also includes a case study on the application of the approach on an evaluation of a security and justice program in Nepal.
You can download the paper here.