On October 30, 2023, Dusseldorp Forum partnered with UK system innovation expert Charles Leadbeater, Luke Craven from Collaboration for Impact, and Thea Snow, Centre for Public Impact for an insightful roundtable discussion on shifting Entrenched Disadvantage in Australia. This discussion involved key members of the Federal government responsible for implementing the $200 million Targeting Entrenched Disadvantage package.

The roundtable revealed key insights, emphasising the importance of both scaling innovation and transforming systems simultaneously. Charles stressed that scaling alone, without transforming systems, falls short of making a real lasting impact. The conversation also highlighted the significance of empowering communities by transitioning the government from being the doers to enablers, allowing communities to actively lead solutions.

Sean Gordon, Gidgee Group, Frances Martin, Our Place, and Alister Ferguson, Maranguka shared their experiences in implementing system change and community-led initiatives in Australia. Sean underscored the need to identify broken systems and establish new ones based on equity and shared responsibility.

It was agreed that for this approach to work, the government must adopt new indicators of success, including the quality of relationships, sense of purpose, and meeting community expectations. The roundtable participants suggested identifying specific opportunities to showcase shifts in practices and then scaling these changes for better outcomes.

Recognising the importance of collaborative efforts, the roundtable emphasised the necessity of partnerships between government, communities, corporates, philanthropists, and universities. Charles Leadbeater’s Four Keys of power, purpose, resources, and relationships framework, along with the System Innovation Initiative, were acknowledged as valuable resources for shaping thinking and fostering collaboration.

Following the roundtable, the inaugural meeting of the Investment Dialogue for Australia’s Children launched a 10-year collaboration between government and philanthropy to reduce intergenerational disadvantage, focusing on children and families. Members signalled an intent to work together differently with a long-term, collaborative approach. The Investment Dialogue provides an opportunity to test and implement many of the ideas discussed at the Targeting Entrenched Disadvantage Roundtable.