Engaging with Government for Systems Change

The Nicholson Foundation worked to advance meaningful change in New Jersey’s safety net service systems. Its journey is described in Changing Systems, Changing Lives: Reflecting on 20 Years.

From the very beginning, The Foundation viewed government—at every level, from local agencies to the state—as a critical player and partner in systems change. Early in our history we focused on the local level. However, we soon recognized that states have considerable power over—and responsibility for—activities that profoundly affect the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Over time, therefore, we connected with more and larger divisions of state government.

We wanted to take advantage of the fact that government and the non-governmental sector constitute a mutually beneficial symbiosis. Government needs foundations and other non-governmental organizations to help advance its policies and programs, particularly through providing services. This creates opportunities for non-governmental partners to engage in thoughtful planning and build the evidence base that makes government action desirable and possible.

Government action also can create a context where opportunities for investment can emerge and all can join in to ride a wave of change. Our work with government was integrally linked to partnerships we formed with nonprofits and ultimately, with other foundations. In some cases, government agencies assumed responsibility for projects when Foundation support ended.

Our experiences in working with government generated a few key takeaways that might be useful to others who are engaged in similar work:

• Recognize that government and the private sector play vital and complementary roles. The private sector has the flexibility to respond quickly to opportunities as they arise. Government, for its part, has the capacity to provide broad and long-term support, sustaining programs.
• Be sensitive to, and willing to align your work with, government’s unique strengths and constraints. If it is the goal of a project to be adopted by government, it is sensible to partner the development. That way, the service, funding, and political considerations government must contend with are naturally captured in the program design. Because of all these issues, government partners may need ample time to become actively engaged in and to commit to a project. This is especially important when the intervention involves a significant departure from established practice.
• Be nimble when partnering with government. You may need to quickly change and adapt if something unexpected happens, like a major public health emergency, a change of political will, or a sudden change in funding.
• Make formal and informal convenings a central element of your partnership efforts. These meetings can be a powerful way to bring together all stakeholders—government agencies, community organizations, and funders. Use them to gather information, highlight issues, encourage initial interest, gain commitments, and ensure continued buy-in and collaboration after programs are launched.

Learn More

• Read the other blogs in this Key Takeaways series:
  — Elevating Best Practices and Building Evidence
  — Finding and Nurturing Effective Partnerships
  — Investing in Organizational Nuts and Bolts
  — Tackling Complex Problems with Multiple and Complementary Solutions
  — Developing Future Leaders
• Read “A Framework for Creating Systems Change,” a paper by Drs. William Brown and Wynn Rosser. The paper presents a model for systems change that adapts and expands the Foundation’s approach, making it easily accessible to a broad audience and grounding it in the growing literature in this area. [Brown W, Rosser W. A Framework for Creating Systems Change. The Foundation Review, 2023;15(4):50-6.
• Receive or download a free copy of Changing Systems, Changing Lives: Reflecting on 20 Years. This book describes the 20-year journey of The Nicholson Foundation. Chapter 2 illustrates what’s possible with productive engagement with government. It describes how The Foundation:
  — Partnered with state and local agencies and departments to implement the In-Home Recovery Program, a new model of treating and supporting families with young children when a parent has a substance use disorder.— Collaborated with local government agencies, school systems, and community groups to support the Youth Education and Employment Success Center (YE2S) programs, which re-engaged youth in education and career training.