We need a change of mindset! with Silva Firretti

Silva Firretti is a free thinker who uses every project, every evaluation as a way of getting closer to her vision of social change, of development work writ large. Her experience spans decades, continents and sectors which gives her this poised, lucid and pragmatic outlook on our sector. You can check out her work on https://silva.duckonthemove.com.

The cards drawn to guide our conversation were an invitation to discuss change at Community level, how we measure and what we measure & the role of Consultants! And the bonus card was a reminder of the Diversity of actors, contexts and tools. She spoke freely about our need to change our way of thinking lest our sector becomes extinct and how there are people,  consultants but also civil society workers and staff of donor institutions and large organizations, who are dissatisfied with the systemic and structural limitations to real and tangible change, and who are trying to make the system more nimble and more responsive to the complex situations we are faced with.

Some of my key takeaways from this profound conversation are around clarifying concepts:

-          Beyond Measure, we should focus on Evidence which gives greater depth of understanding of how social change happens.

-          The term accountability should not be mistaken with compliance. Being accountable is about being “true to a promise” and that the quality of that promise is in the feedback loops of learning and adjusting as we do our work. 

-          The call to bring the human back to the fore of what we do and use creative ways of showing how our work is bringing about change.

So grab yourself a cup of tea and enjoy this episode. I personally didn’t want it to end; and please do share your thoughts or comments. 

If you’d like to pursue the conversation with Silva, you can reach her on LinkedIn and if you work on social change, in whatever sector, and are up for the challenge of sharing what you do and how you do it guided by only 4 words, message me on LinkedIn or any of the social media platforms, through the unique handle @rethinksocialchange, and we’ll set something up! 

‘Till then, be the change!

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