The impacts of a changing climate and the responses required to mitigate and adapt to this challenge clearly demonstrates that we can no longer isolate environmental issues from economic and social influences and drivers. The complex nature of challenges such as this compels us to reconsider our traditional problem-solving approaches and explore alternative models for solution seeking.

Our conditioned approach to understanding and managing our complex world has been to focus on individual components within the system and to specialise in their form and function, at times in isolation to the other parts of the system. In addressing complexity in this manner we have created specialised knowledge in elements of the system that has, in part, given rise to a false sense of control over the entire system. What is now required are ways that enable us to understand the multiple facets of the system and how they interact.

Responding to challenges and opportunities

So, in order to effectively respond to complex modern day challenges, and realise the opportunities inherent within them, we need to innovate. In this context innovation is not limited to the invention of new technologies. The innovation required must include ways to better understand and work with complexity and integrate often disparate perspectives and knowledge. Innovation of this kind requires an understanding of the interactions between and across social, economic, environmental and governance systems. And, through this understanding, design, test and apply solutions that combine innovations in the ways we work together; plan our futures; develop new technologies; and implement change.

In addressing sustainability issues, science has a role to play. “Sustainability” science requires researchers to work across disciplinary boundaries, bringing together perspectives from the ecological and social sciences, along with economics, IT and other science disciplines.  By integrating these perspectives, learning and knowledge is created that both provides the evidence base required to develop effective responses, and affords opportunities for innovation.

As much as science disciplines are required to work together, so to are actors from across the public, private and civil society sectors. No one sector has all the answers so effective solutions lie in focusing and integrating the passion, skills, resources and knowledge from across sectors on addressing real world problems. The age of integration is upon us.We are re-awakening to the interconnections within and across social, environmental, economic and governance systems. Through this understanding,we are presented with new perspectives from which to address challenges and explore opportunities.

Crossing traditional boundaries

The need for integrated responses is driving innovation and this is being played out on different scales and in different ways – disparate areas of science coordinating across traditional boundaries; governments, businesses and NGOs working collaboratively on global issues; and, communities forming new institutions to organise resources internally and externally to address local issues. Across these examples, innovation and learning is taking place and new knowledge is being created from which solutions are being developed and applied. 

The ideal of integrating inputs from multiple perspectives/organisations and focusing them on sustainable outcomes for communities is compelling.  However, there are many challenges.The inherent diversity of the participants brings with it competing drivers and value sets; inconsistent terminologies; divergent expectations and institutional/attitudinal barriers.  Although not insurmountable these preconditions give rise to the need for new operating modes and skills. 

Offering communities enhanced outcomes in addressing sustainability issues is an emergent collaborative model integrating knowledge, competencies and resources from diverse organisations – multistakeholder partnerships (MSP). By definition an MSP is a vehicle which brings together the resources and competencies of organisations from across the public, private and civil society sectors with the intent to work collaboratively to address one or more societal issues in a way that will create mutually beneficial outcomes.  Participants are attracted by a combination of shared values and the opportunity to create value. The focus is on collaboration and innovation in addressing specific, ‘place based’ issues.

It is envisaged that over time this approach will lead to a greater learning, understanding and knowledge of the complex systems that shape life on our planet.  Through this acquired and shared knowledge we will be better equipped to develop and deliver local responses to global issues.

MSPs in action

One Australian example of a successful MSP is the Herbert Resource Information Centre (HRIC). Established a decade ago the HRIC is a joint venture across six organisations from Local and State Government, research, and local business interests working together to provide information and skills assisting better resource planning and management in the Herbert River Catchment. The HRIC supports ecological sustainability of the local catchment through the provision of region specific spatial data and services that underpin local decision making. The HRIC provides an example of innovation incorporating both technology and process.  Further examples of MSPs supporting local sustainability outcomes are being developed through CSIRO’s Sustainable Communities Initiative.

The Sustainable Communities Initiative (SCI) is an ‘action learning’ program, hosted by CSIRO, that brings together participants from across public, private and civil society sectors; to work in partnership with communities; to develop and deliver innovative and knowledge-based solutions to community-specific sustainability challenges and opportunities.

Based on MSP principles, the SCI develops and delivers projects that enable partners and communities to work together in ways that harness and integrate each partners’ unique knowledge, competencies and resources, in combination with local knowledge. 

Individually, SCI projects deliver local triple bottom line outcomes in project communities; collectively, they provide insights and learnings that inform future sustainable development policy, programs and practice.  The SCI provides a vehicle for learning how to address real world issues collaboratively and innovatively. 

What we have learnt so far is that complexity means total system sustainability can only be achieved when we can conceptualise and work with individual system components in the context of the total system. Similarly, solving only discrete individual issues will not address the challenges or optimise the opportunities as we need holistic and systemic solutions. And finally, critical to achieving sustainability is the ability to: assess current system conditions; determine thresholds and targets; and create feedback mechanisms to enable us to understand the inter-relationship between actions and outcomes within the system.

• Given this, the challenge before us is now clear. What we need to do is:
• Embrace complexity and interconnectedness, andaccept the uncertainty inherent in a dynamic world
• Learn how to integrate multiple and diverseperspectives in addressing challenges and opportunities
• Experience new ways of working together acrosstraditional sectoral and institutional boundaries
• Innovate, experiment and learn from theseexperiences in order to create new knowledge, share understandings and realise ‘on-ground’ outcomes 

Sean Rooney is Director of CSIRO’s Sustainable Communities Initiative. He joined CSIRO in 2002 as Business Manager in the Division of Sustainable Ecosystems.  In this role Sean brokered and supported collaborative, multidisciplinary research partnerships in the sustainable development domain. In 2005, Sean became CSIRO’s Australian Government Business Manager, responsible for developing large scale research program opportunities in partnership with Australian Government agencies. He was appointed to his current role in 2006. 

With a professional background that includes business and finance roles in national cultural institutions and the private sector, he holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Australian National University and a Masters of Business Administration from Melbourne University’s Melbourne Business School. He has been recognised with a Future Summit Leadership Award.

www.cse.csiro.au