What we do
We help organisations and communities embed social innovation practices to tackle complex social challenges.
Pathways to navigate complex challenges
For over 16 years, we’ve partnered with government, philanthropy, PHNs, NFPs, specialist partners and communities to value, learn, and lead social innovation. We do this by supporting people to design practice, programs, initiatives, policies and systems, and constantly innovating the way we work to find new approaches to address complex social challenges across Australia.
We work across sectors including health, families, ageing, and disabilty, using approaches such as co-design, peer-to-peer support, impact networks, systems innovation, and futuring.
Our approach is built on a foundation of hands-on practice alongside the people most affected by social complexity. Think of us as a bridge between big systems (like government and health) and the real-world experiences of everyday people.
What is
Social Innovation?
Glad you asked. Social innovation is the approach of finding better ways to respond to challenges that affect people and communities, like ageing well, poor mental health, and domestic and family violence. It’s innovation focused on social and public good.
Looking at challenges through a social innovation lens means looking for creative ideas that work better and are fairer. These might include new or improved practices, services, policies and ways of working together.
Social innovation is often applied in situations that are politically and culturally complex, with long histories of entrenched disadvantage, and in areas where go-to responses have failed to improve outcomes or stopped working. Typically, effective social innovation involves a just process that includes the expertise of people affected by the problem, a focus on creating a just outcome, and results that further justice.
At TACSI, our approach emphasises the inclusion of lived expertise, systemic awareness, activating imagination, and learning through doing.
Ways we can work together
Strategic co-design: We facilitate co-design, where the people who will actually use a service are the ones helping to build it.
Building capability: We train organisations, individuals and communities to use social innovation tools themselves through our Learning Hub.
Systems innovation: We work with governments and large NGOs to look at the big picture. Instead of just fixing a symptom, we look at the whole system to see where it’s broken and how to rewire it.
Impact networks: We build and support cross-sector networks that connect changemakers for aligned systemic action.
Policy & service reform: We work with governments and providers to rethink “business as usual” and implement more effective, human-centered models.
What makes us different
Our work and partnerships are supported by:
- A commitment of allyship with First Nations people, and Indigenous Systems, Knowledges and Country.
- A deep respect and empathy for our partners’ context, ambitions, and constraints.
- A focus on outcomes and a willingness to adapt our approach and outputs to get that outcome.
- Our ability to change and adapt based on what we learn and encounter in the process of our work.
- Relational ways of working, held by an experienced team with a strong commitment to social justice.
- Learning and relationships from 16 years of hands-on social innovation experience (approaching 1000 projects).
- Our relationships and regular learning exchanges with social innovation organisations around the world.
- The cross-pollination of learning between the different levels of systems, between states and territories and internationally.
- A sense of humor.
Complex challenges can’t be solved alone. Let’s partner to design the services, systems and policies Australia needs now and for the future.
Who we work with
Our approach
We’ve spent 16 years partnering to develop social innovation practices that promote imagination, systemic awareness and put people at the margins at the centre of decision making.
Allyship: Action in solidarity with First Nations peoples to centre Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and cultures. See our allyshop work.
Co-design: Collaboratively designing services and policies by combining lived, research and practice expertise. See our co-design work.
Peer-to-Peer: Designing services that connect people with shared life experience to create meaningful change. See our peer-to-peer work.
Community Innovation: Building local capability and infrastructure so communities can lead their own change. See our community innovation work.
Systems Innovation: Transforming complex systems through collaboration that centres diverse and lived perspectives. See our systems innovation work.
Impact Networks: Connecting changemakers through shared purpose, deep relationships and aligned systemic action. See our impact networks work.
Just Futuring: Catalysing action for fairer futures by connecting diverse knowledge, people and possibilities. See our just futuring work.
Social R&D: Creating reliable systems for continuous, effective social purpose innovation. See our social R&D work.
Social innovation in action
Explore projects and initiatives where social innovation has led to measurable change
Case studies
Explore the programs and initiatives where we’ve turned bold ideas into systemic action and measurable change.
Case study: Catalysing regenerative capabilities in place
Together with WWF-Australia, engaged local communities in regional New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, TACSI co-created and delivered three Local Learning Labs in place to catalyse regenerative capabilities in place.
Case study: Building regenerative communities through the Now-Future-How model
How we’re enabling communities to lead their own disaster response systems and development through the Now-Future-How model.
Case study: Building an impact network for systemic change in end of life
What if all Australians and their loved ones had better end of life experiences: dying peacefully, connected, life in order, in a place of their choosing and free of pain? Our Impact Network seeks to achieve just that.
Case study: Addressing place-based disadvantage in southern Melbourne
In this project, we mixed statistical data analysis with insights from employers, service providers and service users. We used the combined data to identify and test key action points that could shift outcomes in addressing disadvantage in the region.
Ready
to make
lasting
change?
Whether you need to build your team's capability or redesign a national system, we’re here to help you navigate the complexity.