ABSTRACT
Systems convener is the term we are using for people who forge new learning partnerships in complex landscapes. John Hegarty was Head of the Centre for Financial Reporting Reform at the World Bank in Austria. With a background as a chartered accountant, he ran a program of accounting reform and institutional strengthening in South Central and South Eastern Europe. Nancy started her career as an art teacher, became the technology coordinator in her district, and is now a Grant Manager for the state of Iowa, Area Education Agency. Systems conveners view their work, explicitly or implicitly, as an endeavor to generate new capabilities in their landscape. It is a complex learning process that involves new partnerships among diverse stakeholders. Such an aspirational narrative invites a configuration of stakeholders to undertake something that no one thought possible. Authors are dreamers but they are also schemers, with a solid dose of strategic thinking and tactical acuity.
