Learning for Sustainability (LfS) is a practitioner-led knowledge hub for people working on complex, real-world challenges. It brings together curated and annotated links to open access resources from diverse sectors and regions, alongside my own reflections, insights, and papers.
Grounded in systems thinking and complexity-aware practice, the site supports people and organisations working in multi-actor settings to combine structure and adaptation, strengthening reflection, collaboration and purposeful learning.
Now in its 20th year, LfS continues to curate and share resources that support collaboration and sustainability practice. Over time, the site has been used by people in many countries who are looking for more constructive ways of working together on complex issues.
The sections below offer four common entry points for people working in complex, multi-actor settings. They provide a way into the wider topics and resource hubs. The main menu above provides access to the full set of themes across the site.
Systems thinking, dialogue, knowledge co-production and shared understanding in complex settings
Stakeholder analysis, facilitation, multi-actor processes and cross-sector partnerships
Strategic planning, behaviour change, co-design, climate adaptation and adaptive practice
Complexity-aware monitoring, evaluation, and learning for reflection and adaptation
You can also explore the site structure and navigation page for an overview of the full set of key topics and resource hubs.
Will Allen
I am an independent systems scientist, action researcher and evaluator with 30 years of experience in sustainable development and natural resource management. Most of my work takes place in participatory and learning-oriented contexts, helping people in multi-actor settings build shared understanding around goals, actions and indicators. These insights continue to shape the Learning for Sustainability site, where I share resources and reflections for others to adapt in their own settings.
The structure of the site has grown out of my professional work, supporting policy and management initiatives that are outcomes-focused and grounded in constructive engagement, co-design, adaptation and reflective practice. I continue to draw on these approaches in my facilitation, research and evaluation sharing them here as open resources for others. (about me • services and support).
If any of the ideas or resources here resonate, I welcome hearing from you. I’m always interested in connecting with others and, where it’s useful, supporting short, well-defined advisory, reflective, or writing work that strengthens collaborative and outcomes-oriented practice.
