9 - Seeing the Whole Iceberg: Supporting Clients to Embrace Root Causes

Abstract Information: Evaluators support clients to address a variety of social issues in the hopes of changing lives and social structures that exclude and marginalize. Sustained change comes through partnering with clients to identify and address the root causes of these social issues. The goals of typical programming often address only the tip of the iceberg and don’t go beyond the presenting challenge. Our evaluation perspective gives us a view of the entire iceberg: the root causes that result in the smaller challenges that clients are attempting to address. How do we influence our clients to embrace a larger view that includes actions to address root causes? We have noticed that some clients go through exercises to name root causes yet are reluctant to adjust their actions to include change at this deeper level. They focus on the tip of the iceberg, and engaging and tackling root causes seems overwhelming or not possible. Lack of funds, expertise, or partners may limit their willingness to acknowledge the connection between their desired outcomes and deeper root causes. Additionally, organizations opt for short-term solutions where outcomes are clear, rather than addressing sustainable long-term solutions where impact is more difficult to show.

In this session, we share our experiences working with clients to consider root causes. We invite you to share your experiences, tips, and learnings. Let’s collectively create a toolbox that will amplify impact by supporting clients to consider the whole iceberg of causes in their approach to supporting communities and sustainable change.