The impact of toolkits in international development

Integrating new technologies like AI into our daily lives and work is not a new concept. In our Reach School sessions in 2024, we have engaged in multiple conversations about AI. We believe it is our responsibility to understand what efforts are needed to create meaningful, positive, and humane ways of utilizing AI, around the world.

Collaboration and learning are central to our work. A key part of growing is identifying our own skill gaps, which often surface in interactions with colleagues or clients and can trigger an internal, physical response of unease. In a recent Reach School session, we discussed these signals and the need to redesign learning models, especially with the rise of AI. We emphasised that human qualities like passion and listening are our crucial differentiation. By consciously acknowledging our limitations and taking action to address them, we can make a meaningful impact through our work. Addressing skill gaps is a powerful way to make a positive impact. By being aware of our limitations, accepting them and taking deliberate action, we can Make meaningful work together.

In June 2025, seven studios from the Reach Network contributed stories and reflections on the engagements they have had with system transformations. Our journey into system transformation revealed a fundamental truth: it’s about looking beyond isolated problems to understand interconnected challenges. For those designing solutions, this means shifting from fixing individual parts to engage with the system as a whole. For everyone, it’s about asking: What are the hidden connections, and how do changes ripple through the whole? Working systemically demands a particular way of thinking. It's about embracing curiosity, humility, and a willingness to collaborate across diverse perspectives. We observed the value of going broad in our understanding before diving deeper into specific areas. One helpful analogy that emerged was that of a gardener, nurturing growth and working with natural systems rather than simply trying to fix broken elements.