Complex Systems and How Complex Non-Profits can Harness the Flow of Information

Abstract

Non-profits must continuously adapt themselves to changing circumstances, but they often lack the resources necessary to adapt successfully. This paper proposes a model to help non-profits overcome this challenge. It explains the role of information in the adaptation of complex systems and suggests a process that non-profits can follow to direct the flow of this information. The Information for Innovation Model (IIM) presented in the paper explains how the inflow and outflow of information influences a system’s adaptation. A series of steps are then proposed for the design of Communities of Practice (CoP) that can help organisations implement the model. Librarians, trained in information-seeking and focused on increasing their reach beyond the library, can support a non-profit following these steps. This paper contributes to the literature on complexity science by articulating a process that organisations can follow to influence the inflow and outflow of information. This process highlights new roles for both CoPs and librarians within non-profits. This is important because non-profits often lack resources necessary for innovation, and librarians are looking for new ways to extend their reach.