Catalysing Urban Systems Change

Registrations for the third iteration of this course are now closed. For further queries or to join the waitlist for the next iteration,
please email us on upp@iihs.ac.in.

There is an increasing consensus around the imperative of urban change, that our cities become just, equitable, inclusive, resilient and sustainable spaces for all. Scaling is an essential element for bringing change and achieving any transformation agenda, including the commitments made towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and beyond. Yet achieving scale remains elusive. While there is rich, conceptual literature on scaling / scaling-up, transitions and change management, there remains a dearth of good examples / cases, especially from India and other middle or low income countries. Yet, learning from practice on the ground in these locations is essential if we are to navigate change at scale. This course offers insights into how to enable and sustain transformative change at scale in urban systems, using the case of IIHS’ multi-year experience on the Tamil Nadu Urban Sanitation Support Programme. While the course is about large-scale change, it will also focus on the centrality of the agency of practitioners.

The Tamil Nadu Urban Sanitation Support Programme (TNUSSP), led by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), supported the government of Tamil Nadu (GoTN) in transforming the entire urban sanitation chain in cities to make it inclusive and sustainable. This large-scale change was enabled by conceptualising, designing and implementing a complex, innovative programme that strengthened the enabling environment as well as aided in implementation, with underlying theory of change being that working across the chain and at-scale is essential to achieve safe sanitation for all. It represented a paradigm shift from incomplete sanitation systems with aspirations of fully centralised systems to a mix of centralised and decentralised systems. Representative of a decade of practice – from on-ground initiatives to strategic policy changes – TNUSSP holds valuable lessons for large-scale change in other urban systems, and settlements at large, and the potential role of development practitioners play.

Who this is for

Development sector practitioners across multiple domains – education, energy, environment and sustainability, public health, transport and mobility, water and sanitation, waste management, women and child development, agriculture and rural development, etc.
Professionals with about 10 years of experience, and are at middle and senior levels
Researchers and academics engaged in studying urban / rural transformation, both in terms of implementation and policy / advocacy

Learning Objectives

Understand the lifecycle of large-scale programmes, especially reflecting upon elements critical to scaling and transformation
Unpack the complexities of working with multiple partners and actors across different locations
Explore the dynamics of decision making across diverse stakeholders for enabling systemic change
Apply lessons from one sector in a different sector and context

Kavita Wankhade, Course Director
Head – Practice (Governance & Services); and Associate Dean – IIHS School of Systems and Infrastructure

Kavita has led large-scale programmes like the Tamil Nadu Urban Sanitation Support Programme (TNUSSP), one of the largest SDG initiatives in the world, as well as the City-Wide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS), Trichy which was mandated with delivering inclusive sanitation services. Her work focuses on inclusive service delivery, infrastructure systems, and systems change. With over 20 years of experience, Kavita has worked as a practitioner (across policy, consulting and implementation), educator and researcher across various regions in India. Kavita has a Masters degree in City Design and Social Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Geetika Anand, Course Facilitator
External Consultant, IIHS; and Doctoral Researcher, Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town

Trained in Urban Planning, Social Policy, and Urban Studies, Geetika has almost 18 years of experience in the urban development sector in India, and over six years of experience in South Africa. Working with the IIHS since 2010, she has been contributing to planning their practice and research projects, as well as supporting capacity building initiatives of TNUSSP. With a special interest in field-based learning, Geetika has been part of the studio faculty at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi; IIHS, Bangalore; and the African Centre for Cities (ACC), Cape Town. Geetika has an MPhil in Urban Studies from ACC, a Master’s in Social Policy and Development from London School of Economics, and a Bachelor’s in Planning from SPA Delhi.

Programme Structure

Four days online course
Delivered through a combination of in-class lectures and discussions, case studies and hands-on activities
High degree of application orientation and peer learning

Key Differentiators

Course Structure

Format: Live Online (webinars)
Fully funded
Participation by invitation only
Maximum cohort size: 30
A range of pedagogical formats – lectures, videos, interactive sessions, panel discussions, voices from the field, reflective activities, peer learning
Reflective presentation / submission at the end of the course
Certificate of attendance¹

Session Plan

Each module has two 1.5 hour sessions with a 15 minute break between sessions

Friday, 22 Aug 2025 | 2:00 pm to 5:15 pm
Module 1: Introduction to Course and Case

In this module, course faculty will explain the overall scale and scope of the course, and the imperatives of large-scale change. The module will also set out the case of the TNUSSP, to enable participants to understand the context and vocabulary that will foreground the rest of the modules in the course.

Friday, 29 Aug 2025 | 2:00 pm to 5:15 pm
Module 2: Before the Programme – Scoping, Consultation, and Alignment

Even before TNUSSP was formally launched, there were a series of scoping studies and consultations that contributed to the programme design, and implementation plan. In any change initiative, often what is visible is a fully designed programme or initiative, with carefully worked out components, and detailed process. This is often seen as a starting point. In reality, there is much more that happens before it reaches this point. This module takes the participants through the preparatory phase, which includes data collection, stakeholder alignment and buy-in, multiple consultations, and more.

Saturday, 30 Aug 2025 | 10:00 am to 1:15 pm
Module 3: Programme Design – Scaling, Context and Outcomes

This module positions scaling and context as important foundational elements for successful programme design. Taking cue from the TNUSSP design, this module places scaling at the forefront, as an organising principle of any programme design, rather than bringing it in as an afterthought. Following a discussion on the barriers to scaling, the module delves into why it is important to think ‘at scale’ from the beginning, and how TNUSSP included those considerations right from the start. Next, the module unpacks ‘context’ – context of government policy, sanitation systems, settlement patterns, prevailing institutional arrangements etc. and once more through TNUSSP illustrates how programme design can be woven around context. The module concludes by highlighting the importance of setting appropriate outcomes, and reflects on framing of outcomes in the context of enabling large scale change.

Friday, 12 Sep 2025 | 2:00 pm to 5:15 pm
Module 4: Implementing the Programme (Part 1)

First of the two modules on implementation takes the participants through various phases of programme -preparatory, build-up and exit. We discuss the kind of activities that are typically needed at each phase. However, change is two steps forward, and one step backward- or even sideway. Recognising this, we take participants through the arc of TNUSSP’s evolution; they include key ‘moments’ like inflection points, failures etc. It also reflects on how a change initiative such as TNUSSP can work through and around these.

Saturday, 13 Sep 2025 | 10:00 am to 1:15 pm
Module 5: Implementing the Programme (Part 2)

In Part 2 of the implementation modules, we reflect on the range of challenges faced across the duration of the Programme, including but not limited to difficulty in paradigm shift, competing mindsets, financial limitations, procurement issues, and so on. We also reflect upon specific challenges (and way forward) on innovation and change, especially on risk taking abilities. Finally, we offer an insight into day-to-day, and lived experiences of bringing about change – far from the glamour of a well-designed results framework, what does the daily life of a practitioner look like.

Friday, 19 Sep 2025 | 2:00 pm to 5:15 pm
Module 6: Sustaining Change with Enabling Environment

This module examines the process of strengthening the enabling environment, and challenges faced. The module contends that there are a range of initiatives that are required – policy change, legal and regulatory changes, strengthening institutions at various levels, and setting up accountability mechanisms. We also deeply reflect on some of the common approaches -technical capacity building, policy formulation etc., and assess whether these work. We also briefly examine the role of finance in change, and aspects to focus on.

Saturday, 20 Sep 2025 | 10:00 am to 1:15 pm
Module 7: Looking Outwards – Working with (and through) Diverse Actors

Creating lasting change requires collective effort. This module highlights the wide range of stakeholders involved, and reflects on their roles. The module also dives deep into what it entails to work with government organisations and other stakeholders at various stages of the programme. The module will facilitate discussions around core principles (such as trust and credibility) and also modes of engagement (like capacity building).

Friday, 26 Sep 2025 | 2:00 pm to 5:15 pm
Module 8: Looking Inwards – Organisations, Teams, Agency and Synthesis

In this module, we shift focus from the outside world to examine our organisations, teams and ourselves. While there is extensive literature on teams, we focus on what kind of teams, what sorts of people, and what structures are required to enable change.This final module also synthesises the diverse threads covered across the course, to reflect on their collective implications for broader practice of scaling change.

Saturday, 27 Sep 2025 | 10:00 am to 1:15 pm
Module 9: Group Presentations

The participants will be given an opportunity to present the work they have done during the exercises in the course.

Programme Details:

Course Format: Live Online
Course Dates: 29, 30 November and 6, 7 December 2024
Course Fees: Rs.8,850/- inclusive of GST
Early Bird Fee II (5% off): Rs.8,408/- inclusive of GST
Last date for Early Bird Discount: 8 November 2024
For queries, get in touch with us at upp@iihs.ac.in or 9611911169

If you are interested in attending this course, please fill up this Expression of Interest form. If you have any questions about the course, please write to dbl@iihs.ac.in.