A systematic review of the literature on change laboratory interventions: Lessons from Africa

Abstract

Change laboratories (CLs) are formative problem-solving initiatives that have been used extensively in Europe but have only recently been applied in African contexts. This review thus offers an original insight into their use and value in African contexts. The laboratories are classified into partial, classic, or augmented varieties-all of which are shown to assist participants learning to work with pressing local problems. Some CLs have expanded their remit to addressing grand societal challenges, such as sustainable practices and responses to climate change, which are particularly pressing issues on the continent. Our findings suggest that CL work in Africa, besides contributing overall to understanding the efficacy of the CL methodology, may also be taking a leading role in addressing some of the grand challenges affecting societies, globally.