ENS5510 Innovation to influence system change
Faculty of Science
ENS5510 Innovation to influence system change is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Science, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
Reviews
No reviews yetNo reviews yet. Be the first to review ENS5510.
Overview
Leadership toward sustainable development requires you to address complex problems that are often systemic and politically charged. This unit will empower you to use creative processes and industry-relevant tools to make sense of large complex systemsand develop innovative ideas to create sustainable outcomes for real-world challenges.
You will learn key theories of system and political change and apply these to examine components of real systems we live in, such as transport, climate, and health. You will unpack a real system’s structures, rules, norms, values, politics and technologies. This will enable you to clearly frame problems, reveal and avoid biases and uncover leverage points that help or hinder sustainable development outcomes.
Having developed your systemic understanding, you will develop an innovation to influence change. The unit will equip you with industry-ready creative, analytical and practical tools to ensure your innovation is effective and fit-for-context, and build your skills to advocate and win support for your initiative.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | Online ev |
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- System explorationPresentation30%
- Innovator portfolioPortfolio40%
- Concept noteWritten30%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Investigate, interpret and assess selected societal and systemic change theories, methods and debates;
- 2
Apply systems thinking theory and tools to make sense of complex real-world situations;
- 3
Evaluate interactions between organisations, communities and their social and political contexts and identify factors which encourage or support sustainable outcomes;
- 4
Use creative and critical processes to innovate and influence toward system change;
- 5
Design, refine and persuasively communicate an innovative change intervention for a real-world sustainability challenge.
Workload and teaching
- Workshops36 hours
- Workshops24 hours
- Teaching approachSimulation or virtual practice
- Teaching approachActive learning
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
- Workshops equivalent to 2 (online) or 3 (on campus) hours per week and
- Independent study equivalent to 9 (on campus) or 10 (online) hours per week.
The difference in workload reflects an expectation that one applied activity per week will run in-class (for on campus students) or be completed independently (for online students). These activities support the overall unit assignments. In both cases, careful guidance will be provided, and time in-class allocated to debrief, share and reflect on the weekly activity.
The unit includes simulations of real-world situations to embed learning about innovation methods and tools.
The unit’s workshops are interactive with peer discussions, guest speakers and breakout activities.
The unit includes an overarching innovation case study addressing a real-world problem.
Learning resources
Recommended resources
Moodle is the primary mode of content delivery for this unit and it is essential for your success that you refer to it regularly.
Technology resources
Assessments and live class activities within this unit assume you have access to an internet-enabled device (a PC, laptop, smartphone or tablet). In particular, some in-class collaborative activities require these.
Where it fits
ENS5510 is part of 3 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Professor Annette Bos
- Unit Coordinators
- Mr David Robertson
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ENS5510?
ENS5510 has no prerequisites.
When is ENS5510 offered?
In 2026, ENS5510 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
Does ENS5510 have an exam?
No. ENS5510 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ENS5510?
ENS5510 is part of Environmental security, Leadership for sustainable development and Policy studies.