An idea shaping current thinking on place-based change is, what John Hitchin, describes as the “invisible work” problem. This is the notion that much of a backbone’s most important function is largely unseen and poorly understood by those outside of the process (and sometimes within it).

As someone who has previously done this work, I have experienced first hand the ambiguity of the job description, the grey areas we are expected to sit, and create impact in, the challenge of articulating what you do and how you do it, all whilst navigating the funder and partner expectation to reduce the resourcing required to do this work well… and then there’s the actual job itself!

Fortunately, across both policy and practice, there is a growing recognition that we do not yet have a good enough understanding of how change actually happens in place. Previously the focus has been on the more explicit aspects of delivering change e.g. programmes, activities and outcomes - what was delivered, how many people attended, what shifted at the end. But through our early work developing an Early Years Practice Framework, it is clear that this only tells part of the story. The real drivers of change often sit elsewhere; in the relationships built, the trust developed, the quality of convening, and the persistence of people working across boundaries over time.

In seeking a better understanding of the less visible work of change, the Place Matters team is gathering wisdom and experience from those doing the work of community-centred change across the UK this year. As we visit organisations across the country, we are intentionally looking beyond programmes and activities to understand how change happens; the relationships, roles, structures and practices that are the enablers and mechanisms. What we are seeing is that the connective tissue of place-based work is both essential and frequently overlooked. This idea has strongly resonated with what we heard during our recent visits to place-based initiatives in Scotland. Across different models, from community-led approaches like Getting Alongside Communities in Blacklands to participation-driven systems like Regenerative Futures Fund, a consistent message emerged: the real work is not just what is delivered, but how it is held together.

In all of our work, much of the impact described by practitioners is rooted in things that are difficult to quantify - increased confidence, stronger relationships, a renewed sense of belonging, and the ability for people to come together and act. These are not traditional outputs, yet they are repeatedly described as the foundation for change. As one participant put it, the role is often to “create space for people to come together with no pre-determined idea”: A simple description of deeply skilled, and often invisible, practice.

Alongside this, our work developing an Early Years Practice Framework is attempting to respond directly to the invisible work problem. Rather than focusing solely on outcomes, the framework is beginning to name and describe the ‘under the bonnet’ relational and systemic conditions that underpin change, beyond the current literature. It is, in effect, an effort to make visible what practitioners already know matters, and to give it legitimacy in how we understand and evidence impact.

Taken together, these strands of work are helping to shift the conversation. Away from a narrow focus on delivery and towards a deeper understanding of how change actually happens in place. If we can better see and articulate this invisible work, we not only improve how we evidence impact, we strengthen the case for investing in the long-term, relational approaches that communities consistently tell us make the difference.

You can explore more of John Hitchen’s thinking on this here: Backbone models enabling impact through collaboration