# About the Practice Guide ## The purpose of this guide This practice guide adds a practical layer to the conceptual ideas found in our [white paper](https://transformation.capital/assets/uploads/Transformation-Capital-Systemic-Investing-for-Sustainability-1-1_2021-06-25-114435.pdf) and [hallmarks document](https://transformation.capital/assets/uploads/240807_TCI-Hallmarks_Version-1.0.pdf). Its purpose is to make systemic investing actionable, to show *how* the ideas at the heart of systemic investing could be operationalized in practice. So here is what you can expect to find in this practice guide: * An overarching **process hypothesis**; * Descriptions of **individual process steps** along with examples from practice; * Specific suggestions and **guidance** of how to design and implement a systemic investment program; and * Suggestions for **further reading materials** for diving deeper into specific areas. The practice guide draws heavily on our prototyping work, which is designed to experiment with how elements of systemic investing could work in real-world settings. In particular, the guide harnesses learnings from our [Net Zero Mobility](https://transformation.capital/places/systemic-investing-in-swiss-mobility) and [Food System](https://transformation.capital/places/systemic-investing-in-swiss-food-system) prototypes in Switzerland, the [Regenerative Agriculture prototype in the US Midwest](https://transformation.capital/places/systemic-investing-meets-regenerative-agriculture), our partnership with [Regen Melbourne](https://www.regen.melbourne/), and from the [case studies](https://transformation.capital/ideas/case-studies) we have published or supported. {% hint style="info" %} Check out our [portfolio of work](https://transformation.capital/work) at the TransCap Initiative that informs this practice guide. {% endhint %} We don’t expect the guide to ever be a complete resource. This is partly because there are so many layers of detail to unpack, partly because much of this work is still very new, and partly because the specific implementation of systemic investing will vary from one context to another. That said, we believe it’s valuable to present practical guidance on what systemic investing *could* look like so that—at the very least—we can support the ecosystem/people in the field/practitioners in asking better questions in search of answers for your specific context. We share this work in the spirit of open innovation, with the hope that it will help you see more clearly what it would mean to design and implement investment activities in a way that integrates systems thinking. ## Who is this practice guide for? This practice guide is primarily for those interested in harnessing the principles of systemic investing for driving positive societal change in human and natural systems. This includes people investing return-seeking capital as well as those deploying concessional capital, philanthropic grants, corporate finance, insurance capital, and public finance. As such, this practice guide is for institutional and private wealth holders, asset managers, financial advisors, employees of foundations and family offices, corporate finance specialists, and civil servants. Most importantly, it is for anyone who is interested in using finance in a way which addresses complex societal challenges and feels frustrated by traditional practices and mindsets. That said, while the practice guide is aimed at capital allocators, we want to avoid placing this actor group at the centre of the investment practice. A hallmark of systemic investing is that the needs of the system are put first, and that capital allocation has to be situated within the broader context of other changes and interventions happening within a system of interest. This creates a tension that needs to be navigated: we want to engage investors and make it easier for them to see the relevance of systemic investing, while constantly pushing them to re-frame investment activity as part of a wider, collective effort. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://transcap-initiative.gitbook.io/systemic-investing-practice-guide/introduction/about-the-practice-guide.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.