Breaking through bureaucracy. Action research as puzzling, powering and problem-solving

This article explores how action research can facilitate social innovation within rigid bureaucratic systems by combining puzzling, powering, and pragmatic problem-solving. Drawing on over fifteen years of practitioner experience, we introduce the Breakthrough Method - a structured, iterative approach that enables citizens and professionals to collaboratively navigate legal, financial, and organizational barriers. Through case studies on debt relief and energy renovation for homeowner associations, we illustrate how asking for small, concrete changes can reveal deeper systemic resistance, offering a unique entry point for reflexive practice and institutional learning. Our findings suggest that breakthroughs - real, lived interventions - are necessary precursors to reflection and scaling. We argue that action researchers must not only inquire and reflect but also engage strategically with institutional power to create space for change. This contribution situates action research as a methodology of both critique and construction - offering a grounded, practice-based framework for transformative collaboration in defensive public sectors.