Systems thinking is integral to i2S and i2Insights Ambassador, Cathy Hobbs, is playing a leading role in helping i2Insights raise awareness and accessibility for systems thinking concepts, methods and other tools. They include “golden oldies,” ie., classical systems thinking tools, such as:

• Viable system model, which provides a theory for designing communities, businesses, regions, and nations to be more capable of responding to a changing and unpredictable environment.
• Critical systems heuristics, which provides a framework to help those participating in research to effectively reflect on their own assumptions about where they set boundaries around: problems, solutions, measures of success, knowledge claims and other aspects of research. It also provides a way for examination of assumptions about boundaries to point to better ways of serving the disenfranchised and marginalised.
• DPSIR framework, which provides a way to describe and analyse important and interlinked relationships between social and environmental factors thought Driving forces, Pressures, States, Impacts, and Responses.
• System dynamics modelling, including good practices and ways of achieving effective group decisions.
• Using combinations of methods to redesign systems to create shared value, which combines social and environmental interests with corporate interests.

Newer systems thinking tools are also featured, including:

• Critical back-casting, which provides a way of designing new services or strategies with central participation of marginalized stakeholders, as well as providing a way to liberate people’s creativity to move from incremental improvements to more fundamental change.
• DSRP theory, which provides 4 simple rules (Distinctions, Systems, Relationships, and Perspectives) that dynamically combine to explain the complexity of physical, natural, and social systems.
• Human learning systems, which uses continuous exploration, experimentation and learning to improve people’s lives through public service, including research.
• GEMS framework, which provides a systemic approach to intersectionality by focusing on three broad fields – Gender equality, Environments and Marginalised voices – rather than categorisations.
• Systems leadership, focusing on different types and their implications for systems change and how specific systems thinking tools can support systems leadership, as well as learning pathways to strengthen systems leadership.

For all i2Insights contributions focused on systems thinking, see https://i2insights.org/category/main-topics/systems/

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Posted: February 2023
Last modified: February 2023