Week 14: Systems Thinking Flashcards
Define systems thinking. What is 1 extra detail?
Systems thinking is an approach to problem solving that views “problems” as part of a wider, dynamic system
It demands a deeper understanding of the linkages, relationships, interactions and behaviors among the elements that characterize the entire system
What is the difference between the traditional scientific approach and systems thinking?
Traditional scientific approach: isolating small parts of the system
Systems thinking: taking many interactions into account
What 5 things can systems thinking allow us to do?
Change our thinking to match the interconnected, dynamic complexity of communities and their environments
Communicate with others and create new ways of thinking and seeing and develop shared understanding
Identify and test a wider variety of possible actions
Be aware of the potential for unintended consequences of our actions
Expand the choices available to us and identify those choices where we can develop significant leverage
What are the 3 general types of systems? Give an example for each.
Simple (Ex-Making a pie)
Complex (Ex-Building a rocket)
Chaotic/Random (Ex-Raising a child)
Define complex system adaptive thinking. What are its 4 characteristics? Give an example.
A CAS is a collection of individual actors with freedom to act in ways that
are often not predictable, and whose actions are interconnected so that
one agent’s actions changes other agents actions.
Complex adaptive systems are characterized by the following:
Difficult to identify linear path of causality
Feedback loops
Change over time due to interrelated web of factors acting together
Context specific
Example: health system
What are 6 things systems thinking tools allow us to do?
Systems thinking tools enable us to:
Challenge assumptions
Make sense of the complexity
Model a situation over time
Identify appropriate leverage points for intervention
Mitigate policy resistance
Enable collaboration and sharing
Give 5 examples of systems thinking tools. What is the most important?
Affinity Diagram
Conceptual Model
Context Diagram
Decision Matrix
Function Means Analysis
Functional Modelling
Graphical Analysis
Influence Diagram
Input-Output Diagram
Matrix Diagram
Morphological Box
Multiple Cause Diagram/Causal
Loop Diagram (most important)
N2 Analysis
Rich Picture
Root Definition
What are the 5 reasons why health systems consistently deliver solutions at large scale to vulnerable populations?
Intervention that may work on small scale or research setting or one
country may not be simply replicated on large scale else where.
“Control” over behaviors of communities and providers is limited in
real world
Even simple interventions include complex interventions
Unintended consequences are common- Ex- HIV, Malaria projects
Strategy vs Implementation
What are 3 details about causal loop diagrams?
A Multiple Cause Diagram can help an individual or team understand
and predict the emergent behavior of a system
It captures how changes in one or more system elements can have
consequential effects on other system elements leading ultimately to
understanding a system’s behaviour.
It can be extremely useful in understanding complex situations in
order to: scope a system of interest. and analyse a system to explain observed behavior or predict future
behaviour
What are 2 details about multiple cause diagrams?
Multiple Cause Diagrams can be used to understand a situation and solve a problem or issue.
A carefully constructed Multiple Cause Diagram can capture the presence of feedback paths in the system and in particular, the occurrence of balancing or reinforcing loops that drive the system’s behavior
What are 3 details about complex adaptive system (feedback)?
Reinforcing: vicious and virtuous
circles, “bubbles and bursts”.
Poverty and ill Health
If you look at it from health services, you often see the cluster of poor governance, low resources leading to poor health services
What are the 4 places/times you would use causal loop diagrams?
Whenever there is a need to investigate and understand a complex
situation
Where there is a need to communicate understanding of a complex situation to explain behavior and demonstrate the rationale behind a particular course of action.
In identifying potential actions when problem solving
To help in decision making by testing out alternate course of action
and assessing their impact on the system behaviour
What are the 3 details about developing a causal loop diagram?
It starts with recognizing that there are two distinct activities involved
in putting together a Multiple Cause Diagram
The first is concerned with identifying the various elements that will
make up the diagram.
The second is identifying, capturing and testing the causal relationships between the elements
