1 / 31

What is a System?

Systems Change Theories for Designing Initiatives Dr. Beverly Parsons InSites www.insites.org bparsons@insites.org. What is a System?. A system is an interconnected set of elements that is coherently organized in a way that achieves something.

tabib
Download Presentation

What is a System?

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Systems Change Theories for Designing InitiativesDr. Beverly ParsonsInSiteswww.insites.orgbparsons@insites.org

  2. What is a System? A system is an interconnected set of elements that is coherently organized in a way that achieves something. From D. Meadows (2008). Thinking in Systems. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Gun Publishing

  3. Domains of the Social Ecology Individual Societal Community Relationships

  4. Why CLIPs Work Emerging, Unpredictable Results Planned, Predictable Results • Strategic Plans, Goals • CLIPs

  5. CLIP Structures & Processes Individual CLIPs • Each CLIP selects its own: • members • facilitator • inquiry questions about members’ own work Strategic Plans, Goals CLIP Guide & Support Team • approves several CLIPs (often 3-6) each year • organizes multi-CLIP meetings to energize and support creative ideas • provides resources • tends and encourages the guiding principles Guiding Principles, Formal Policies • designs/plans inquiry • collects data • makes meaning and shapes practice Follows basic evaluative inquiry process Larger Organization

  6. Guiding Principles Foster a safe, hospitable environment for inquiry. Ask questions about your own work that matter to you. • Questions Environment Practice Dialogue Generate renewing, inquiry-based practice. Create authentic, open-minded dialogue that reflects diverse perspectives.

  7. System Dynamics Related to Certainty and Agreement

  8. Complex Adaptive System (CAS)Self-organizing System A collection of individual agents who have the freedom to act in unpredictable ways, and whose actions are interconnected such that they produce system-wide patterns. Agents interact

  9. Complex Adaptive System (CAS)Self-organizing System System-wide patterns emerge Those system-wide patterns, in turn, influence the behaviors of the agents Agents interact Courtesy of G. Eoyang, Human System Dynamics Institute

  10. System Dynamics Related to Certainty and Agreement More Open More Diverse More Differences Boundaries Relationships Perspectives Closed ADAPTIVE (self-organizing, organic Less Diverse Few Differences

  11. Complex Systems(Illustrating Visibility and Depth) Events/Behaviors/Results Patterns Structures/Processes Norms, Policies Conditions Paradigms

  12. Domains of the Social Ecology Individual Societal Community Relationships

  13. Strengthening Families Example

  14. Theory of Change in Complex Systems _________________________ (initiative) Tipping Point Sustainable Adaptive Balance Trying Out Interventions Baseline Understanding To what extent: Domains of Influence (Individual Domain) (Relationship Domain) (Community Domain) (Societal Domain) Learning/Capacity Building Partnerships

  15. A Progression of Thinking about System Change

  16. Re:Learning (1987-97)Coalition of Essential Schools and Education Commission of the States Stages of Change • Maintenance of the Old System • Awareness • Exploration • Transition • Emergence of New Infrastructure • Predominance of New System

  17. Re:Learning (1987-97)Coalition of Essential Schools and Education Commission of the States Elements of Change • Vision • Public and Political Support • Networking • Teaching and Learning Changes • Administrative Roles and Responsibilities • Policy Alignment

  18. Policymakers Program (1992-2002)The Danforth Foundation: Education and Human Services Participants in System Change • System Leadership • School/Community Units • System Beneficiaries (Children, Youth, Families) • Frontline Workers (Teachers/Service Providers) • Administrators • Policymakers • Community

  19. Policymakers Program (1992-2002)The Danforth Foundation: Community-Building System Change Levers of Change • Shared Principles/Norms • Vision & Goals • Stakeholder Roles • Projects, Programs, Initiatives • Human Capacity Building • Governance/Leadership • Communications/Networking • Financial Resources

  20. Strengthening Families (2001-Present)Center for the Study of Social PolicySocial Services Domains of Influence • Caregiver-Child • Neighborhood/Community • Organization/Programs (Learning/Capacity Building) • Organization/Programs (Policy, Norms, Support Structures • Policy & Social Norms (Local, State, & National) • Organizational Connections/Partnerships

  21. Strengthening Families (2001-Present)Center for the Study of Social PolicySocial Services Phases of Change • Baseline Understanding • Trying Out Interventions • Tipping Point • Sustainable Adaptive Balancing (was Balance)

  22. Stages of Change (1990s) • Maintenance of the Old System • Awareness • Exploration • Transition • Emergence of New Infrastructure • Predominance of New System • Stages of Change (2010s) • Baseline Understanding • Trying Out Interventions • Tipping Point • Sustainable Adaptive Balancing

  23. Current General Template (2012)Multiple Initiatives Phases of Change • Baseline Understanding • Trying Out Interventions • Tipping Point • Sustainable Adaptive Balancing

  24. Current General Template (2012)Multiple Initiatives Domains of Influence • Individual Domain • Relationship Domain • Community Domain • Societal Domain • Learning/Capacity Building • Partnerships

  25. Evaluation Implications

  26. Traditional Evaluation Framework Design Evaluation Shape Practice Collect Data • Make Meaning from Data

  27. Systems-Oriented View of Phases of Evaluation Design Evaluation Shape Practice Collect Data MakeMeaning from Data

  28. System Traps/Opportunities • Success to the Successful • Fixes that Fail • Seeking the Wrong Goal • Shifting the Burden to the Intervenor • Limits to Growth • Drifting Goals • Rule Beating • Tragedy of the Commons • Escalation

  29. Levers for Changing Complex Systems: BoundariesDemarcations that create a region/entity • Examples: physical entities, organizational identity, social systems, rules of conduct • May be permeable; allow exchange with environment • May be impermeable in that they distinguish the system or other entity from its environment From Parsons, B. and Jessup, P. (2009). “Questions that Matter: A Tool for Working in Complex Situations”. Ft. Collins, CO: InSites.

  30. Levers for Changing Complex Systems: Relationships (R) (interconnections):Connections/exchanges among bounded system parts • Are key aspects of forming patterns • May be as/more important than the system entities • Form system structures (hierarchy, networks) • Cause and effect relationships: a type of relationship From Parsons, B. and Jessup, P. (2009). “Questions that Matter: A Tool for Working in Complex Situations”. Ft. Collins, CO: InSites.

  31. Levers for Changing Complex Systems: Perspectives (P)Includes mental models, world views, purposes • Different stakeholders may have different perspectives • Different perspectives may exist within stakeholder groups • Purposes of subunits may add up to an overall behavior that no one wants From Parsons, B. and Jessup, P. (2009). “Questions that Matter: A Tool for Working in Complex Situations”. Ft. Collins, CO: InSites.

More Related