Systems Thinking and SSM

Systems Thinking and SSM Properties of systems “Hard” and “soft” approaches Introduction to Soft Systems Methodology Some SSM techniques

First…. • What is a system? • What is systems thinking?

A systems typology • Natural systems – living and non-living, from subatomic to ecosystems and galaxies. • Designed systems • Physical, e.g. train, chainsaw, dam • Abstract, systems of knowledge or philosophy • Human activity systems – “purposeful wholes”, e.g. UNN, the gas industry, the City Council. • Social systems – overlap natural and human activity systems, e.g. family. (Checkland, 1981)

Socio-Technical Systems • Systems ideas have been applied to organisational behaviour in many ways. • For example, the concept of socio-technical systems sees organisational systems as having • Technical subsystem – formal processes, tasks, machinery, programs, with official goals, etc. • Social subsystem – human concerns & needs; personal goals, views & interests; communications, motivation, job satisfaction etc.

Characteristics of Systems • A boundary • Hierarchy – parts which may themselves be systems • Emergence • Systems (and subsystems) have properties which their contituent parts do not possess • Examples of emergent properties? • Communication – parts can interact • Control processes – to ensure continuity

Control - Feedback Input Output System activities Control Feedback Control mechanism Negative feedback corrects a tendency Positive feedback enhances a tendency

Control - Feedforward Input Output System activities Control Feedforward Control mechanism

Open & closed systems • Open systems • Interact with their environment through inputs and outputs that cross the system boundary • Include organisational and living systems • Closed systems • Don’t interact with their environment. • (Or, take in only energy, e.g. the biosphere or various mechanical gadgets.) • These are best viewed as relative terms.

Reductionism. Simplification for analysis Computer people do this often! Holism Dividing into parts loses connectedness & emergent properties. Example? Two well known phrases The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Divide and conquer!

“Hard” and “soft” problems • Hard problems: • Structured, clear when a solution is found, • Subject to reasoning, problems about “how”. • Often in engineering, science. Dealing with blown fuse, designing a bridge, etc. • Soft problems: • Unstructured, messy, no clear solutions. • Questions about “what” to do. • Often in organisations, social situations, politics – situations involving people.

Hard and soft systems thinking • “Hard” systems thinking treats parts of the world as systems, and investigates/ engineers them. Systems taken to exist. • “Soft” systems thinking uses a process of enquiry which is systemic. This uses systems models to help find out about the real world, so we may explore the consequences of choosing to view elements as if they were systems, but the systems we model are notional, not representations of the world. • (See Checkland, 1999)

Experience teaches: • “Hard” problems are susceptible to “hard” approaches • “Soft” problems need “soft” approaches.

What is SSM? • A systemic process of learning • For exploring problem situations in organisations • For suggesting changes which will be helpful and achievable

SSM - Basic Overview Choose & build Models of “relevant systems” of purposeful activity, each based on a world-view Perceived real-world problem situation - Action to improve… Comparison of models with the problem situation, to identify… (Adapted from Checkland & Scholes, )

Understanding of the organisation, including cultural and political analysis SSM Overview - activities Finding out about the problem situation, including cultural/ political aspects Choosing & building models of “relevant systems” of purposeful activity, each based on a world-view - Taking action to improve ... • Debating the situation using the models (Comparison) • Identifying desirable and culturally feasible changes • Finding accommodations between conflicting interests that will enable …

Using SSM • Not intended as a prescriptive set of steps. • Start anywhere, finish anywhere, repeat ad lib. • Adapt as necessary.

Why SSM? • Practical and flexible approach to managing change • Holistic approach that takes a wide range of factors into account, inc. social and political aspects • Aims to suggest change that is meaningful and feasible in the organisational context • Can be highly participative

Why SSM for IS? • It’s NOT a complete development method. • But has been extended with techniques for IS • Useful for IS-related problem “solving.” • Used in • Feasibility • Requirements capture • IS Planning • The aim is to have systems which are seen as relevant, fit the organisation, and are used.

Example SSM IS projects • Recording the activities of community health workers • Decision support in a marketing company • Providing mission briefings for fighter pilots • Managing assignment submission for distance learners

Understanding of the organisation, including cultural and political analysis SSM Overview - activities Finding out about the problem situation, including cultural/ political aspects Choosing & building models of “relevant systems” of purposeful activity, each based on a world-view - Taking action to improve ... • Debating the situation using the models (Comparison) • Identify desirable and culturally feasible changes • Find accommodations between conflicting interests that will enable …

Entering the problem situation • “A situation in which there are perceived to be problems” • Don’t concentrate on “the” problem • We may enter the problem situation as external consultants, or work on our own problem situations.

What to put in a rich picture • Structure, e.g. • departmental or organisation boundaries, • geographical considerations, • people and institutions. • Process - activities, information or material flows. • Climate - the relationship between structure and process, and any associated problems. • ‘Soft facts’ - concerns, conflicts, views. • Environment - external interested bodies, factors affecting the organisation.

Conflict Commonly used symbols External observers / People interested parties Flows A boundary How can I….? £ Concerns, views

Thinking about the problem situation • What important tasks are taking place? • What issues have you identified? • Name “relevant systems” (of human activity)

Relevant systems • Relevant to exploring, debating and changing the problem situation • Relevant from some “world view” - Weltanschauung • More than one - choose a variety of views, ideas • Phrase as “A system to ….” • Identify the W that makes them meaningful and the main transformation.

Relevant systems (2) • Primary task systems deal with the main task of the organisation, from some viewpoint. • Issue-based systems deal with issues, problems etc. • Not always a clear-cut distinction, but aim to include both!

Root definition (1) • Short definition of a relevant system • Defines who would be involved, purpose, viewpoint from which it’s defined, • “A system to….” • Remember: NOT a description of what happens in the real world. • We usually work with several definitions

Root definition (2) • “Who is doing what for whom, to whom are they answerable, what assumptions are being made, and in what environment.” (Checkland) • However, we use the CATWOE terminology

CATWOE Input T Output • Customers beneficiaries/victims • Actors those who do T • Transformation input  output • Weltanschauung world view, makes T meaningful • Owner responsible (who could stop T?) • Environment “givens”, constraints

Building RD & using CATWOE • Either: • Write a root definition, • Validate it using CATWOE as a checklist • Define any missing elements • Rewrite RD to include them • Or: • Define CATWOE • Write a RD that includes all of them. • Some leading practitioners criticise this approach.

Root Definition Example • A Department of Computing owned system by which academic staff define a unit syllabus in accordance with university standards for unit definition such that the unit will make the expected contribution to the route, provide clear learning objectives for students and be deliverable in practice within the constraints on staff time and other resources within the department.

CATWOE for unit planning example • C Students • A Academic staff • T Route’s requirement for unit  requirement met by unit syllabus meeting criteria stated (i.e. objectives, deliverable in practice) • W Importance of clear definition of units to route planning and student learning; units should have a defined place within the route. • O Department • E University standards for unit definition, time and resource constraints

Another RD example • A system to provide regular checkups, advice and treatment to diabetic adults in the Southdown & Downsville area by means of outpatient appointments at Southdown General Hospital in order to empower them to control their diabetes.

CATWOE for clinic RD C A T W O E

CATWOE from clinic RD C - diabetic adults in the Southdown & Downsville area A - ? T - patients with current level of support --> patients with the necessary support, advice and treatment to enable them to manage their diabetes W - O/P care can provide support that will enable people to control their diabetes. Patients as responsible managers of their own treatment, not passive recipients O - ? E - SGH, O/P clinic, Southdown & Downsville area

Revised CATWOE for clinic RD C - diabetic adults in the Southdown & Downsville area A - medical, nursing & admin staff of the clinic. T - patients with current level of support --> patients with the necessary support, advice and treatment to enable them to manage their diabetes W - O/P care can provide support that will enable people to control their diabetes. Patients as responsible actors in their own treatment, not passive recipients O - SGH management E - SGH, O/P clinic, Southdown & Downsville area, HA budget and staffing constraints.

Revised clinic RD • An SGH-management-owned system, staffed by medical, nursing and clerical staff of the hospital and operating within the Health Authority’s constraints on budget and staffing, to provide regular checkups, advice and treatment to diabetic adults in the Southdown & Downsville area by means of outpatient clinic visits at Southdown General Hospital, in order to ensure that all are empowered to control their diabetes.

Conceptual modelling • Identify minimum necessary set of activities • Define topics & time allocation • Document unit to university standards • Appreciate university standards for unit definition • Appreciate unit’s expected contribution to route • Define learning objectives • Decide method of delivery • Appreciate time & resource constraints

5 Decide method of delivery 6 Define learning objectives 7 Define topics & time allocation 4 Appreciate university standards for unit definition 2 Document unit to university standards 8 Define assessment criteria 1 Appreciate unit’s expected contribution to route 3 Appreciate time & resource constraints 9 Monitor 1-7 10 Take control action Conceptual model

The 3 (or 5) E’s • Efficacy: does the means work, does it actually achieve the transformation? • Efficiency: does it use the minimum necessary resources? • Effectiveness: is the transformation meeting the longer term aim? • Also Ethicality and Elegance.

Understanding of the organisation, including cultural and political analysis SSM Overview Choosing & building models of “relevant systems” of purposeful activity, each based on a world-view Finding out about the problem situation, including cultural/ political aspects - Taking action to improve ... • Debating the situation using the models (Comparison) • Identify desirable and culturally feasible changes • Find accommodations between conflicting interests that will enable …

What else? • Your workbook tells you about: • Comparing models with the real world/rich picture • Debating desirable and feasible changes • Cultural analysis (Analysis 1-3) • Don’t neglect these: they may not have characteristic techniques, but they’re vital

To Do. • Workbook. Sections 1-5 to be completed before week 5’s seminar; • The rest, including the seminar preparation in section 7, by week 6’s seminar. • Reading: • Another SSM overview (see workbook) • Systems ideas from Bennett et al (2002/2005) §1.3

References / More SSM books • Bennett, S., McRobb, S. & Farmer R. (2005), Systems Analysis and Design using UML, 3rd edn., McGraw-Hill. (An earlier edition will do for this.) • Checkland, P. (1999), Soft Systems Methodology: A 30-year Retrospective, Chichester: Wiley.P. Checkland & J. Scholes (1991), Soft Systems Methodology in Action. Wiley. • Wilson, B. (1990),Systems: Concepts, Methodologies and Applications. • Patching, D. (1990), Practical Soft Systems Analysis. Pitman. (Try this only if you don’t get on with the others.)

Systems Thinking and SSM