Soft Systems Methodology for solving wicked problems

Welcome | Velkommen | Dobro pozhalovat

SSM for group

problem

solving Paul Nunesdea | CEO groupVision | Optimizing group collaboration

Workshop delivered at IAF EMENA Conference 2014, Copenhagen

http://facilitationreloaded.com/

Our resources for this session

Session outline

• Whiteboard: Intro & setting

expectations.

• Circle: What do we know about

systems?

• Presentation: Soft systems

methodology in a nutshell.

• First exercise (20 minutes) -

designing models.

• Second exercise (20 + 15

minutes) - designing model &

comparison.

• Circle: wrap up and close.

SSM in a nutshell

Short presentation about Soft

Systems Methodology

3 key ideas about SSM

• Notion of 'human activity

systems'.

• Compare systems models

with real world

• Out of this arises:

• a better understanding

of the situation

• and consensus for

action.

SSM techniques

Objective: learn the basic

techniques

• Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) is a powerful

approach for complexity management.

Designing human activity systems

1) Root definition:

• A system to do X, by Y in order to do Z'.

2) Use the CATWOE abbreviation.

3) Activity models flow from the core transformation

• Must follow the behaviour of a system.

CATWOE

• 1. Transformation - what fundamental

change is made to the systems' inputs? in

what outputs are they converted?

• 2. Weltanschauung - what is the

fundamental worldview that makes this

transformation relevant?

• 3. Customer - who is the beneficiary of

this systems' transformation.

• 4. Actors - who enacts this

transformation?

• 5. Owners - who can stop this system to

operate?

• 6. Environment - what are the major

external constraints that can impact the

systems' operations?

CATWOE

• 1. Transformation - what fundamental

change is made to the systems' inputs? in

what outputs are they converted?

• 2. Weltanschauung - what is the

fundamental worldview that makes this

transformation relevant?

• 3. Customer - who is the beneficiary of

this systems' transformation.

• 4. Actors - who enacts this

transformation?

• 5. Owners - who can stop this system to

operate?

• 6. Environment - what are the major

external constraints that can impact the

systems' operations?

Which is which?

An example from a published study

• "A Foundation sponsored system operated by their

stakeholders creates a set of good news stories about

consumer use of sustainable agricultural products that

allow lobbyists to use them as part of their policy

development levers."

Bob William's work in the Kellogg Foundation

Converted in CATWOE

• Customers = sustainable agriculture lobbyists

• Actors = project evaluators, farmers, retailers, Sustainable

Food Collaboration staff Transformation = preponderance of

bad stories replaced by a preponderance of good stories

• Weltanschauung = stories bring about pressure for social

change

• Owner = The Kellogs Foundation

• Environment = established practice, isolated area, poverty

and lack of investment capital.

Modelling

• For each root definition

you can draw its

corresponding

conceptual model

• There is no right or

wrong model

• Only more or less

logically defensible

ones.

Designing a human activity system model

• 1. Using verbs in the imperative write down activities

necessary to carry out the Transformation (T in CATWOE).

Aim for 7±2 activities that are at the same scale.

• 2. Select activities which could be done at once (i.e., not

dependent on others) :

• 3. Place these activities in a line, and then those that are

dependent on these first activities in a second line; continue

until all are accounted for.

• 4. Indicate the dependencies with arrows that connect one

activity to the next logically dependent one.

• 5. Rearrange to avoid overlapping arrows where possible.

Exercise 1 - 20 min

Model Bob Williams' root definition

of the Kellogs Foundation's or any

other you would like to create.

SSM interventions

Two streams of inquiry

Logical stream of analysis

Activities in

the model

What actually

happens? How to improve?

Activity 1

Activity 2

Activity n

...

Cultural stream of

analysis

Analysis I - analysis of intervention -

Client/consultant relationship

• Who is in the role of client?

• Who is the 'would be problem

solver'?

• Who is the 'problem owner'?

Analysis II- social system analysis

• Roles, Norms, Values

Analysis III - Political system analysis

• How is 'power' expressed around

here? What are the commodities

through which power is

expressed?

Exercise 2 -

20 min + 15 min

"A system to transfer both

conceptual and practical knowledge

about SSM to a professional body of

consultants and change managers

in a profitable way."

Wrap up

Major findings

Thank you | Tak | Spasibo

SSM for group problem solving

Acknowledgements: The images in this presentation were captured from a

book that I strongly recommend:

Checkland, P & Scholes, J. (1990) Soft Systems in

Action – John Wiley & Sons, Chichester.

The root definition was used from

Bob William's work in the Kellogg Foundation

http://users.actrix.com/bobwill/ssm.pdf

I also would like to thank all my colleagues that have

attended your feedback was extremely valuable.

Participants

• Paul Nunesdea is the English author name of Paulo Manuel Coimbra Nunes de Abreu an organizational psychologist, MSc in Information Management and PhD in Management Science.

• Paul has conducted research work and external consultancy in a varied number of organizations including National and Regional Governments.

• In 2003 he started the "Forum Hospital do Futuro" a not for profit initiative that convened a national Think Thank in Portugal

• In 2009 he founded the Iberian Healthcare Leaders Forum that has convened several Thought Leaders summits in Spain and Portugal.

About the author

Please keep in contact following us in Linkedin!

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