(pdf) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/%28SICI%291099-0526%28199609/10%292%3A1%3C7%3A%3AAID-CPLX3%3E3.0.CO%3B2-C

Certified Systems Thinker You can’t be serious? Gene Bellinger 1 hr ago Yes, I am serious, though unexpectedly. In the previous “Selling Systems Thinking” I mentioned the a previously available “Certified Systems Thinker” program which was developed in Udemy. I was rather surprised when a number of people asked what happened to the program, and why didn’t I bring it back? That sounded like a meaningful question, so I spent most of the night last night, up all night is a normal thing for me anyway, reviewing all the notes, models and videos for the program. As such, the program now exists as a self-paced learning thread in Kumu. Since I have a habit of telling people I’m a Storyteller, a recovering Systems Thinker, I considered labeling it the “Certifiable Systems Thinker,” yet my wife repeatedly tells me almost no one understands my humor, except me. The program doesn’t offer a certificate though, if you complete it, you will have the result of the exercises you can share with others to demonstrate your level of understanding. Just remember, it’s all just “Trial & Learning.”

Certified Systems Thinker – by Gene Bellinger – SystemsWiki’s Musings

programme link:

https://kumu.io/-/700435

Building community health – through systems convening and supporting staff self-awareness (5pm London time)

Building community health – through systems convening and supporting staff self-awareness (5pm London time) | Q Community

Building community health – through systems convening and supporting staff self-awareness (5pm London time)

Learn about the role of Systems Convening in a pioneering community health project in Yorkshire – which used Mindfulness and more to support changes in behaviour and awareness.

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• Report: The role of improvement during the response to COVID-19
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14 Oct 2021
17:00 – 18:00

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Following on from the book launch of ‘Systems Convening – a crucial form of leadership for the 21st century‘ (free download here), we’re bringing to Q a series of follow-up Zooms delving deeper into the case studies featured in the book.

** Register here to receive your personal Zoom login **

This first one features Q member Esther Hall, who will share her work on a Sport England-funded community health development programme in Withernsea, Yorkshire, that used a Mindfulness/adult development programme to help staff be more self-aware, hold more complex views of the world, hear past their own agendas, especially in a community setting. All the things that one would associate with waking up to our later stages of adult development. (Is this the ‘inner journey’ of systems convener?).

Esther ran a programme developed by University of Aberystwyth Mindfulness researcher Dr Rachel Lilley to help with this inner shift. She will share details about the real impact it created, and the interesting dynamics that emerged.

Esther will also highlight the role of ‘Systems Convening’ in the project – and we hope to be able to briefly compare her experience with the ‘Systems Convening’ efforts in another Sport England-funded pilot project in the same series (in Greater Manchester).

This one hour Zoom will explore:
1) Why we brought adult development into this community development project
2) Participant discussion: an opportunity to discuss our experience around building staff self-awareness
3) Dr Lilley’s programme and and the effects it generated in participants
4) Changes to the project resulting from Covid

Esther is the convener of the Q group Closing the gap: developing improvers for a complex world.

Contact

Matthew Mezey
matthew.mezey@health.org.uk

2021 Sep 25;114422. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114422. Online ahead of print. Shapeshifters, systems thinking and settler colonial logic: Expanding the framework of analysis of Indigenous health equity Lana Ray 1, Lloy Wylie 2, Ann Marie Corrado 3

Shapeshifters, systems thinking and settler colonial logic: Expanding the framework of analysis of Indigenous health equity – PubMed

also at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953621007541?via%3Dihub and covered at https://www.docwirenews.com/abstracts/journal-abstracts/shapeshifters-systems-thinking-and-settler-colonial-logic-expanding-the-framework-of-analysis-of-indigenous-health-equity-3/ but not yet available on the open web.

Gwyn Prins on climate change 2008

Interview with Gwyn Prins recorded at the UN University G8 symposium on innovation and climate change held July 4 2008 in Tokyo.

Gwyn Prins on climate change 2008 – YouTube

source:

The ‘fuel shortage’ and fluid mechanics: an update including ethanol and satellites – Briefings For Britain

The ‘fuel shortage’ and fluid mechanics: an update including ethanol and satellites

09/10/2021by Gwythian Prins385 Views9 min read

Written by Gwythian Prins

Gwythian Prins updates his earlier article on fuel shortages and uses the context of Ashby’s Law to demonstrate how Remainers were able to use minor shortages of fuel to create a national panic. Professor Prins sees this as part of a wider Remainer strategy which includes calls for the UK to rejoin the EU’s Galileo satellite project.

Post Segments

• Cybernetics ‘R us
• A hypothesis for Rejoiner Central
• Catastrophe  Squared
• Engineering panic

Cybernetics ‘R us

In my previous article on the ‘fuel shortage’ panic which swept the UK in late September 2021, I identified several of the salient data which help to explain both why and how it probably happened, and I explained how Ashby’s Law of Requisite Variety provides the correct theoretical tool to hypothesise linkages between seemingly very varied but simultaneously occurring events.

It should be no surprise that Dr W. Ross Ashby, a primary founder of the science of cybernetics, was by profession both a clinical and a research psychiatrist. Upon return from active service in the Royal Army Medical Corps in India, where he saw his share of mental breakdown, he wrote his seminal 1957 book An Introduction to Cybernetics while serving as Research Director at a private mental hospital converted from a Victorian lunatic asylum. His work on cybernetics developed as part of his quest to restore balance to the troubled mind.

continues: The ‘fuel shortage’ and fluid mechanics: an update including ethanol and satellites 09/10/2021by Gwythian Prins

The ‘fuel shortage’ and fluid mechanics: an update including ethanol and satellites – Briefings For Britain

My PhD supervisor just won the Nobel prize in physics – here’s how his research on complex systems changed science

My PhD supervisor just won the Nobel prize in physics – here’s how his research on complex systems changed science

October 5, 2021 9.32pm BST

Author

1. Paolo BaruccaLecturer, Department of Computer Science, UCL

Disclosure statement

Paolo Barucca does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University College London provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK.

The Conversation UK receives funding from these organisations

The Nobel Prize in Physics for 2021 has been jointly awarded to Italy’s Giorgio Parisi, Japan’s Syukuro Manabe and Germany’s Klaus Hasselmann for their “groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of complex systems”.

When I heard the news, I could hardly believe it. I studied for my master’s thesis and my PhD in theoretical physics under Professor Parisi at Sapienza University in Rome.

My PhD supervisor just won the Nobel prize in physics – here’s how his research on complex systems changed science October 5, 2021 9.32pm BST Author Paolo Barucca Lecturer, Department of Computer Science, UCL

My PhD supervisor just won the Nobel prize in physics – here’s how his research on complex systems changed science

Mental Model Musings This web site has seen many changes over the years though if there is one thread of continuity which runs through the content it has much to do with the concept of systems. System A system is an entity which maintains its existence through the mutual interaction of its parts. The key emphasis here is one of “mutual interaction,” in that something is occurring between the parts, over time, which maintains the system. A system is different than a heap or a collection, mostly. Emergence Associated with the idea of system is a principle called emergence. From the mutual interaction of the parts of a system there arise characteristics which can not be found as characteristic of any of the individual parts. One has to study the system to get a true understanding of wetness. Studying the parts will not provide an appropriate understanding. theWay of Systems * Feedback

Mental Model Musings

Hmm, I can’t quite believe I haven’t featured this before, but apparently not!

The Phoenix Project

The Phoenix Project • The Phoenix Project / Phoenix View • Kumu

The Phoenix Project

After spending the last 40+ years littering history with far more numerous creations than I can possible keep up with this project represents an attempt to put some order in the pieces that might be of some utility to others. Map over items for links to other maps.

• Project Restart Video
• Project Video
• Structure Video
• Searching Video
• Issues/Q&A Video

Wednesday Web Jam no. 77 – “Systems thinking – Finding Leverage points for change” with Nachiket Akhave

Meeting Registration – Zoom

Wednesday Web Jam no. 77 – “Systems thinking – Finding Leverage points for change” with Nachiket Akhave

Description

We all contribute to the creation of and life within complex systems — natural ecosystems, food systems, judicial systems, markets, governments, communities, families, and even our individual lives.

If we want to effectively address one or more of intractable problems that we encounter or read about every day, we need to create system-level interventions that shift the root causes rather than just temporarily mitigate symptoms.

In this session, we will explore the concept of “leverage points” and how we might create interventions that are effective at achieving positive changes within a system.

As we are limited to 100 spaces, we recommend joining 5-10 minutes early before the local start time.

IMPORTANT NOTE – This session will be live recorded for YouTube, our website, and social media accounts.Time

Oct 13, 2021 11:00 AM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

President’s Series 12 Cybernetics, Cognitive Science and Philosophy Tickets, Wed 13 Oct 2021 at 17:00 | Eventbrite

OCT

13

President’s Series 12 Cybernetics, Cognitive Science and Philosophy

by Cybernetics Society — President’s SeriesFollow82 followers£0 – £20

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Joe Dewhurst explores cybernetics and cognitive science while Carl Sachs discusses Wilfred Sellars as Philosopher of Cybernetics

About this event

Hosted by our President, Dr. John Beckford FCybS, the CybSights President’s Series is a new programme that will bring interesting people together to explore the relevance and contribution of cybernetics to addressing important challenges.

Each event will consist of contributions by two different speakers. Each will be followed by individual Q&A. These are then brought together by the President in a lively and engaging plenary discussion. Each will seek areas of convergence and divergence between the ideas explored.

Events will be held via Zoom on the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 1700 to 1900.

Meetings are open to members of the Cybernetics Society and also the general public. Non-members are invited to join or give a donation. Booking is required.

The Cybernetics Society has been hosting conversations and lectures since the late 1960s.

Computers With Bodies: The Contemporary Impact of Cybernetic Approaches in Cognitive Science

The cybernetics movement included many key founding figures of what would eventually become known as cognitive science. Despite this connection, the cybernetic origins of cognitive science are often downplayed in accounts of the discipline’s history, and it is only relatively recently that cybernetic principles have come to be seen as once again relevant to contemporary cognitive science. This paper will consider the contemporary impact of cybernetics in two distinct streams of cognitive scientific research, namely computation and embodiment, and then explore some ways in which these two streams can fruitfully collaborate with one another.

Joe Dewhurst

Joe is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy, where he works on topics to do with computation, mechanistic explanation, and more recently formal approaches to causation and emergence in complex systems. His doctoral research at the University of Edinburgh looked at the relationship between common-sense intuitions and scientific theories in contemporary cognitive science, and he worked at Edinburgh as a Teaching Assistant before moving to Munich in 2018. In his spare time Joe designs and develops simulation boardgames, and is interested in parallels between scientific modelling and the use of boardgames to model real-world situations.

Wilfrid Sellars as Philosopher of Cybernetics

The American philosopher Wilfrid Sellars often uses examples of guided missiles or robots in his speculative scientific metaphysics of mind, but few have noticed that he is implicitly referring to cybernetics when he does so. I shall argue that Sellars’s use of cybernetic examples shows that he was probably familiar with cybernetic ideas from Wiener, Ashby, and Wisdom. In this light we can better understand why Sellars uses the kind of examples that he does. I will also argue that Sellars should have discovered second-order cybernetics and why he failed to do so.

Carl Sachs

Carl is currently associate professor of philosophy at Marymount University (USA), where he works on American pragmatism, the Frankfurt School of critical theory, and philosophy of mind. His first book, Intentionality and the Myths of the Given (Routledge 2014) integrated Sellars’s linguistic account of discursive intentionality with Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology of embodied intentionality. He is currently writing a second book on Wilfrid Sellars as a philosopher at the intersection of German Idealism, American pragmatism, cybernetics, and philosophy of cognitive science. In his spare time he cooks, bakes, and exercises.

Plenary Discussion

The aim of this session, moderated by John Beckford, is to draw out the complementary and competing ideas emerging from the two sessions.

Dr. John Beckford, FCybS, President of the Cybernetics Society

John Beckford is a board member of WOSC, a partner in Beckford Consulting, Non-Executive Chair of the Board of Rise Mutual CIC, a Non-Executive Director of both Fusion21 and CoreHaus (social enterprises) and Visiting Professor in both the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering at University College London and the Centre for Information Management, School of Business and Economics, Loughborough University. John holds a PhD in cybernetics from the University of Hull, is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and of the Royal Society for the Arts and a Member of the Institute of Management Services.

Cybernetics Society – a learned society

The Cybernetics Society promotes and offers education and research opportunities in the rich field of cybernetics. In the CybSights series, including the President’s Series, we offer isghts conversations, lectures, case studies, analysis, education, and thoughtful entertainment.,

The Cybernetics Society – http://CybSoc.org – is a specially authorised learned society regulated by the FSA and established by a 1974 Act of Parliament. To join visit our membership system or pick the Join ticket.

Cybernetics plays into and strongly influences many scientific and practice fields including design, epistemology, ecology, biology, psychology and living behaviour, technology and engineering, social policy, and business practice. Many feature in the wonderfully aware and successful designers and thinkers of this series.

Cybernetics offers a distinct “go” — techniques — to address local and global challenges of the 21st century.

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Online EventsOnline SeminarsOnline Science & Tech Seminars#education#science#police#quality#gaia#cybernetics#vsm#sentience#business_professional#ecology_and_environment

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Date and time

Wed, 13 October 2021

17:00 – 19:00 BST

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OCT 13 President’s Series 12 Cybernetics, Cognitive Science and Philosophy by Cybernetics Society — President’s Series

President’s Series 12 Cybernetics, Cognitive Science and Philosophy Tickets, Wed 13 Oct 2021 at 17:00 | Eventbrite

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Demanding Change: Is there an epistemology of systems?

Saturday, October 9, 2021

Is there an epistemology of systems?

@camerontw is critical of a system diagram published (as an illustrative example) by @geoffmulgan in 2013.

To be fair to Sir Geoff, his paper includes this diagram as one example of “looser tools … without precise modelling of the key relationships”, and describes it as a “rough picture”. I don’t have a problem with using these diagrams as part of an ongoing collective sense-making exercise. Where I agree with Cameron is the danger of presenting such diagrams without proper explanation, as if they were the final output of some clever systems thinking.

To extend Cameron’s point, it’s not just about which connections are shown between the causal factors in the diagram, but which causal factors are shown in the first place. Elsewhere in the diagram, there is an arrow showing that Low Use of Health Services is influenced by Poor Transport Access or High Cost. Well perhaps it is, but why are other possible influences not also shown?

Continues in source

Demanding Change: Is there an epistemology of systems?

The NHS needs more leaders who ‘think in systems’ By Dr Parth Patel8 October 2021

The NHS needs more leaders who ‘think in systems’ | Comment | Health Service Journal

The NHS needs more leaders who ‘think in systems’

By Dr Parth Patel8 October 2021

• 1 Comment 
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For all the welcome aspects of the Health and Care Bill, it is culture, not structure, that ultimately determines the quality of health system integration, writes Dr Parth Patel

The NHS faces one of its toughest ever winters, with record-long waiting lists, an ongoing pandemic and an expected surge in flu and other respiratory illnesses. Waiting lists will continue to grow for months – perhaps even years – to come. Given the challenges and uncertainty ahead, the timing of the integrated care system reforms are a political gamble.

But it’s a gamble that could pay off. High quality integrated working between different parts of the health and care system can, in theory, improve outcomes, reduce inequality and save money. That is no easy task – improving health system integration has been a policy goal for decades, but achieving it has proven difficult.

If greater integration is the objective, then it’s important to recognise that different places have wildly different starting points. New analysis from IPPR and CF healthcare has found considerable variation in the quality and outcomes of integrated care between ICSs.

There are nine times as many delayed discharges, where patients are left stuck in hospital, in Norfolk and Waveney ICS compared to Sussex and East Surrey ICS. Mental health patients with severe problems in Bath, Northeast Somerset and Swindon and Wiltshire ICS are three times more likely to have a care coordinator than those in the Leicestershire region.

Each ICS is facing a unique set of challenges. That means it is critical they are empowered to set their own local health priorities. And it is critical those starting from further back have the support and resources they need to improve outcomes for patients and communities in their patch.

Whether ICSs simply reiterate existing inequalities in new geographies, or become the vehicle for a step change in patient and population health outcomes, will depend on more than legislative change. For all the welcome aspects of the Health and Care Bill, it is culture, not structure, that ultimately determines the quality of health system integration.

Place-based relationships are the essence of collaboration and flourish when commissioning encourages local institutions to work together. IPPR is recommending a ‘community health building’ approach to both ICSs and the government, inspired by the community wealth building movement that has been implemented by councils like Preston City and Newham.

ICSs should use their sizeable budgets to not just commission the best health services, but to ensure commissioning choices also create high quality local jobs, support community organisations and local businesses, and drive local economic growth.

To go alongside the physical-infrastructure focussed Levelling Up Fund, the government should announce a Community Health-Building Fund for local authorities to invest in social infrastructure.

Successful integration also relies on leadership being well distributed across the health and care system, rather than concentrated in any one part. Too often it is acute hospital trust executives that yield greater power than those in primary care, community care and local government

Successful integration also relies on leadership being well distributed across the health and care system, rather than concentrated in any one part. Too often it is acute hospital trust executives that yield greater power than those in primary care, community care and local government. ICSs must spark a move away from this power dynamic and toward new ways of working.

Currently, there are simply not enough leaders who ‘think in systems’ in the health sector. National NHS leadership development programmes have proliferated in recent years, but they overlook the importance of local geography and formal exchange with institutions outside of the NHS.

ICSs should create their own leadership development programmes that move current and future leaders through the place-based health, housing, education, police, community and voluntary organisations to develop a deep and local understanding of what makes integration work. This kind of knowledge exchange not only develops leadership but also builds the foundations for relationships that define integrated working.

To ensure these reforms deliver, people and communities need better ways to hold the health service to account. More taxpayer money is spent on health than any other public service and past reforms have failed to deliver improvements for patients, yet only weak mechanisms exist for elected officials and citizens to hold the health service to account.

The government’s language to “improve accountability and enhance public confidence” is therefore welcome and necessary. But it is not clear how proposals to give the secretary of state more directive powers over the health services would strengthen democratic accountability.

Indeed, they may bypass the benefits of devolution promised by the ICS reforms. It would be better to give local authorities and citizens a more pronounced role.

That could include ensuring patients are represented on ICS boards and, instead of ‘tick-box patient engagement’ exercises, wiring citizen panels into ICS decision making, for example when difficult trade-offs under resource constraints are being made.

In the end, the ICS reforms should be judged on whether they improve outcomes for patients and communities. IPPR and CF have estimated that if all ICSs eventually match the outcomes already seen in the top 25 per cent it could mean 42,500 more bed days available in the NHS because of fewer delayed discharges, an extra 63,000 people would have a mental healthcare plan and there could be 68,000 fewer accident and emergency attendances by people with mental health problems.

To achieve that, we’ll need a lot more than a new bill. The government’s forthcoming white paper should focus on creating a culture of collaboration to solve the integration puzzle.

friday, october 08, 2021 To Live In A World Of People Who Think For Themselves

Teacher Tom: To Live In A World Of People Who Think For Themselves

source:

Selling Systems Thinking – by Gene Bellinger – SystemsWiki’s Musings

Selling Systems Thinking

You want me to buy what?

A few years ago, one day when I was feeling more presumptuous than usual, I began the development of a “Systems Thinker Certification” course on Udemy. In case you’re unfamiliar with Udemy, it’s a site where people create courses for others, some free, some for a fee.

Since I was pretty set on how I wanted to put this together it only took a few days to get it finished and online. As to just what the course contained we can save that for another newsletter. The relevant aspect here is what happened after the course went live.

The first few people who went through the course gave it very positive reviews. Reviews so positive in fact that I sort of thought I was being punked. As these positive reviews continued I began to feel really awesome about this course. And then the OMG! moment happened. As part of one reviewers feedback they asked the following question…

This is all wonderful, but how do I sell Systems Thinking to my organization?

source:

Selling Systems Thinking – by Gene Bellinger – SystemsWiki’s Musings