Embracing complexity in government – a story about gardening and thinking in systems
June 18, 2020
Thea Snow, Centre for Public Impact, Australia and New Zealand, a BCG Foundation
Imagine you’re a gardening enthusiast named Andy. You’ve noticed that the lettuce in your veggie patch is being damaged. You investigate and discover that caterpillars appear to be the cause. So, you kill the caterpillars.
Problem solved, right? Wrong.
While killing the caterpillars works in the short-term, it doesn’t work as a long-term solution. This is because the caterpillars are (unbeknownst to you) controlling a population of other insects. As such, killing all of the caterpillars results in a proliferation of other species, meaning that your solution ultimately causes more damage.
Imagine you were a different gardener. Your name is Jamie. You read different books, which taught you to think systemically about gardening. You think about the relationships between different elements of your garden and see your vegetable patch as being part of a broader ecosystem. As a result, you adopt a permaculture approach.
Virtual Open Meeting, a series of presentations of general interest to Systems & Complexity in Organisation’s members and others.
About this Event
SCiO organises Open Meetings to provide opportunities for practitioners to learn and develop new practice, to build relationships, networks hear about skills, tools, practice and experiences. This virtual session will be held on Zoom, the details of which will be confirmed nearer the time.
Session 1 – Creating shared meaning for systemic change
Language is often a problem in complex organisational change, with different departments and stakeholder groups using the same words to mean different things, and using different words to mean the same thing.
As systems practitioners, we are constantly building models of organisations and their environments, but we too bring our own language and assumptions, and it’s often apparent that the models we create to tame complexity make little sense to those affected by it.
What would happen if we set out to represent systems in ways that maximised shared meaning for diverse audiences?
What might the consequences be, if a general audience affected by a systemic pattern had a simple, intuitive way of seeing, understanding, and sharing it with others?
This talk by Steve Whitla will provide a simple model for how we think about shared meaning, the pre-conditions necessary to create it, and some practical suggestions on how to bring systems models to life.
About Steve Whitla
Steve Whitla is the founder and director of Visual Meaning, a consultancy that draws together systems thinking and visual thinking for organisational change, and the co-author of the recently published Visualising Business Transformation (Routledge, 2020).
Session 2 – The hidden power of Systems Thinking – governance in a climate emergency
In the age of the Anthropocene the need for new ways of thinking and acting has become urgent. But patterns of obstacles are apparent in any action, be they corporate interests, lobbyists, or outdated political and government systems.
In this presentation Professor Ray Ison will show how and why failure in governance is at the heart of the collective incapacity to tackle the climate and biodiversity emergencies. He will go beyond the analysis of the problem and demonstrate how incorporating systems thinking into governance at every level would enable us to break free of historical shackles.
The talk will also highlight some of the systemic failures of contemporary governance systems. A new generic governance system with three additional elements is proposed. To make the new system functional, effective, recovery of our systemic sensibilities, investment in cybersystemic literacy and systems thinking in practice (STiP) capability is needed. In addition to praxis reform old institutions that restrict STiP will have to be discarded and new institutions invented, Ray proposes 26 principles for designing/enacting systemic governance.
About Professor Ray Ison
Ray Ison is a Professor of Systems at the Open University since 1994, his research and scholarship spans the biophysical and social and is primarily interdisciplinary and collaborative. At the Open University, he was the head of the former Systems Department and Director of the Environmental Decision Making Program.
In addition to this he is also involved in: (i) managing and presenting the post-graduate program in Systems Thinking in Practice (STiP) and undertaking associated Systems scholarship; (ii) contributing to the activities of the Applied Systems Thinking in Practice (ASTiP) Group, including leading an initiative to create a LEVEL 7 (Masters) Apprenticeship for the Systems Thinking Practitioner based on the UK Apprenticeship Levy and (iii) undertaking international research.
SCiO is a community of systems practitioners who believe that traditional approaches to running organisations are responsible for many of the problems we see today. We believe that systemic approaches to designing and running organisations offer radically new and better alternatives.
SCiO has three main objectives:
Developing practice in applying systems ideas to a range of organisational issues
Disseminating the use of systems approaches in dealing with organisational issues
Supporting practitioners in their professional practice.
Many systems practitioners can feel isolated in their organisations. SCiO provides a way to talk to and get support from a wide range of like minded people and see how they are addressing similar challenges.
SCiO is a charity and social enterprise – SCiO started in the UK, but there are now groups throughout Europe. Please visit our website for further details and sign-up to become a member: http://www.systemspractice.org/
In my previous post, I talked about the idea of the Copernican revolution in philosophy by Immanuel Kant. In today’s post, I am expanding upon the ideas originated by Kant, especially autonomy and how it poses challenges in how we view human systems. I am also heavily relying on the ideas of Ralph Stacey. Kant had a lot to say about human autonomy. Autonomy stands for the ability to set laws or regulate oneself or the ability to perform actions that are not directed by someone else. Kant viewed humanity as an end in itself and not a means to an end. Humans should not be used simply as a means to get something done. Humans, Kant noted, have the power to act according to his conception of laws.
Kant was one of the pioneers of systems thinking. He understood the idea of circular causality and self-organization. Kant proposed that all living beings can be viewed as self-organizing systems rather than mechanisms such as a clock. The idea of a self-organizing system meant that the idea of feedback is important. However, Kant made an important distinction when it came to human beings. He proposed that humans cannot be understood as merely being a part of the “system” of nature. For this he used some ideas from Aristotle. Kant noted that all other living beings follow a formative causality, where the structure determines the unfolding of the living being itself. For example, a tree follows the unfolding of their lifecycle from a seed. The same formative causality is applicable to the human body; however, this is not applicable to the human being as a whole who has autonomy.
The world has gone through a shock in the past few months, and through this time, the vulnerabilities and inefficiencies present in our systems have become more apparent. These include vulnerabilities to healthcare, food and trade system, employment and social security systems, risks posed by biodiversity and climate change, the push for digital transformation and automation, growing socio-economic inequalities, and many more. The effects of the crisis are manifold and cascading. Confronted with these challenges, it is not surprising that more and more voices are calling for true transformation of existing governance systems. Yet, we are already heading back towards the ‘normal’ or the ‘new normal’ and the window of the opportunity for systemic change may go unused. We need to ensure that governments sieze this opportunity for change rather than “wasting the crisis.” In this webinar, we will discuss how systems approaches could be used for true transformation in a post-Covid19 world. We will be joined by special guests with specialized and practical experience in the field: – Dr. Andrea Cooper, Deputy Director of the Policy Innovation Unit at the UK Cabinet Office – Marco Steinberg, the Founder of Snowcone & Haystack – Prof. Dr. Ira Helsloot, Professor of Governance of Safety and Security at the Radboud University – Laurent Bontoux, Senior Foresight Expert, European Commission Joint Research Centre This webinar is part of our European Commission Horizon 2020 webinar series exploring topics in public sector innovation. Find out more about OPSI’s work through Horizon 2020 here: https://oecd-opsi.org/our-work/horizo… The Observatory for Public Sector Innovation (OPSI) is a global forum for public sector innovation. In a time of increasing complexity, rapidly changing demands and considerable fiscal pressures, governments need to understand, test and embed new ways of doing things. Learn more about OPSI here: https://oecd-opsi.org/ Follow us on twitter: https://twitter.com/OPSIgov
A previous post noted the rapid transition in the twentieth century from small physics (Niels Bohr) to large physics (Ernest Lawrence). How should we understand the development of scientific knowledge in physics during this period of rapid growth and discovery?
One approach is through the familiar methods and narratives of the history of science — what might be called “internal history of science”. Researchers in the history of science generally approach the discipline from the point of view of discovery, intellectual debate, and the progress of scientific knowledge. David Cassidy’s book Beyond Uncertainty: Heisenberg, Quantum Physics, and The Bomb is sharply focused on the scientific and intellectual debates in which Heisenberg was immersed during the development of quantum theory. His book is fundamentally a narrative of intellectual discovery. Cassidy also takes on the moral-political issue of serving a genocidal state as a scientist; but this discussion has little to do with the history of science that he offers. Peter Galison is a talented and imaginative historian of science, and he asks penetrating questions about how to explain the advent of important new scientific ideas. His treatment of Einstein’s theory of relativity in Einstein’s Clocks and Poincare’s Maps: Empires of Time, for example, draws out the importance of the material technology of clocks and the intellectual influences that flowed through the social networks in which Einstein was engaged for Einstein’s basic intuitions about space and time. But Galison too is primarily interested in telling a story about the origins of intellectual innovation.
COVID-19 has posed a series of unexpected challenges to many different sectors and organisations. One trait that these organisations share is the need to have leaders who can make informed decisions, even in a challenging environment. VUCA stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity – even in pre-COVID times, this could form a recipe for disaster within an organisation. CIPFA’s Brendan McCarron and Benjamin Taylor from Red Quadrant join us in this webinar focused on how to make the best decisions for yourself and your organisation in a VUCA environment.
The phrase VUCA only arrived with us in the late 1990s, but has gripped our imaginations – representing the apparent unmanageability of the scale and pace of change we face. The era of COVID-19 seems only to reinforce that point.
Brendan will focus on defining a new VUCA – vision, unity, courage and analysis in the face of challenge. He’ll provide the tools needed to be clear about what success looks like even in volatile situations and how you can be part of a greater whole that can process information and create alternatives. He’ll also emphasize the importance of courage and the need to reflect on the meaning of information before making decisions.
Benjamin will outline the dimensions of the complexity we face, and why TUNA – Turbulent, Uncertain, Novel, and Ambiguous – might be better than VUCA. He will discuss how we can think and orient in ways which don’t make assumptions about basic stability. The presentation will touch on the dimensions of requisite agility that organisations need to develop in VUCA conditions – sense making at operational and strategic levels and co-ordination within the organisation. The emotional impacts of VUCA and the core practices we need to adopt to manage them will form part of the discussion, with the aim of providing a new lens to consider your response to complexity and that of your organisation.
Who should attend
This webinar is free for all to attend but may be especially relevant for public sector professionals looking to make better decisions in times of change or increased stress such as the post-COVID world.
How you will benefit
The series will better enable delegates to:
learn techniques and strategies to make informed decisions for your organisation
have the opportunity to ask industry professionals questions and engage in discussion
gain insight on how to navigate a VUCA environment, whether it be the COVID-19 pandemic or another unexpected challenge
be provided with tools to boost your leadership skills.
TOPICS
Leadership
/ Professional development
Speaker – Brendan McCarron: Senior Consultant
Brendan is a senior leadership and professional consultant for CIPFA consultancy and training. He leads CIPFA’s CFO Leadership Academy in the UK and for the Government of Canada. He is also heavily involved in CIPFA’s finance business partnering work and in change management assignments in the UK and in Europe. He can be contacted on E: brendan.mccarron@cipfa.org, T: 07810 547 226.
Benjamin is chief executive of the Public Service Transformation Academy, a not-for-profit social enterprise which delivers the Cabinet Office Commissioning Academy, and managing partner at RedQuadrant.
Speaker – Benjamin Taylor
He studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford University before becoming co-ordinator of a youth development charity. He has worked in public service transformation since 1998, with seven years at the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham as Adviser to Leader, eGovernment Manager, and procuring a strategic partner. At PwC and Sector, his work included customer strategy for Birmingham City Council and advice to the Government of Armenia.
Benjamin is a leading thinker on system leadership, culture, and transformation. He holds a lean six sigma black belt and is an accredited power+systems trainer. He is a visiting lecturer in applied systems thinking at Cass Business School, City University, and has lectured at Nottingham Business School and Oxford Said/HEC Paris. He has spoken at LGC Summit, the PSTA’s State of Transformation event, and LGA Conference etc.
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Complex Systems Consultant
An exciting new opportunity to join our growing Complex Systems team
London/ Bristol/ Cambridge/ Manchester, UK. Full or Part Time/Permanent.
We’re an innovation and transformation consultancy that believes in the power of ingenuity to build a positive-human future in a technology-driven world. Our diverse teams of experts combine innovative thinking with breakthrough-technologies to progress further, faster.
With a global network ranging from tech start-ups to Fortune 500 clients, we’ll offer you fascinating work, unrivalled opportunities for growth and the freedom to realise your potential excel. Combining strategies, technologies and innovation, we turn complexity to opportunity and deliver enduring results, enabling you to build a successful and rewarding career.
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Do you enjoy solving complex problems using your experience, creativity and interpersonal skills to find ingenious solutions?
Are you keen to help organisations design, develop and deliver some of the most innovative and complex systems in the world?
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Would you be motivated by working collaboratively with diverse teams of experts and bringing your own unique strengths to develop systems insights that help global organisations?
Is being able to shape your own career pathway and support the development of others important to you?
We are growing our Complex Systems team and are looking for talented people with the right expertise and a proven professional track record to join us at all levels. We have a successful cadre of Systems Thinking and Engineering practitioners and we are one of PA’s important growth areas for 2020 and beyond. As a consultant at PA, you will be given the opportunity to take our world-class expertise in disciplines such as systems thinking, systems design, enterprise architecture and systems integration beyond their traditional confines. You will be trusted to work across diverse programmes with our clients in industries such as Defence & Security, Transport, Energy & Utilities, Public Services and Health and Life Sciences, offering a rare opportunity to build unrivalled expertise and experience.
What We’re Looking For
We are looking for candidates with skills and experience in leading work in one or more of the following areas:
Systems thinking and complex problem solving
Management of complex systems development, taking an enterprise approach
Systems definition and design
Enterprise architecture
Systems modelling and dynamics
Specialty engineering in areas such as safety
Systems integration, verification and acceptance
The Ideal Candidate Will Have
A proven ability to think creatively and solve complex problems for clients in one or more industries such as Defence & Security, Transport, Energy & Utilities, Public Services and Health and Life Sciences
Excellent interpersonal and team working skills
A drive for personal and professional progression
Excellent interpersonal and team working skills
* Please note you must already have the unconditional right to live and work in the EU/UK region*
In physics, self-organized criticality (SOC) is a property of dynamical systems that have a critical point as an attractor. Their macroscopic behavior thus displays the spatial or temporal scale-invariance characteristic of the critical point of a phase transition, but without the need to tune control parameters to a precise value, because the system, effectively, tunes itself as it evolves towards criticality.
SOC is typically observed in slowly driven non-equilibrium systems with many degrees of freedom and strongly nonlinear dynamics. Many individual examples have been identified since BTW’s original paper, but to date there is no known set of general characteristics that guarantee a system will display SOC.
A famous anecdote describes a scheme the British Colonial Government implemented in India in an attempt to control the population of venomous cobras that were plaguing the citizens of Delhi that offered a bounty to be paid for every dead cobra brought to the administration officials. The policy initially appeared successful, intrepid snake catchers claiming their bounties and fewer cobras being seen in the city. Yet, instead of tapering off over time, there was a steady increase in the number of dead cobras being presented for bounty payment each month. Nobody knew why.
[The reference to STS is a reference to ‘Wardley Mapping’, and later, Argyris is transcribed as ArcGIS, which I rather like]
Mapping the Evolution of Socio-Technical Systems
48:05
Summary
Cat Swetel uses Wardley Maps to examine the evolution of computing and explores potential futures. Wardley Maps are increasingly becoming a key practice in a lean thinker’s toolbox. The Wardley Mapping practice can be used to examine trends and options in context rather than falling victim to the tempting allure of buzzwords.
Syst Pract Action Res (2009) 22:475–488 DOI 10.1007/s11213-009-9148-6
ORIGINAL PAPER Action Research: Its Foundations in Open Systems Thinking and Relationship to the Scientific Method John Barton – John Stephens – Tim Haslett Published online: 22 August 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009
Abstract
This paper considers those interpretations of action research that can be traced to Kurt Lewin at the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the University of Michigan, and the work in social ecology by Emery and Trist at the Tavistock Institute. It locates the logical basis of these interpretations in the philosophy of pragmatism, particularly as it relates to Peirce’s inferential logic and inquiry system. Drawing on this argument, and on the significant developments in approaches to systemic thinking over the past 40–50 years, a normative set of criteria is established for action research. The paper concludes that both positivist science (which relates to closed systems thinking) and action research (which relates to open systems thinking) are essential to any complete scientific approach.
Keywords Action research Open systems Scientific method Peirce Pragmatism Abduction
Management Cybernetics and the Force in organisational life https://bit.ly/3dtanpG
Tuesday, July 7, 2020, 6-8pm
I recognise that geezer!
“Well, the Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.” ―Obi-Wan Kenobi
The Force in organisations is real. It can shape and control you and your organisation – or you can learn to shape them. This will be an introduction to the jedi arts of management cybernetics.
Management Cybernetics and the Force in organisational life
Tuesday, Jul 7, 2020, 6:00 PM
agile² Webinars (online) Zoom webinar Heidelberg, al
32 Members Attending
“Well, the Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.” ―Obi-Wan Kenobi The Force in organisations is real. It can shape and control you and your organisation – or you can learn to shape them. This will be an introduction to the jedi arts o…
One of the very few things I remember from school is a visit to the local trading standards people. I can remember two stories. A mouse was baked into something sold in Marks and Spencer, and M&S would not allow the story to be linked to them, letting the baker take all the flak. The other was about farmers who had watered down their milk, saying things like “the cows have been eating wet grass”.
Now when you think about it, the fact that all milk from all cows is similar enough in its composition, and constant enough over time, to allow trading standards to prosecute cheating farmers is truly remarkable. It means that there are few if any factors in the farming environment that can distort the milk a cow makes for its calf. That is a good model for a homeostat: something that keeps things pretty much constant, no matter what.
As a slightly edgier, more policy-oriented example, take John Adams and his work on accidents at road junctions. If there is an accident blackspot and you put in extra warning signs and a high-friction road surface what happens? The accidents happen at the next junction down.
Systems Community of Inquiry 
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