by Gerald Midgley | Jun 2025 | Format: Sightlines, RSD14, RSD14 Programme, SDA blog, Topic: Methods & Methodology
This article by Gerald Midgley, Rachel Lilley, and Raghav Rajagoplan presents a three-layered approach to systems thinking that centres on relationality—the interconnectedness of people, systems, and perspectives.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdNDTdtlOGs
Scaling with Experimentation: https://youtu.be/McdcNJk0R8c
The ‘Where’s Wally’ of Systems Thinking: https://youtu.be/PdNDTdtlOGs
Subscribe to the Cyb3rSyn Newsletter for future episodes: https://www.cyb3rsyn.com/p/the-cyb3rsyn-kaleidoscope-episode-6
| Selected sources from Alan Hudson |
|---|
Applying complexity science to product management practices
June 29, 2025
Whew, I completed a 100-day challenge on Bluesky and looked at 50 books through the lens of Critical Systems Thinking
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/100-day-challenge-critical-systems-thinking-novi-milenkovic-9dnaf/
Variety Dynamics is an effective approach to managing difficult highly-complex real-world situations such as wars, epidemics, diplomacy, climate change, political decision making, terrorism, urban planning, economic change….
Managing variety dynamics is more effective than using force.
Variety Dynamics is concerned with the dynamic distribution of variety in any situation as the fundamental basis for use of power, control and management. This is an especially valuable understanding for managing complex situations. Variety is the number of possible options available to different elements in a situation.
Vincent van der Lubbe LinkedIn
Do you recognize this? You build technically sound solutions, but:
● Business and IT speak different languages about strategy
● Vendor relationships become more complex than planned
● Technical roadmaps clash with organizational reality
● You’re reacting more than directing
On Wednesday June 25th from 18:00-19:30 hrs, Patrick Hoverstadt shares his insights. He saw how technically strong strategies bogged down with organizational dynamics. His conclusion? Look at organizations the way you look at systems: understand interrelationships and patterns.
My personal recommendation: Patrick combines sharp intellect with british humor, the depth of scientist with the breadth of a practitioner, and the accepting fatalism of an optimist ploughing on.
In this webinar, Patrick discusses:
● How organizations influence each other – and why your IT strategy often goes in a different direction than planned
● Vendor lock-in as a strategic pattern: when it works for you, when against you
● First Mover or Fast Follower? Understanding timing in technology adoption
● Navigate between collaboration and competition (with other departments, vendors, partners)
● Recognizing which forces drive your strategic direction – and how to leverage them
With real-world examples such as:
● Platform owners changing the rules of the game
● IT departments evolving from cost center to strategic partner
● Technical choices that unintentionally create strategic dependencies
● When following “best practice” is just not smart
For whom: IT architects, digital leaders and tech professionals who are curious about the intersection of technology, people and organization.
When: Wednesday, June 25th from 18:00-19:30 hrs
Speaker: Patrick Hoverstadt – systems thinker, consultant and author of “Patterns of Strategy” (2017) and “The Fractal Organization” (2008)
Language: English Duration: 90 minutes including Q&A
An initiative of the “Systems Thinking for Information Professionals” and “Governance” interest groups.
Event link: https://lnkd.in/dxKt-cKu NB DIRECT ACCESS TEAMS LINK
Original post:
David C. Krakauer Santa Fe Institute, John W. Krakauer, Santa Fe Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Melanie Mitchell, Santa Fe Institute
(June 10, 2025)
Emergence is a concept in complexity science that describes how many-body systems manifest novel higher-level properties, properties that can be described by replacing high-dimensional mechanisms with lower-dimensional effective variables and theories. This is captured by the idea “more is different”. Intelligence is a consummate emergent property manifesting increasingly efficient—cheaper and faster—uses of emergent capabilities to solve problems. This is captured by the idea “less is more”. In this paper, we first examine claims that Large Language Models exhibit emergent capabilities, reviewing several approaches to quantifying emergence, and secondly ask whether LLMs possess emergent intelligence.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Apply before 11:55 pm on Tuesday 1st July 2025
410771
£54,470 – £67,090
National – £54,470 – £61,000
London £59,900 – £67,090
For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading ‘Salary’.
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Grade 7
Permanent
Core Defra
Other
Flexible working, Full-time, Homeworking, Job share, Part-time
1
Bristol, London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, York
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people’s day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.
The role is part of the Central Science Division (CSD) within the Science and Analysis Group. This sits at the heart of the Department’s science community, supporting the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) and Deputy CSA in all aspects of their work. The Division leads on cross cutting science issues, representing the Defra science community and bringing forward new and emerging science and technology across the Department.
The CSD is a friendly and welcoming team. Our remit reaches across the Defra organisations, providing leadership, guidance, and advice to ensure quality science is the foundation of policy making. The vision of the group is to put science at the heart of the way that Defra works. This needs to be supported by strong leadership and strategic direction and effective partnership working.
This role is to jointly lead Defra’s Systems Research Programme (SRP). The SRP team consists of civil servants and seconded academics with expertise in applied systems thinking analysis, natural and social sciences, and system dynamics modelling. These transdisciplinary skills allow us to combine systems thinking with conventional research approaches to explore complex and challenging questions. The SRP’s principles and ways of working are detailed in our primer for integrating systems approaches into Defra (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/integrating-a-systems-approach-into-defra).
Our current and previous research topics include net zero, environmental targets, circular economy, land use, air and water quality, and food. Some of our work has been published as case studies (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/systems-thinking-for-civil-servants/case-studies). Our outputs make high impact by helping to identify policy intervention points and trade-offs, frame narrative for emerging research and policy areas, flag strategic watchpoints and areas of uncertainty, and direct research funding to close evidence gaps.
Encouraging diverse applicants
We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups.
This exciting, cross-cutting role provides strategic leadership to CSD’s in-house systems research team. Working alongside another Grade 7 already in post, the post holder will be jointly responsible for overseeing the work of up to 10 Defra scientists and seconded academic fellows.
The team’s remit spans all issues of relevance to Defra Group, as needed, as well as providing support to the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) on high priority topics.
Key responsibilities include:
The post-holder will be expected to continually develop their knowledge and practice of systems research through reading, online training, networking and engagement in communities of practice.
Key internal stakeholders include the CSA, policy teams across the business, embedded science teams across Defra groups and central science, analysis and strategy teams. External stakeholders include academics, devolved administrations, ALBs and other government departments.
Person specification:
Minimum of a Degree in systems science or environmental science, or equivalent experience.
Government Science and Engineering (GSE)
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
Alongside your salary of £54,470, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £15,779 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
A career in the Civil Service is like no other. If you’re looking to join a world class team and develop your career with us, then the Civil Service is the place for you! You might be wondering, “what’s in it for me”? Take a look below at some of the benefits available to you as a civil servant in Defra.
Science and Analysis Directorate Benefits
Learning and Development
Everyone in Defra is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. When you join the Directorate, you will be welcomed into your new team through an induction programme that will provide you with helpful information on the civil service, Defra, our work and our policies. Your line manager will also work with you to establish your priorities for the year, developing a performance, learning and development plan tailored to you and your role, while also working with you to connect you with a civil service mentor to help empower you in your new role with the opportunity to benefit from paid for coaching.
Most importantly, we’re keen to invest in you! As a civil servant, you will also have access to Civil Service Learning where you can participate in professional development programmes across a wide spectrum of subjects and professions.
Department Benefits
Technology
We’re a firm believer in agile and flexible working. When you join Defra, we’ll kit you out with a new Windows 11 Laptop, smartphone and rucksack to make sure that you perform your best wherever you are.
Leave
25 days’ paid leave per annum rising to 30 days after five years’ service, in addition to eight public holidays and the King’s Birthday privilege day. We also offer
– competitive maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave;
– study leave for the pursuit of academic studies;
– 3 days paid leave for volunteering per annum;
– 15 days paid leave per year for reservist training; and,
– generous paid sick leave.
Cycle to Work Scheme
Defra loans you a bike for your commute as a tax-free benefit. At the end of the loan period, you have the option to buy the bike, saving 30% of the original cost.
Season Ticket and Bicycle Loan
We offer interest-free season ticket loans, to all Defra employees with more than three months’ service, for purchasing train and bus season tickets, as well as station car parking. For those unable to take advantage of tax-free benefits, we also offer an interest-free bicycle loan to enable the purchase of a bicycle for commuting.
Gym, Social and Sports Activities
Our offices have a range of different onsite facilities, including gym, fitness facilities, games room, showers and cycle storage. There are also a variety of networks and social groups to join. Ask your line manager for more information.
Restaurant and Café Facilities
A range of our offices offer onsite restaurant and café facilities.
Civil Service Benefits
Pension
Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package, and you will be given the chance to join one of three different pension plans. You can find more information on the Civil Service Pension on the MyCSP Website at www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk
Civil Service Sports Council
The Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC) organises a wide choice of activities throughout the UK, from art, gliding, abseiling and orienteering to cabaret weekends and quiz and curry nights. Your CSSC membership will provide you with FREE access to hundreds of national and local sites, in addition to savings at many high street stores, cinemas, restaurants and historic houses.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
Application Process
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, Personal Statement and 3 Behaviours
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Sift
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour – Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Sifting is likely to occur week commencing 7th July with interviews likely to take place week commencing 4th August. These dates are indicative only.
Interview
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours and a technical question this may be assessed through a presentation.
Interviews are expected to last no longer than 60 Minutes.
Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.
Location
As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).
Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.
Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.
The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Merit Lists
Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order for each location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.
Salary
New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.
Visa Sponsorship Statement
Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.
Criminal Record Check
If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check maybe carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognize in exceptional circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Internal Fraud Database Check
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Higher Security Clearance:
Job offers are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.
Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter.
Job offers are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.
If you are successful at interview all of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.
NSV
All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to DEFRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here
Link:
[They appear to be communicating on their website solely in images, with no alt text, which is…. something!]
A new suggestion that complexity increases over time, not just in living organisms but in the nonliving world, promises to rewrite notions of time and evolution.
April 2, 2025
link: https://www.quantamagazine.org/why-everything-in-the-universe-turns-more-complex-20250402/
[Not sure if useful or doing ‘to’ complexity theory what Derek Cabrera’s work does to systems thinking]
“This diagram is the gist of @sfiscience complexity foundation papers. It misses 50% of complexity—the more important half. I’d merge mechanics into dynamics Add: In-form-ation as structural-functional organization aka embodied symbols that enable computation Universality
Complexity is a field loaded with unnecessary complex concepts and lack of actionable insights. DICEY offers penetrating insights, fully actionable, you immediately see through the problems. Ex: You need only to master the left that can reproduce the right. Left vs right
Is information the unifying principle that allows us to understand the evolution of complexity in nature? Not quite. It is DICEY.
Systems Community of Inquiry 
You must be logged in to post a comment.