Workshop on Systems Thinking and Complexity for Analysis and Programming
Complexity is a fact of life. Most problems in development, peacebuilding, security, humanitarian action and business have so many contributing factors, implications, and consequences that one-dimensional solutions and “best practice” are no longer sufficient. Systems Thinking focuses on recognizing the interconnections among the parts of a system and synthesizing them into a unified view of the whole. Systems Thinking frameworks and tools provide a means of understanding the relationship between the structure of a system and the behavior the system demonstrates and can seed the development of an effective strategy for dealing with the system.
This two-day intensive workshop introduces three phases of systems thinking:
- Listening to and understanding the system
- Mapping the system
- Identifying opportunities for leverage, action, and continuous learning and adapting
In this two-day workshop, participants will learn to:
- Recognize recurring patterns in systems
- Identify causes and effects within a system
- Diagram the elements in a system and the connections between those elements
- Identify opportunities for leverage and design systems-informed strategies and programs
- Develop a plan for learning and adapting your programming
- Apply systems thinking principles from the workshop to real problems students are studying or facing
Saturday and Sunday, April 23 – 24, 2016
Location TBA