Systems Thinking for Health
\nAssignment One \u2013 Planning for Systems Change
\nPurpose: How we define an issue influences what we are looking for in data, what hypotheses we might test, what relationships between data we consider, and the data we select. In other words, the boundaries placed around an issue act to include or exclude different perspectives on the issue. Systems thinking has a range of tools for making perspectives and boundary choices explicit. This assignment asks students to explore the use of two of these tools and to reflect on perspectives and boundaries.
\nLearning outcome\/s being assessed: (as per those stated for the course)
\n\u2022 Describe key concepts related to systems thinking and complex systems
\n\u2022 Demonstrate the application of systems thinking for problem definition
\nTask:
\nUsing one of the Health Issue Case Studies for the course (air quality or food security):
\nTask One: Draw a rich picture with at least 3 participants (these can be work colleagues, family, friends, etc.) to determine your system of interest.
\na. Scan or take a photo your rich picture to upload to the assignment drop box
\nb. Write 700-1000 words outlining how you facilitated the rich picture, and issues that arose for you as facilitator during this process
\nTask Two: Looking at the rich picture developed, identify stakes and stakeholders that may need to be engaged in the issue, and which stakes and stakeholder may be excluded.
\nTask Three: Draw a Casual Loop Diagram to identify the key feedback loops for your issue (informed by the rich picture and an initial scan of literature)
\na. Scan or photo your causal loop diagram to upload (if hand drawn)
\nb. Describe the feedbacks in the causal loop diagram and consider the possible implications of these feedback loops over time.
\nSubmit your assignment using the assignment drop box on Stream
\nQ Any tips for drawing a rich picture?
\nA The Week 5 lesson on Stream contains information on Rich Pictures, including a link to an Open University tutorial on Rich Pictures.
\nQ What is expected in the 700-1000 words outlining the rich picture process and reflections
\nA You decide the best approach to describe what you did and reflections on the process. One possible approach is to use three simple questions from Glenda Eoyang to bring learning lens into her evaluation and strategy work (https:\/\/www.hsdinstitute.org\/resources\/adaptive-action.hmtl) \u2013 What? So What? What next? For your purpose these questions might be: What did I do? So how well did the process work? What would I do differently next time?
\nTask Two: Looking at the rich picture developed, identify stakes and stakeholders that may need to be engaged in the issue, and which stakes and stakeholder may be excluded.
\nQ What is the intent of task two?
\nA For assignment two, you are asked to develop ideas for creating systems change. An important feature of systems change is working with people within the system, and the different mental models held. For assignment one, task two asks to identify different stakeholders and their stakes (interests, needs, desired outcomes). That is, who is operating in the system that we may want to work with to bring about systems change \u2013 and \u2013 in working with them what are their motivations and perspectives on the issue. In other words, spending time identifying stakeholders within the system now will help you in assignment two.
\nQ How should task two be presented?
\nA There is no set format to presenting task two. You could provide a table listing stakes in one column and people who hold this stake in a second column. You may provide a written description, or bullet pointed lists. Whatever format makes sense to you. What we do want to see, however, is some consideration of stakeholders and perspectives (mental models) that are not represented within the rich picture, as well as those that are.
\nQ How many words do you expect for task two?
\nA As few or as many as you need to identify stakeholders and mental models (and by mental models we also mean stakes, interests, perspectives) related to the case study issue.
\nTask Three: Draw a Casual Loop Diagram to identify the key feedback loops for your issue (informed by the rich picture and an initial scan of literature)
\nc. Scan or photo your causal loop diagram to upload (if hand drawn)
\nd. Describe the feedbacks in the causal loop diagram and consider the possible implications of these feedback loops over time. Don\u2019t make your CLD too complicated. One or two feedback loops is sufficient.
\nQ What is the intent of task three?
\nA Two intentions of task three. One is to get you to have a go at doing a causal loop diagram. The second is to identify some of the positive and negative feedback loops that may be operating in the system of interest. Feedback loops may help you to identify particular areas for attention within assignment two. Remember from Week 4 that your rich picture is not the system. A rich picture shows the unstructured messiness of the situation that allows you to think systematically about it and identify one or more themes that you want to address. Your selected themes are what your CLDs should depict.
\nQ Do I need to use Vensim to draw the causal loop diagram.
\nA It is my preference that you have a go at using Vensim, as a leading software package for CLDs. Links to Vensim and instructions are included in week 5 lesson. However, if you have problems getting Vensim to work, you can draw the causal loop diagram by hand.
\nQ The task instructions say that the Casual Loop Diagram should be informed by the Rich Picture and an initial scan of literature. How much literature do I need to include and how do I find the literature?
\nA As this is a 300 level course, we expect you to be able to use the Massey library Discover search engine to locate research literature on a topic. For this task, you should use Discover to identify literature that describes some of the important factors related to the case study topic. I expect between 3 and 6 peer reviewed articles to be used \u2013 as demonstrated in the reference list for the assignment.
\nFor example, if looking at food security, you may want to search for literature that has looked at how the location of food outlets contribute, or do not contribute to food security. For air quality, you may want to look at the role of poverty in exposure to poor air quality. Use the rich picture to help guide you on what some of the search terms should be. You can also use the literature within the case study workbook for the causal loop diagram, and to help identify search terms to use in Discover.
\nQ How much of the causal loop diagram should be based on the Rich Picture, and how much on research literature.
\nA Both the Rich Picture produced under task one and a scan of literature should be useful to making your causal loop diagram. In terms of literature, I expect to see a brief scan of literature, rather than a comprehensive review. You may want to search for existing causal loop or stock and flow models of the issue. You may also want to look for review or synthesis articles regarding causes of the issue. The literature is used to identify 1) variables that may be included within the CLD; and 2) possible feedback (and direction of feedback) between variables.
\nQ What needs to be included in the description of feedback loops and discussion of possible implications of feedback loops over time?
\nA Looking at the causal loop diagram you produce, what are the key dynamics occurring that you think will drive the emergent patterns over time. Identify the types of feedback loops operating. Discuss some possible implications for system behaviour over time. I expect this section would be somewhere between 700 and 1200 words, with reference back to the literature used to help identify variables and feedback.
\nMarking Guide
\nDescription of criteria
\nMarks
\nTask One
\nRich Picture uploaded to Stream (photo or scan)
\n10
\nTask One
\n700-1000 words outlining:
\n– Process for facilitating the rich picture
\n– Reflections on how well the process worked, what could have been done differently, strengths and weakness of the process
\n– Reference is made to guidance material on conducting rich pictures
\n– Structure of reflection is logical. Lessons learnt are identified.
\n10
\nTask Two
\nIdentification of stakeholders and stakes and mental models
\n– Clearly identify stakeholder included within rich picture
\n– Clearly identify stakeholders that may be excluded from the situation shown in rich picture
\n– Clearly describe what some of the stakes (interests, needs, desired outcomes) of stakeholders
\n– Describe mental models that may be held by stakeholders \u2013 what are some of the assumptions regarding this issue and how might these assumptions be different for different stakeholders.
\n25
\nTask Three
\nCasual Loop Diagram uploaded to Stream
\n– Follows rules of CLD
\n– Feedback between variables clearly labelled with direction
\n– Reinforcing and balancing feedback loops identified
\n25
\nTask Three
\nDiscussion of feedback within causal loop diagram
\n– Feedback loops correctly described
\n– Implications of feedback loops for system behaviour over time discussed
\n– Use of literature related to issue
\n– Use of rich picture (task 1 and 2) where relevant
\n25
\nPresentation and referencing
\nClearly presented with accurate spelling and grammar.
\nReference list and in-text citations using APA 6th Ed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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