A Compendium of Managing Complex Systems

This picture is used by a Complexity advocate to conjecture that complex systems cannot be managed. This is not correct, as many of the claims made by self-proclaimed complexity experts. I've seen this scene of flocking birds first hand. It is mesmerizing to watch.Turns out these birds can be modeled with Boids, Flock Simulation of Birds, The Convergence of Bird Flocking, Flocking algorithm for autonomous flying robots, and numerous others.

Glen Alleman - see https://herdingcats.typepad.com/my_weblog/2020/03/a-compendium-of-managing-compelx-systyems.html

Applying Systems Thinking to Managing Projects: A Viable Governance Model based on Stafford Beer’s Work

Prof. Shankar Shankaran

Online presentation and discussion

Wednesday 10th February 19:00 AEST

Zoom presentation - https://utsmeet.zoom.us/j/84018555928

New ebook: From Modularity to Emergence - Short Review

Dr Chih-Chun Chen and Dr Nathan Crilly of the Cambridge University Engineering Design Centre Design Practice Group have released a free, downloadable book, From Modularity to Emergence: A Primer on the Design and Science of Complex Systems.

Video: Keith Grint on Wicked Problems & Leadership

Here is Professor Keith Grint on Wicked Problems and Leadership

New book: 'Small Arcs of Larger Circles; by Nora Bateson

In her new book 'Small Arcs of Larger Circles', Nora Bateson invites us to weave together the rigor of systems thinking and complexity thinking with the expansiveness of our embodied, aesthetic experience - and introduces us to a new language and vocabulary of contextual, mutual learning.

Systems Resources from IIED

IIED is a policy and action research organisation in sustainable development. Based in London IIEDworks in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and the Pacific with some of the world’s most vulnerable people to strengthen their voice in decision-making arenas that affect them.

MITs Free Software for Planning Large Cities of the Future

MIT has just released its open source Urban Network Analysis software for analysing interdependent aspects of urban development at city level.

Resources: Systemic Thinking for Planners and Designers

Gary Metcalf a visiting member of faculty at Aalto university in Finland has collated a useful list of Systems liiterature resources under broad topic headings.

Co-creation without systems thinking can be dangerous

Gerald Midgely asks 'Why does the theory and practice of co-creation need to be informed by systems thinking?' Co-creation without a thorough understanding of systems thinking can be deeply problematic. Essentially, we need a theory and practice of systemic co-creation.

To read in full this interesting blog article by Gerald at www.i2insights.org go to here.

Soft systems methodology cartoon

Here is soft systems methodology via cartoon:

WCSA 2017 in Brazil more details

For more details on the WCSA 7th World Conference on Governing Turbulence - Risk and Opportunities in the Complexity Age that will be held in Brazil in 2017 download the flyer here.

Peter Checkland on the origins of SSM

Here is Peter Checkland describing the origins of the Soft Systems Methodology.

SSM - Rich Pictures in Evaluation

Judy Oakden describes the use of Rich Pictures in SSM in evaluation.

New Book! A Guide to Systems Research

New book A Guide to Systems Research: Philosophy, Processes and Practice is available from Springer. Authors are M.C. Edson, P. Buckle Henning and S. Sankaran. Introductory 20% discount see below.

Stafford Beer VSM origins (video)

Stafford Beer describing the origins of the Viable Systems Model.

Call for abstracts ISSS 2016 India and USA

Final call for abstracts - ISSS 60th Annual Meeting and First Policy Summit - an East-West Systems Dialogue "Realizing Sustainable Futures" held jointly in Boulder, USA and Vadlamudi, India 25-29 July 2016.

New Book Think Crime!

New book Think Crime! by Paul Cozens describes a systems-based approach to designing environments to reduce crime.The book focuses on using practical understanding of the interplay of multiple interrelated systemic factors that shape motivation and opportunities for crime.

Systems Map of Obesity Factors

The UK Government Foresight Group at the Office for Science has published Tackling Obesities: Future Choices - Building the Obesity Systems Map This describes the building of a systems map of factors affecting obesity to help guide choices for future state level and local interventions to reduce levels of obesity in UK populations.

Bio: Alvaro J. Romera

I have been doing research in agricultural production systems for the last twenty years. This has included farm system modelling and running experimental farms and designing and operating field experiments. Since the year 2000 I have been mostly dedicated to farm system modelling activities, programming in Java, Excel-Visual Basic and Stella. Optimisation modelling has become an important part of my research in recent times, using GAMS for the models (farm and catchment modelling). I have been studying participatory research techniques, but mostly as personal interest.

System Thinking World Webinars

System Thinking World is offering systems thiinking webinars in 2016 run by Gene Bellinger.

System Dynamics of Tourism Ningaloo

An example of the use of System Dynamics in tourism planning is found in reports of research modelling the tourism and planning of the Ningaloo region. These models include substantial contextual factors and demonstrate how system dynamics can be used in creating designs and plans that would otherwise be viewed as wicked problems.

Systems Thinking - Linked-In Group

There is a new Systems Thinking Group on Linked-In that is the continuation of Systems Thinking World, which for many years was managed and developed by Gene Bellinger. It has the same members and contains the previous content.

Book: Differences by Ackoff

Book: DIFFERENCES that make a Difference by Russ Ackoff is now published by Triarchy Press. The simple philosophy behind Differences That Make a Difference is that complicated problems can often be avoided if you take a moment to define your terms at the outset. Ackoff's aim was to dissolve (not solve or resolve) some of the many disputes in professional and private life that he saw as the result of quite basic instances of miscommunication and misunderstanding.

IFSR Conversation

The next IFSR Conversation will be April 3 - 8, 2016 in Linz, Austria. Please suggest topics, and distribute this announcement to your colleagues. The announcement document (pdf) can be downloaded here.

Book - Strategic Foresight

New bookSTRATEGIC FORESIGHT - Learning from the Future by Patricia Lustig (Publisher Triarchy Press) is written for leaders in any organisation. Strategic Foresight offers a set of skills and tools used to explore potential futures, so that you can plan for and take advantage of them.

Webinar: Systems Philosophy and its Relevance to SE

The Systems Philosophy webinar by Dr David Rousseau on "Systems Philosophy and its Relevance to SE." (previously live on May 6th) is now available online. The presentation is 35 minutes long followed by 20 minutes of Q&A.

ISCE survey

ISCE has created a survey for the Second Order Science event in Berlin (see http://secondorderscience.org) to help put the concepts into perspective. ISCE and ASC and IFSR encourage you to complete the survey and circulate the weblink

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1911906/Defining-Context-Dependence

ANZSYS Affiliated to IFSR

ANZSYS is now an affiliate of the International Federation of Systems Research (IFSR). IFSR is an established organisation with its own press and journal (Systems Research and Behavioural Science). The contact person for IFSR in ANZSYS is Victor MacGill (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) with Terence Love (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) as secondary contact.

Proceedings: Relating Systems Thinking and Design 2014 Symposium

The Relating Systems and Design 2014 proceedings are from a symposium organised by the Systemic Design Research Network, published by the Oslo School of Architecture and Design and edited by Birger Sevaldson and Peter Jones.

Book: Systems Concepts in Action

The book Systems Concepts In Action : A Practitioner's Toolkit by Richard Hummelbrunner and Bob Williams is focused on the practical use of systems ideas. It describes 19 commonly used systems approaches, complete with case studies, variations and discussion of each approach's pros and cons. Each chapter begins with a set of questions that the particular method addresses.

Ashby aphorism cards

Ross Ashby photo Ross Ashby left a collection of cards with short pithy and often entertaining aphorisms or truth snippets. Fascinating and useful they give insight into Ross' thinking. The members of the Ashby Estate have collected them together into groups and transcribed them at:

http://www.rossashby.info/aphorisms.html

ANZSYS Conferences

ANZSYS Conferences recovered