A new methodology for complex societal problems

Questions on the theme which developments will be in Europe the next ten, thirty to fifty years can be considered as complex societal problems. These problems need an integral approach based on analysis of the temporary situation, with a reflection of the past and focusing on new developments, trends, political values and ideas. Analysing the situation in Europe should be done in accordance to a micro analysis of the states of Europe and a macro analyses of the world. Several issues like finance, economy, infrastructure, internet, environment, employment, knowledge, education, health care, technical developments etc. should be integrated with each other and should be analysed in relation to the legal and political ideas. Many actors with different power and emotions are involved. Analysing as well as predicting future developments should be done with several groups of people. A new methodology is developed that handles these kind of questions. The method support the analysis of the past, the temporary situation and the future, integrating the many different aspects. This new methodology, the method Compram (DeTombe, 1994), is based on the idea that handling complex societal problems is based on knowledge, power and emotion. The method handles these problems with a six step approach starting with analysing the situation with neutral experts from different fields, then analysing the same situation with the different actors, then together based on several scenario's trying to make a picture of future developments. In the paper the method will be described in relation to the questions of future development of Europe.

A new methodology for complex societal problems

Questions on the theme which developments will be in Europe the next ten, thirty to fifty years can be considered as complex societal problems. These problems need an integral approach based on analysis of the temporary situation, with a reflection of the past and focusing on new developments, trends, political values and ideas. Analysing the situation in Europe should be done in accordance to a micro analysis of the states of Europe and a macro analyses of the world. Several issues like finance, economy, infrastructure, internet, environment, employment, knowledge, education, health care, technical developments etc. should be integrated with each other and should be analysed in relation to the legal and political ideas. Many actors with different power and emotions are involved. Analysing as well as predicting future developments should be done with several groups of people. A new methodology is developed that handles these kind of questions. The method support the analysis of the past, the temporary situation and the future, integrating the many different aspects. This new methodology, the method Compram (DeTombe, 1994), is based on the idea that handling complex societal problems is based on knowledge, power and emotion. The method handles these problems with a six step approach starting with analysing the situation with neutral experts from different fields, then analysing the same situation with the different actors, then together based on several scenario's trying to make a picture of future developments. In the paper the method will be described in relation to the questions of future development of Europe

UTILIZAREA MODELULUI DE COMUNICARE ÎN ŞAPTE STRATURI LA ANALIZA PROBLEMELOR DE POLITICĂ SOCIETALĂ COMPLEXĂ // USING THE SEVEN-LAYER COMMUNICATION MODEL OF THE ANALYSIS OF COMPLEX SOCIETAL POLICY PROBLEMS

Rezumat Utilizarea problemelor de politică societală complexă este o activitate în care sunt implicaţi mai mulţi actori, fiecare cu un punct de vedere diferit asupra problemei şi fiecare cu interese diferite. Procesul de manipulare a problemei este coordonat de un facilitator. Conform metodologiei alese, facilitatorul selectează (sub)metodele şi instrumentele în încercarea de a optimiza procesul. Metodologia Compram este una dintre metodele generale care oferă linii directoare pentru manipularea colectivă a problemelor de politică societală complexă. Metoda cadru foloseşte un model de comunicare în şapte-straturi pentru manipularea problemei. În modelul de comunicare şapte-straturi problema este exprimată în diferite “limbaje”, în aşa fel încât fiecare “limbaj” le completează pe celelalte. Modelul de comunicare cu şapte straturi poate fi folosit sub diverse aspecte în procesul de manipulare a problemei. În scopul de a umple modelul, se folosesc mai multe (sub) metode şi instrumente, cum ar fi: de căutare a literaturii, discuţii, interviuri. Acest lucru poate fi susţinut de groupware, cum ar fi sistemele Grupa V şi Cope, precum şi de un instrument software de simulare ca Ithink sau Stella (VanDijkum 1991a, b; DeTombe & VanDijkum, 1992, 2014). În această lucrare, este descris un test empiric de utilizare a modelului de comunicare în şapte straturi conform metodologiei Compram. După ce sunt explicate unele dintre ideile teoretice ale metodologiei Compram, este descrisă utilizarea modelului de comunicare în şapte-straturi într-un caz din viaţa reală,în speţă - găsirea criteriilor de evaluare a proiectului. În acest sens, legătura dintre groupware, Grupa Sisteme V şi software-ul conceptual Cope vor fi testate. Abstract. Handling complex societal policy problems is an activity in which many actors are involved, each with a different view on the problem and each with different interests. The problem handling process is coordinated by a facilitator. According to the chosen methodology the facilitator selects (sub)methods and tools in trying to optimalize the process. The methodology Compram is one of the overall methods that offers guidelines for collectively handling complex societal policy problems. The framework method uses a seven-layer communication model for handling the problem. In the seven-layer communication model the problem is expressed in different ‘languages’, in such a way that each ‘language’ supplements the others. The seven-layer communication model can be used at several moments in the problem handling process. In order to fill the model several (sub)methods and tools are used, such as literature search, discussions, interviews. This can be supported by groupware such as Group systems V and Cope, and by a simulation software tool like Ithink or Stella (VanDijkum 1991a,b; DeTombe & VanDijkum,1992, 2014). In this paper an empirical test of the use of the seven-layer communication model of the Compram methodology will be described. After explaining some of the theoretical ideas of the Compram methodology, the use of the seven-layer communication model in a real life case, in casu finding criteria for project evaluation, will be described. In doing this the connection between groupware Group Systems V and conceptual software Cope will be teste

Metodologija COMPRAM in kompleksni družbeni problemi

During and after wars children are born where the father is a member of an occupation or peacekeeping force and the mother a local citizen. Securing the human rights of children born of war is often highly complex and involves researchers and practitioners from different disciplines. The Compram methodology on handling complex societal problems will be applied to analyse whether the methodology is suitable on this group of war-affected children. The Compram methodology is a multi disciplined, multi level, multi actor methodology based on the theory of societal complexity. The methodology gives guidelines to handle real life complex societal problems.Med in po vojnah se rojevajo otroci, kjer je oče član okupatorskih ali mirovnih sil, mati pa je lokalna državljanka. Zagotavljanje človekovih pravic otrok rojenih med vojno je pogosto zelo zapleteno in vključuje raziskovalce in strokovnjake iz različnih področij. Izvedena bo analiza, ali je metodologija Compram, ki se uporablja za reševanje kompleksnih družbenih problemov, primerna za to skupino otrok, ki so prizadeti zaradi vojne. Metodologija Compram je večdisciplinarna in večplastna, vključuje več akterjev in temelji na teoriji družbene kompleksnosti. Metodologija daje smernice za reševanje resničnih kompleksnih družbenih problemov