Systems approaches to managing sustainable development: experiences from developing supported open-learning.

It is argued that a failure to consider ecological sustainability within a systemic framework constrains the design of learning systems which are needed for taking effective purposeful action for 'managing' sustainable development. The arguments put forward are grounded in the author's experience of developing supported open learning curricula delivered in a distance teaching mode in the area of systems practice for managing complexity as well as the supervision of post-graduate student research

Systems thinking and practice for action research

This chapter offers some grounding in systems thinking and practice for doing action research. There are different traditions within systems thinking and practice which, if appreciated, can become part of the repertoire for practice by action researchers. After exploring some of these lineages the differences between systemic and systematic thinking and practice are elucidated – these are the two adjectives that come from the word 'system', but they describe quite different understandings and practices. These differences are associated with epistemological awareness and distinguishing systemic action research from action research. Finally, some advantages for action research practice from engaging with systems thinking and practice are discussed

Some reflections on a knowledge transfer strategy: a systemic inquiry

This paper presents a case study of a systemic inquiry into a knowledge transfer strategy (KTS) by a division of a UK Ministry. Two main points are made. Firstly that it is possible to 'build' a generalisable form of practice as a response to experiences of complexity by initiating a systemic inquiry that fosters the emergence of a learning system. Secondly, that exploring how metaphors reveal and conceal offers scope for shifting the 'mental furniture' of participants as part of a systemic inquiry. This inquiry proceeded with a process designed for the circumstances - there are no blue-prints. A key design aspiration was that those participating might experience a coherence between espoused theory and theory in use in relation to considering the KTS as if it were a second-order learning system. In this aim it succeeded. The inquiry suggested two sets of considerations for the design of learning systems and a potentially fruitful line of further inquiry

Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment (LACIE). User requirements

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Editorial: water governance in a climate change world: appraising systemic and adaptive effectiveness

and other research outputs Editorial: water governance in a climate change world: appraising systemic and adaptive effectivenes

Rapid institutional appraisal

A week-long intensive process of staff development and induction called Rapid Institutional Appraisal (RIA) was conducted in November 2000 in the Systems Discipline, Centre for Complexity and Change (CCC), at the Open University. We report the systemic roots and characteristics of the RIA as designed from traditions of soft systems methodology and rapid rural appraisal. Our experiences arising from our own use of RIA are described and the wider implications for organizational learning in a complex organization discussed. While acknowledging limitations with this RIA event, we argue that RIA offers a potential model for staff development for adaptive use in different contexts and on varying scales. The process builds on principles of "conversation" and "multiple perspectives" as the touchstone for establishing a purposeful community of practice

The Journey to R4D: An institutional history of an Australian Initiative on Food Security in Africa

Internal Revie