International Society for the Systems Sciences: Journals ISSS
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ISSS 2023 Program Booklet
No full textThis file contains the Program Booklet for all activities and speakers at the ISSS2023 Conference
Professionalising systems thinking in practice: what’s not to celebrate?
No full text2020 marked a significant landmark for professional recognition of systems thinking in practice (STiP) in the UK. Government approval was secured for a new Level 7 (postgraduate) Apprenticeship Standard associated with an occupational role for the systems thinking practitioner (STP). Professional recognition for the STP can be celebrated on several counts; primarily with installing greater confidence amongst users of, and potential commissioners for, STiP. But professionalization also prompts potential systemic downsides. The paper provides a systemic inquiry into the professionalization of STiP based on a lite-touch framing of four sources of influence from critical systems heuristics (CSH): who gets what (motivation)? who owns what (control)? who does what (knowledge/ expertise)? and who suffers what (legitimacy)? The framing opens up conversation and questions regarding four key stakeholding issues: (i) what value is generated by STiP as a profession and for whom? (ii) what are appropriate governance structures for steering STiP ? (iii) how might the increasing diversity and creativity of STiP be guaranteed and (iv) what ethos of professionalism might circumscribe purposeful development of STiP? On this last question, the paper contrasts two models of possible direction for STiP – client professionalism and civic professionalism. The latter suggests STiP as ultimately generating value as a ‘public good’ (source of motivation), through ‘public work’ with appropriate governance to allow for autonomy (control) enabling trusted expertise based on resonance and relevance as much as reliability (knowledge), and adaptable for variable contexts informed by an ethos of social justice and ‘public service’ (legitimacy); an ethos not to be confused with serving only the public sector. The two models can be considered as occupying opposite poles on a systematic - systemic spectrum of professional development, with client professionalism caricatured as a Systems-industrial complex and the more systemic civic professionalism retaining features of a Systems-adaptive complex. Maintaining ongoing conversation around features of each model may help mitigate concerns around STiP losing her ultimate transformative power – similar to the Ancient Greek tragedy regarding the God of Fire - Prometheus Bound. 
A SYSTEMIC ANALYSIS OF PARTICIPATORY LAND AND WATER GOVERNANCE IN THE TSITSA RIVER CATCHMENT, SOUTH AFRICA
No full textParticipation of diverse stakeholders is essential for adaptive governance of land and water resources, along with the complex social-ecological systems in which the resources are embedded. Local manifestations of participation vary considerably. Successful resource governance requires arriving at compromises and trade-offs. This paper documents the findings from a systemic analysis of participatory governance in the Tsitsa River Catchment in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. A multi-method approach was designed to compare mental models elicited from actors with narratives crafted from participant observation data. Here, we focus on meaningful participatory governance that we define as being intelligible and significant to the actors involved as well as relevant to and coherent within a broader, multi-level governance system. The findings suggest that while there are multiple available options for enabling participation, there are also multiple obstacles inhibiting participatory governance. Challenges relate to accessibility and mobility, allocation of governance capacity, change resistance to power sharing, and persistent mental models that perpetuate old habits. Despite widespread support for more participation in governance, the application of participatory approaches should avoid becoming box-ticking exercises that are tokenistic or manipulative. We highlight the importance of context for enabling meaningful participation and the need to pioneer appropriate analysis methods
REFLECTIONS ON THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HONOURS PROGRAM USING A SYSTEMS APPROACH
No full textIn the South African context, most universities offer a three-year undergraduate degree followed by a further year of study to obtain an honours degree. Programmes in computing, such as information technology and other programmes with computer science majors (collectively IT), follow this same format. The high demand from students and constrained institutional resources for this further year of study necessitate the implementation of a student selection process, all the while being mindful of, among others, the expectations of students, the industry’s demand for graduates, and the university’s own academic requirements and financial constraints. There is also a rapidly changing IT environment that all role-players need to be cognizant of. This results in different perspectives on the honours programme and the handling thereof. This complexity, therefore, demands a critical reflection on the honours programme from different stakeholder perspectives to identify different problems and pressures. Therefore, the problem to be addressed in this research is effectively managing the IT honours programme and training lifecycle. Subsequently, the aim of this paper is to present a systematic reflection to diagnose the problems and posing questions with IT honours students’ training lifecycle, based on the methodology of Churchman’s systems approach: A problem can be referenced in terms of its objectives, sub-systems or elements, environment, resources, and management or coordination of all these. The three questions of Kant on reason are used to guide the process. Results anticipated from this study are the identification of the problems and arising questions within the IT Honours programme as well as the environment in which it functions. This is to be followed up with action research to do further reflective practice to improve the recognised problems. This will be done by examining the programme from several perspectives
SYSTEM THINKING MEETS DATA SCIENCE/ENGINEERING
No full textWith the advent of data 3.0 and analytics 3.0, system thinkers are in the position to provide a bigger picture in data science and data engineering. In the data life cycle, a system thinking approach emphasises data-driven decision-making. A System Thinker approaches problem-solving by viewing the problems as part of a wider, data-resourced and dynamic system, and a Data Practitioner supports the data life cycle by collecting, transforming, and analyzing data, and communicating results to inform and guide decision-making. This paper uses explanatory research and a pragmatic case study approach to look at the (i) What is the role of system thinking and data science/engineering skill in data-driven decision-making or organisation? (ii) Is the combination of system thinking and data science/engineering give rise to a new discipline? (iii) What are the skills needed in this new discipline? The research shows that the system thinking skills in the data life cycle are important. System thinkers meet data practitioners to provide a bigger picture of data-driven decision-making. The latter ascertains the position of a system thinker in any industrial revolution (i.e. industry 4.0. and industry 5.0). Furthermore, a Data-System Thinker is proposed as a new career field. 
GAME-BASED LEARNING TO IMPROVE CRITICAL THINKING AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING: LITERATURE REVIEW
No full textGame-based learning is an innovative approach that combines educational content with interactive gameplay, providing students with an engaging and immersive learning experience. By incorporating interactive and engaging elements, games have the potential to create an immersive learning environment that fosters active participation and deep understanding. However, despite the growing interest in this field, there is still a need for further exploration and understanding of how game-based learning can be effectively utilized to improve critical thinking and knowledge sharing. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of using games as an effective educational tool. It aims to investigate how game-based learning can enhance knowledge sharing among learners and foster the development of critical thinking abilities. To achieve this purpose, the research conducted in this paper includes a literature review on game-based learning and its impact on knowledge sharing and critical thinking skills. Additionally, the paper presents a case study that demonstrates the effectiveness of a specific game-based learning approach. The findings of this research contribute to the understanding of how games can be utilized to enhance educational outcomes and promote active engagement among learners. The paper provides guidelines for implementing game-based learning in educational settings and offers recommendations for designing effective game-based learning experiences. 
EVOLUTION OF HUMAN SOCIAL SYSTEMS. SYSTEM-TRANSDISCIPLINARY VIEW
No full textAbstract
Problem: To answer the question "where is humanity going?" it is necessary to understand what humanity is and where it SHOULD go. Only by answering these questions will we be able to find the answer to the question "How will we get there?". To answer the question "What is a stable social system in a global system in crisis?" it is necessary to answer the question of what is a "stable system", "what is a social system" and "global system" and why crises arise.
Rationale: Obviously, the answers to these questions lie in the field of various scientific disciplines – philosophy, sociology, ecology, economics, politics, etc. Therefore, an approach with transdisciplinary potential is needed, which allows interpreting the achievements of various disciplines from unified ontological and methodological positions.
Methodology:
A systematic approach will be able to find answers to these questions if ontological and epistemological principles are proposed that allow studying objects of different origins from a single systemic position.
Such a concept, in our opinion, is the concept of a system-transdisciplinary approach. From the point of view of the philosophical principle of unicentrism, all existing fragments of the world realize within themselves a single order that generates them. Extrapolation of such ontological representations to the objects and processes under study makes it possible to look for systemic signs in their development and interpret them from a single position.
Results:
"what is humanity."
From the point of view of unicentrism, humanity as an object is a fragment of the planetary biosphere and cannot exist outside of it. Humanity transforms the matter and energy of the planet, just like any other fragment of the biosphere and the planet.
what is a "sustainable social system"
A person is at the same time a fragment of the biosphere, a social system, an economic system. The biosphere is a system that determines the emergence and existence of humans as a biological species. An economic system is a relationship between people in the process of creating, exchanging and distributing matter and energy in the form of goods. The social system is the order of the emergence and existence of social groups from the family to humanity as a whole. The task of the social system is the formation of values in the minds of people. The totality of values determines the behavior of people in natural, economic and social systems.
The concept of sustainable development has been designated as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” From the point of view of the system-transdisciplinary concept, humanity can develop steadily if the principles of its nature-transforming activity correspond to the principles of coevolution and determinism of consumed matter and energy.
«why crises arise». Crises are a manifestation of the systemic law of neutralization of dysfunctions. In accordance with the temporal patterns, the development of human society is adjusted in the appropriate periods. The depth and nature of crises depend on how much humanity has violated the principle of coevolution and determinism of needs.
In order to achieve a state in which the needs of the present will be met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, it is necessary to change the value system. The proposed concept allows us to theoretically substantiate the thesis that the four aspects of sustainable human development – society, environment, culture and economy – are interconnected, not separated.
 
DOCUMENTING EMERGENT KNOWLEDGE TO EXPLORE COMMON PERCEPTIONS OF WELL-BEING
No full textThis paper explores the potential role of systemic research and experiential learning to document emergent knowledge among somatic movement practitioners. Somatic practitioners study physical sensation to hone motor skills and body-centered awareness. I explored how somatic practitioners related movement experiences to their perceptions of physical and psycho-spiritual well-being. I used an online systemic research tool, WindTunneling (developed by systemic science researchers Bruce McKenzie and Jane Lorand), to gather individual experiential learning insights as an integrated part of a 16-week somatic movement program in 2022. This program introduced 978 international participants to a body-centered well-being philosophy. Participants studied bodily sensation, practiced somatic communication, and explored techniques to use movement to enhance their physical and psychological well-being. WindTunneling uses a structured process of anonymity and transparency to pool collective knowledge, which facilitates pattern emergence and sense-making by the researcher and the community at-large. I used WindTunneling with the aim to identify common perceptions of well-being. The discovery of commonalities could be a meaningful measurement of the program’s curriculum to develop individual capacity to use movement to enhance well-being. During the program, participants recorded 1,164 anonymous body sensation insights in 13 WindTunneling knowledge pools. These insights correlated to 13 somatic skills. Insights were transparently available to all participants to read and comment. I am synthesizing these insights to discover shared perceptions within the global practitioner community. Successful implementation of this research methodology should foster shared understanding, meaningful participation, and community belonging among global practitioners.  
Using Dooyeweerd's 15 Modal Aspects to Diagnose Challenges in Action Research: None
No full textWhen an interactive action research process is followed, the first of five phases encompassing problem diagnosis, action planning, action implementation, evaluation of action taken, and the identification of learning outcomes, requires the practitioner to attain a comprehensive understanding of a complex situation. Within the critical social theory paradigm, a diagnosis serves to pinpoint issues requiring attention in the subsequent phases. This aids the progression of the entity being researched by suggesting enhancements to current circumstances that is suboptimal. Given the paramount role of accurate problem diagnosis, particularly with the aim of critical social theory being toward participant emancipation, a holistic and sound comprehension of the issue under study is crucial. Limited guidance is provided in terms of how a researcher may structure the diagnosis phase. In an earlier action research study, the five considerations developed by Churchman was used to guide the diagnoses. The approach investigated here, accredited to Dooyeweerd, is also examined within the context of critical social theory, specifically in systems theory—a multidisciplinary exploration of systems. The five Churchman considerations are used to guide the investigation. The aim is to demonstrate the comparative efficacy of the modalities in structuring the diagnostic phase of action research. Dooyeweerd's fifteen model aspects, which address various facets of human experience, are framed as questions for comprehending a system holistically. This approach extends beyond mere insight, striving to unveil power structures
W/Holistic Participatory Democracy: An Ideal Societal Governance Design
No full textThis paper proposes the ideal design of a W/Holistic Participatory Democracy, based on the application of generic concepts of Biomatrix Systems Theory.
The model distinguishes between the development of the nation as a coherent whole (i.e. as a social organism with a unique ethos) and its functional development.
Based on this distinction, it proposes different government forums and various measures that encourage a more direct participation of citizens in societal governance. It also suggests that citizens participate in national governance as equal members of society and in functional governance as member of the specific function of which they are part