Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) is an approach to organisational process modelling and it can be used both for general problem solving and in the management of change. It was developed in England by Peter Checkland, Brian Wilson and their colleagues at the University of Lancaster Systems Department as part of an Action Research program in partnership with ISCOL Ltd (a consultancy owned by the department). Its primary use is in the analysis of complex situations where there are divergent views about the definition of the problem- 'Soft Problems' (e.g. How to improve the National Health Service? How to manage disaster planning? When should mentally disordered offenders be diverted from custody? What to do about homelessness among young people?) where even the actual problem to be addressed may not be easy to classify. It is now considered part of Critical Systems Thinking (CST), and the movement is led by Gerald Midgley as the Science Leader for the Systems Thinking, Action Research and Social Science (STARSS) group at the ESR Christchurch Science Centre, New Zealand. Look up Problem in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Problem refers to a situation, condition, or issue that is unresolved or undesired. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the British Isles Languages None official English de facto Capital None official London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001... British academic Peter Checkland is the developer of soft-systems methodology (SSM) in the field of systems thinking. ... The logo of the NHS for England. ...

The CST approach

CST is a reaction against the work of the early systems theorists (e.g. Ludwig von Bertalanffy developed General Systems Theory which was intended as a valid methodology for all sciences) who described biological systems in physical terms. Because they were able to identify isomorphisms between living organisms, cybernetic machines, and social systems, they believed it justifiable to create interdisciplinary models and transfer the data from one scientific realm to another. This is a hard systems approach, i.e. it asserts that all things can be measured and so may be analysed by applying the standard quantitative methods and tools. This school still has its advocates (e.g. in the Journal of the Operational Research Society) and it is applied to production engineering and other areas of process-based management. Karl Ludwig von Bertalanffy (September 19, 1901, Vienna, Austria - June 12, 1972, New York, USA) was a biologist who was a founder of general systems theory--which he literally translated from the mathematization of Nicolai Hartmanns Ontology as stated by himself in his seminal work-- .An Austrian citizen, he... Systems theory or general systems theory or systemics is an interdisciplinary field which studies systems as a whole. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

The soft systems approach uses social metaphors to build an interpretative understanding of human systems, where meaning is central. This applies both the critical theory of Jürgen Habermas, particularly in relation to his theories of knowledge and communicative rationality, and the work of Michel Foucault on the nature of power. The intention is to create a metamethodology that will identify the key elements in the problem to be solved and then decide which of the available methodologies should be applied to those elements. It sees the current crop of methodologies, their underpinning philosophies, and their embedded methods as being a set of tools. It accepts that many of these methodologies may be based on incompatible philosophical assumptions about the nature of social reality, knowledge, action, etc., but denies that this should restrict access to the broadest possible repertoire of methods. It adopts the rational and practical view that the problem solver should always use the best tool for each part of the job. The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... In the humanities and social sciences, critical theory has two quite different meanings with different origins and histories, one originating in social theory and the other in literary criticism. ... Jürgen Habermas Habermas redirects here. ... Michel Foucault Michel Foucault (October 15, 1926 – June 25, 1984) was a French philosopher who held a chair at the Collège de France, which he gave the title The History of Systems of Thought. ...

The metamethodology

A complex system will usually have interconnected parts arranged in a hierarchy that has feedback loops through which both internal and external performance can be monitored. If the system is an organisation, what constitutes its reality and forms the basis for action will be socially negotiated. Goatse. ...

A common problem in many organisations is that most people in the organisation do not have free access to the monitoring/reporting system and the decision-making processes it drives. This means that, whenever the organisation is to decide "what is to be done", there is a division between those elements that are going to be considered and those that are not, and, more seriously, between those who are involved and those who are affected (or between those who will benefit and those who are likely to suffer). Hence, not only will the majority feel alienated because they are on the wrong side of the fence, but also their values are less likely to inform the negotiation that determines the organisation's actions. Value is a term that expresses the concept of worth in general, and it is thought to be connected to reasons for certain practices, policies or actions. ...

CST asserts that all boundaries affecting what and who to consider or involve are contestable, and should be contested. The intention is to make decision-making more explicit and transparent. The CST researcher does this by directly asking for input from the people whose voices are not normally heard. These inputs are captured in rich pictures which are used to express the actors' opinions about what is relevant and significant to the organisation's decision-making. Rich Pictures are part of the Soft systems methodology; they provide a mechanism for learning through understanding. ...

The rich picture leads to root definitions — succinct encapsulations of the problem from particular perspectives subjected to tests of well-formedness. Root definitions are used as the bases to build conceptual models of fundamental activities that focus analysis on potential changes for sustainable improvement. By taking account of multiple perspectives and the messy nature of the real world, SSM and CST seek to find solutions that are both "systematically desirable and culturally feasible", rather than the single optimal-but-unpalatable solution that might emerge from the hard systems approach. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Sources

• Checkland, P.B. Systems Thinking, Systems Practice, John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 1981, 1998. ISBN 0471986062

• Checkland, P.B. and J. Scholes Soft Systems Methodology in Action, John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 1990, 1999. ISBN 0471927686

• Checkland, P.B. and S. Holwell Information, Systems and Information Systems, John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 1998. ISBN 0471958204

• Wilson, B. Systems: Concepts, Methodologies and Applications, John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 1984, 1990. ISBN 0471927163

• Wilson, B. Soft Systems Methodology, John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 2001. ISBN 0471894893

• Flood R. L. & Jackson, M. C. Critical Systems Thinking: Directed Readings. John Wiley and Sons (NY). 1996. ISBN 0471930989

• Midgley, Gerald. Systemic Intervention - Philosophy, Methodology and Practice (Contemporary Systems Thinking). Klewer Academic/Plenum Publishing (NY). November 2000. ISBN 0306464888

• Midgley, G. & Ocha-Arias, A. Community Operational Research: OR and Systems Thinking for Community Development. Kluwer Academic (NY). 2004. ISBN 0306483351

See also

http://www.systemsthinkingpress.com/sys_bibliography/systemsbiblio.htm