Critical Systems Thinking

6Critical Systems Practice 2 – Produce an Intervention Strategy

Generally, the pathos of the interdisciplinary predicament can be seen by the fact that … we are dealing with an integrated problem with dis‐integrated sciences and disciplines. We need a comparable level of integration in our thought and action to achieve effective responses to many of the applied problems we face in the world today.

(Bhaskar, 2017)

6.1 Introduction

This chapter details what is involved in Produce, the second stage of any Critical Systems Practice (CSP) intervention. Produce is concerned with the design of an appropriate intervention strategy based on the learning derived from Explore. It continues to carry forward the commitments of Critical Systems Thinking (CST) by selecting appropriate systems methodologies, models and methods that will later be used in a pluralist fashion to drive multifaceted improvement in a situation of interest. The success of Produce rests on understanding the purposes, strengths and weaknesses of different systems methodologies. Five types of systems methodology are identified and described – engineering, system dynamics (SD), living, soft and emancipatory. These are shown to relate to the five systemic perspectives that were employed to provide an appreciation of the situation of interest in Explore. Examples are provided of how different methodologies were chosen as ‘dominant’ at different times to steer interventions. Finally, some possible objections to what ...