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Understanding the difference between complex and complicated systems is becoming important for many aspects of management and policy. With complicated problems or issues one can define the problem and strategically develop actions, time-frames and milestones along a path to success. In contrast, cause and effect are difficult to predict in complex adaptive systems. This post aims to provide more detail around these concepts as an introduction. - See more at: http://learningforsustainability.net/sparksforchange/complicated-or-complex-knowing-the-difference-is-important-for-the-management-of-adaptive-systems/#sthash.Kb2vkjsl.dpuf

Group model building (GMB) is a participatory approach that is widely used to build the capacity of practitioners to think in a systems way. However, it is a resource-intensive approach that requires high-level buy-in and the investment of time. We discuss the evidence, including a systematic review of the literature examining the effectiveness of GMB approaches across a wide range of contexts. The results of the review are generally positive and suggest that GMB improves problem understanding, increases engagement in systems thinking, builds confidence in the use of systems ideas and develops consensus for action among diverse stakeholders.

NLGN believes that local government, their partners, and the communities they lead, must undergo a profound cultural shift to embrace three core 'changemaking' values of creativity, collaboration and self-determination. Only then will councils and citizens be able to generate the many innovations necessary to solve our biggest social problems. 

We live in a world relentlessly pushed forward by the velocity, volatility, uncertainty, disruption, and disequilibrium of constant change.  As the pace of change accelerates, so does the shelf-life of our strategies, processes, frameworks, and systems.  The rapidity of change now requires an expanding and continuously evolving breadth and depth to our repertoire of problem-solving strategies and leadership skill-sets.  Yet, even in the face of this rapidity of change and the disequilibrium it creates, too often, we find ourselves as individuals and organizations siloed in and dedicated to only one way of doing and working.  

Participedia harnesses the power of collaboration to respond to a recent global phenomenon: the rapid development of experiments in new forms of participatory politics and governance around the world. We live in a world in which citizens of most countries are asking for greater involvement in collective decisions. Many governments, non-governmental organizations, and even some corporations are responding by experimenting with ways to increase public participation. Hundreds of thousands of participatory processes occur each year in almost every country in the world. They are adressing a wide variety of political and policy problems. And they often supplement and sometimes compete with more traditional forms of politics, such as representative democracy. Participedia responds to these developments by providing a low-cost, easy way for hundreds of researchers and practitioners from across the globe to catalogue and compare the performance of participatory political processes.

We're doers, storytellers, problem solvers, and community builders on a mission to design change. If you've got superpowered skills and shared passion, we'd love to meet you.

Welcome to The Edge, a free social platform committed to finding, sharing, curating and creating the boldest and most innovative new ideas in health & care. We've created an explorable library of content designed to incite and inspire fresh thought: new ways of solving old problems; news ways of realising potential; new ways of making change happen.

but we sensed the outcome could easily become a 'touchpoint solution' that might address a particular facet of trauma, but wouldn't take into account the deeper reasons why these problems existed," Seth explained.

ABOUT MONEYBALL Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland A's, transformed baseball by ignoring the scouts and using data to build championship contending teams despite limited budgets. Moneyball for Government, a project of Results for America, encourages governments at all levels to increase their use of evidence and data when investing limited taxpayer dollars. By playing Moneyball, we can improve outcomes for young people, their families and communities.

The £3.4trn industry encourages a preoccupation with the symptoms of mental illness, rather than their social causes.

ABCD stands for Asset-Based Community Development and it refers to a type of community development based on the work of Professors Jody Kretzmann and John McKnight. ABCD challenges the traditional deficit-based approach that tries to solve urban and rural development problems by focusing on the needs and deficiencies of individuals, neighbourhoods, towns, villages, etc.

In the business world, there is an obsession with scaling. Investors repeatedly ask "How are you going to bring your idea to scale?" Environmentalists often ask a related question by seeking to change the minds of large audiences - by increasing awareness of ecological problems in the hope that this will lead to policy actions in the future.

Overview System Dynamics is a computer-aided approach to policy analysis and design.  It applies to dynamic problems arising in complex social, managerial, economic, or ecological systems-literally any dynamic systems characterized by interdependence, mutual interaction, information feedback, and circular causality.

SCiO is a community of systems practitioners who believe that traditional approaches to running organisations are responsible for many of the problems we see today. We believe that systemic approaches to designing and running organisations offer radically new and better alternatives.

"The Habits of a Systems Thinker help learners understand how systems work and how actions taken can impact results seen over time. They encompass a spectrum of strategies that foster problem-solving and encourage questioning. The Thinking Tools Studio contains a course for each of the Habits. "

Distrust, fear, and contempt have poisoned our society and personal relationships-perhaps including your own. 75% of Americans say this problem has reached a crisis level. Experts say the solution is to cultivate more positive social connections.  A brighter future requires understanding, trust, and grace. Thankfully, 75% of Americans are willing to practice conversations across differences, and 36%-more than 100 million people-want to see a national campaign to improve those interactions.

The Consilience Project is developing a body of social theory and analysis that explains and seeks solutions to the unique challenges we face today. It focuses on the deeper generator functions beneath the world's major problems, drawing on the best of social theory while showing where existing theories and institutions are no longer adequate to fix the current problem landscape. The aim of the project is to help catalyze a cultural enlightenment that will develop a new set of shared values and capacities adequate to the needs of our time.

SiD has been developed since 2001 as a toolkit to develop long term viable sustainable solutions for business, governments and industry. SiD guides individuals and interdisciplinary groups in incorporating problems beyond material and energy usage, extending to include social, ecological, economic, and political matters. If we ever hope to achieve sustainability, we must optimize for all of these competing areas at the same time - and this is what SiD does.

Once you make the decision to take a network approach to solving a problem, you need to design a specific strategy - the way you will build, manage and evaluate your network - in order to reach your shared goals. We created our PARTNER Method, a process for creating, tracking and adapting your strategy over time to advance your network objective. Here's a quick overview of the PARTNER Method for Network Strategy.

The Citizens Foundation believes in non-partisan futurist solutions to current problems facing democracy. We have recently seen technology undermine our faith in debate in the public arena; the Foundation believes that innovations in technology can be used to restore faith in democratic debate and institutions instead.