The

Challenges of Integration and Implementation in Systems Approaches to Complex Problems: Would a New Discipline Help?
Gabriele Bammer

Overview
Challenges and consequences Discipline and Big Science project Integration and Implementation Sciences (I2S) A Plavour of the I2S Development Drive Next steps

Current state: Three challenges

Fragmented and marginalised networks Lack of agreed terminology Lack of appreciation of the scale of the task

Challenge 1: Fragmented networks

Lack of links between systems and inter-disciplinary networks Each with their own small conferences (about 200 people)

Fragmented networks 2
Lots of useful concepts and methods But no central compilations Therefore hard to get: overall view of what is known access to an array of options
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Challenge 2: Lack of agreed terminology

Limited uniPied systems concepts (http://i2s.anu.edu.au/ projects/uniPied-systems-concepts) Confusion between inter-, multi-, trans-, cross-disciplinary Not to mention: post-normal science, systemic intervention, integrated assessment, sustainability science, team science, mode 2 and action research Coverage of a wide range of practice (thousands of researchers)

Consequences
1. Intellectually weak - no agreed body of work - no links between theory and practice - dogma 2. Politically powerless and marginalised (academic decision making and research funding)
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Challenge 3: No appreciation of the scale of the task

- building an overarching intellectual framework - developing better mechanisms to bring together researchers using related methods on disparate problems Needs a discipline a Big Science project
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Why a discipline?
Accepted way of organising and transmitting knowledge internationally College of peers: professional associations, journals, conferences Quality control Locus of power But must avoid becoming self-referential Statistics as a model
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Why a Big Science project?

Compile and classify: existing concepts and methods exemplar case studies guides to other relevant knowledge Develop the college of peers

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Overview
Challenges and consequences Discipline and Big Science project Integration and Implementation Sciences (I2S) A Plavour of the I2S Development Drive Next steps

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Disciplining Interdisciplinarity: Integration and Implementation Sciences for Researching Complex Real-World Problems

Integration and Implementation Sciences (I2S) = new discipline

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My focus
1. Complex real-world problems eg inequality, organised crime, global climate change, rising health care costs 2. Underpinned by a systems approach 3. Multiple methodological options - no one right way
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Core ingredients 1
Bring together expertise from different disciplines

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Core ingredients 2
Bring together expertise from different disciplines - and stakeholders

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Core ingredients 3
Bring together expertise from different disciplines - and stakeholders Take action (policy and practice change)

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Core ingredients 4
Bring together expertise from different disciplines - and stakeholders Take action (policy and practice change) BUT also consider unknowns

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Integration and Implementation Sciences (I2S): the organising framework

Three domains 5 Questions

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Three domains of I2S

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5-questions for systematic reporting and evaluation in I2S

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Five questions Q1
1. For what and for whom? What is the research aiming to achieve and who is intended to benePit?

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Five questions Q2
2. Of what? What is being dealt with: - knowledge synthesis - diverse unknowns - provision of integrated research support for policy and practice change?

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Five questions Q3
3. How? Methods for - knowledge synthesis - consideration of diverse unknowns - provision of integrated research support - by whom and when?

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Five questions Q4
4. Context? What circumstances affect the research and the ability to implement the results

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Five questions Q5
5. Success? What is the outcome: - knowledge synthesis - consideration of diverse unknowns and - provision of integrated research support for policy and practice change?

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Five questions merits

Planning (future) Description (present) Reporting (past) Can be used in any order Key issue is that all used and all elements addressed

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Five questions for Domain 1

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Whats the innovation?

Flexible way to systematically approach report on and evaluate research on complex problems There is nothing else Focus on options rather than prescription
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Whats next?
Finding, compiling and classifying the options = I2S Development Drive Let me give you a Plavour

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A Plavour of the I2S Development Drive

1. Modelling methods 2. A more comprehensive approach to unknowns

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Models (thanks to Jen Badham) 1

Different techniques suitable for different problems
different aspects of the system emphasised

No established classiPication Varying ease of interpretation

May limit stakeholder involvement

Different data needs

May limit feasibility
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Models 2

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Uses of models
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Organise information Synthesise understandings Guide research or data collection Communicate Forecast Compare options

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Compilation of modelling methods 1

1. Final model Different partial view of the whole system (everything is connected to everything else) 2. Process - Synthesis of different perspectives - IdentiPication of unknowns - Planning for action

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Compilation of modelling methods 2

Five groupings: 1.Static diagrams 2.Dynamic subsystems 3.Dynamic individuals 4. Scenarios outcome 5. Statistical relationships, not system
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Target system

Compilation of modelling methods 3

Five groupings: 1. Static diagrams (strong dialogue components) Concept mapping Soft systems methodology Lean systems Social network analysis
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Static diagrams 1
Picture of the system (model does more)

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Static diagrams 2 Concept map

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Static diagrams 3 Soft systems rich picture

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Static diagrams 4 Lean system

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Static diagrams 5 Social network

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Compilation of modelling methods 3

Five groupings: 1.Static diagrams 2. Dynamic subsystems Causal loop diagrams System dynamics

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Dynamic subsystems 1 Causal loop diagrams

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Dynamic subsystems 2 System dynamics models

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Compilation of modelling methods 4

Five groupings: 1.Static diagrams 2.Dynamic subsystems 3. Dynamic individuals State transition Discrete event simulation Agent based
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Main Points
No way to get complete view of problem Different systems view highlight different elements and relationships Models help get handles on systems views Few compilations No agreed classiPication
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A Plavour of the I2S Development Drive

1. Modelling methods 2. A more comprehensive approach to unknowns

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Unknowns
Less well developed (more than risk) Blind spot in western thought
Mike Smithson General orientation: Unlimited unknowns and limited research capacity Different ways of understanding unknowns

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Unlimited unknowns
Constant innovation and change On-going research Irreducible unknowns Limited methods BenePits of unknowns

And limited research capacity

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Different ways of understanding unknowns 1

Flavour only Disciplines synthesis needed! Matrix Typology

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Different ways of understanding unknowns 2

STATISTICS - probability theory
Music essential for creativity History moral dimension Intelligence gaps or overload Art certainty and uncertainty are a continuum, not opposites Complexity - irreducible Futures unknown unknowns Complexity - irreducible Religion desirable vs fundamentalism

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Different ways of understanding unknowns 3

Matrix
Known knowns Known unknowns (conscious ignorance) Unknown unknowns (meta-ignorance)

Unknown knowns (tacit knowledge)

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Different ways of understanding unknowns 4

Smithsons Typology

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Different ways of managing unknowns 1

Discipline-based training focus on unknowns to reduce, banish the rest Disciplinary excellence pick productive unknowns (not dead end or trivial) Systems-based focus (problem as a whole) worry about whats been banished

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Different ways of managing unknowns 2

Six strategies: 1. Reduce (Gain more knowledge and/or increase constraints) 2. Banish (Set aside as out of bounds and therefore not dealt with) 3. Accept (Construct decisions and actions that take unknowns into account) eg strategic foresighting

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Different ways of managing unknowns 3

4. Exploit (Amplify; Generate or reinforce) 5. Surrender to (Relinquishment; Adopt a fatalistic or nihilistic stance) 6. Deny (Treat as non-existent) Can be adaptive or maladaptive
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Imperfection is inevitable
Consequence of: Unknowns But also Boundary setting Systems Values Big picture context
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Overview
Challenges and consequences Discipline and Big Science project Integration and Implementation Sciences (I2S) A Plavour of the I2S Development Drive Next steps

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Next steps... 1
Disciplining Interdisciplinarity Testing the ideas: a) commentaries

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Next steps 2
Disciplining Interdisciplinarity Testing the ideas: b) courses

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Next steps 3
A general resources compilation website and newsletter

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New resource
Concepts for co-production of knowledge
Enengel, Barbara; Muhar, Andreas; Penker, Marianne; Freyer, Bernhard; Drlik, Stephanie; and, Ritter, Florian. (2012). Co-production of Knowledge in Transdisciplinary Doctoral Theses on Landscape Development An Analysis of Actor Roles and Knowledge Types in Different Research Phases. Landscape and Urban Planning, 105, 1-2: 106-117.

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Next steps 4
New projects: Eg Making decisions when experts disagree

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For more on I2S

http://i2s.anu.edu.au

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