[vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”intro-section” width=”5\/6″][vc_column_text el_class=”h5-hd”]<\/p>\n
[\/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Understand the model as a system” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left|color:%23c20e1a” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/6″][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=”fas fa-file-download” color=”white” background_style=”rounded” background_color=”custom” align=”right” custom_background_color=”#edbe16″ link=”url:%23|title:Download%20this%20step” el_class=”download-btn”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”bordered”][vc_column][vc_column_text]Systems thinking is the ability to describe and\/ or visualise a part of a complex reality<\/a>, express that part of reality as a model, understand the model as a system<\/a>, use the model to explain the behaviour of the system, anticipate the behaviour of the system, and evaluate its impacts on sustainable development, identify potential points of, and types of interventions, generate options to act, assess their impacts in the frame of sustainable development, and decide whether further actions are necessary or not[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Having prepared a model in Step 2, learners review whether it depicts a static or dynamic (changing) reality. Next, learners assess if the model they have developed, (or are given, in case the facilitator so decides)represents a system.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”border-blk”]<\/p>\n The Greek called a unit put together out of various elements or components \u201csystema\u201d, from which the word \u201csystem\u201d has been derived. In our contemporary understanding, a \u201csystem\u201d is understood as a coherent or functional unit incorporating many different factors and drivers, which are interconnected and interdependent. \u00a0A system is more than the sum of its parts. A forest is a type of ecosystem, and therefore much more than a simple sum of the number of its trees.<\/p>\n Any system has:<\/p>\n Systems show typical behaviours or\u00a0patterns of change such as causal or feedback loops, growth, or decay (reinforcing) in linear or exponential manner, or oscillations, or stabilising (balancing) behaviour.<\/p>\n The behaviour of a system are the expected changes over time, as long as it is allowed to function normally. For example, the seasons are a normal behaviour of the climate system.<\/p>\n It is the structure of the system itself, and therefore the nature of interactions among the elements that causes development and change.<\/p>\n A system is dynamic<\/u>, though the whole system can also come to a stand-still and behave in a static<\/u>\u00a0manner for a certain period of time. For example, the climate, the economy, society, factories, farms, schools, and nature are systems. A bicycle which is stationary and not being handled by a rider, is also a system; standing still or having no movement is a particular instance of the behaviour of a system.<\/p>\n Systems can be self-organizing, self-repairing over at least some range of disruptions. They are resilient, and many of them are evolutionary.<\/p>\n Systems thinking requires a specific vocabulary; the terms that may be introduced in this step 3 are:<\/p>\n (For more details please refer to Thinking in Systems<\/em>\u00a0by Donella Meadows, published by the Sustainability Institute, 2008). To enable learners<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Step 3: understand model as a system<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”1656″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow” onclick=”link_image”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n In this step, the learners use the model prepared in Step 2 to understand it as a system.<\/p>\n Learning methods to support the Activity:<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”2046″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow” onclick=”link_image”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Illustration of staircase model for further leading questions <\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n1. What does this mean?<\/strong><\/h6>\n
What is a “system”?<\/strong><\/h6>\n
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\nhttps:\/\/donellameadows.org\/systems-thinking-resources<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n2. What is the aim?<\/strong><\/h6>\n
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3. Potential for competencies enhancement in this step<\/strong><\/h6>\n
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4. Activities, tasks and suggested learning methods<\/strong><\/h6>\n
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5. Conclusion<\/strong><\/h6>\n
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6. Suggested Further Leading Questions<\/strong><\/h6>\n
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7. Examples<\/strong><\/h6>\n