scholarly journals A Systems-Based Framework for Immunisation System Design: Six Loops, Three Flows, Two Paradigms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Jenny Annie Decouttere ◽  
Nico Vandaele ◽  
Kim De Boeck ◽  
Stany Banzimana
Keyword(s):  
Model Building ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Vaccine Coverage ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Group Model ◽  
Problem Structuring ◽  
Donor Funding ◽  
Leverage Points

Despite massive progress in vaccine coverage globally, the region of sub-Saharan Africa is lagging behind and not on track for Sustainable Development Goal 3 by 2030. Sub-national under-immunisation, related to geographical and social heterogeneity, is part of the problem. System-wide changes could transform current immunisation systems to become more sustainable, resilient and inclusive. A framework is proposed that captures the complexity of immunisation systems and offers directions for sustainable redesign. Insights were extracted from literature, stakeholder workshops, and field research in Rwanda and Kenya. A conceptual model of the national immunisation system was co-developed and validated with stakeholders. Leverage points were suggested for intervention scenario building. The Immunisation System Diagram assembles the paradigms of planned and emergency immunisation in one system and emphasizes the synchronized flows of vaccine receiver, vaccinator and vaccine. Six feedback loops capture the main subsystems. Sustainability and resilience are assessed based on loop dominance and dependency on exogenous factors such as donor funding and vaccine stockpiles. In group model building workshops, the diagram invites stakeholders to share their mental models, to assess the system's performance and to trigger detection of root causes and leverage points. The framework provides a systems-approach for problem structuring and policy design.

scholarly journals Group model building: problem structuring, policy simulation and decision support

2007 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 691-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
D F Andersen ◽  
J A M Vennix ◽  
G P Richardson ◽  
E A J A Rouwette
Keyword(s):  
Decision Support ◽  
Model Building ◽  
Group Model ◽  
Group Model Building ◽  
Problem Structuring ◽  
Policy Simulation

Analysing public sector continuous improvement: a systems approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arun A. Elias ◽  
Dona Davis
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Model Building ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Public Private Partnerships ◽  
Group Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sector Organisation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the complexities involved in implementing continuous improvement (CI) initiatives in public sector organisations. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a case study of a private sector organisation based in New Zealand and its efforts in implementing CI activities in its public sector clients. In total, 12 semi-structured interviews were followed by group model building exercises based on system dynamics that led to the development of a systems model. Findings CI initiatives using public-private partnerships were successful in steadily improving the operational excellence and end-user satisfaction in this case. But client satisfaction was only increasing at a much slower rate. The underlying structure responsible for this behaviour was captured using a causal loop model and explained using seven interacting feedback loops. Research limitations/implications The major limitation of this research is that it is confined to one private sector organisation and its public sector clients. Thus, the generalisability cannot be utilised for future reference. Practical implications This paper illustrates the development of strategic initiatives based on a participative model building approach. It provides a practical method for initiating long-term structural changes while managing CI activities in public sector organisations. Originality/value This paper contributes a New Zealand case of public-private partnerships for implementing CI initiatives. It illustrates a systems approach to analyse the complexities involved in implementing CI initiatives in public sector organisations.

scholarly journals Current Practices and Future Pathways towards Competencies in Education for Sustainable Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 8733
Author(s):  
Gisela Cebrián ◽  
Mercè Junyent ◽  
Ingrid Mulà
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Informal Education ◽  
Model Building ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Group Model ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Competencies Development

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development reflects the urgency to embed the principles of education for sustainable development (ESD) into all levels of education. ESD, understood as an integral part of quality education and where all educational institutions, from preschool to higher education and in non-formal and informal education, can and should foster the development of sustainability competencies. This Special Issue entitled “Competencies in Education for Sustainable Development II” responds to this urgency and the papers presented deliver recent developments in the field of sustainability and ESD competencies. They focus on various perspectives: systematic literature reviews and conceptual contributions; curriculum developments and pedagogical approaches to explore competencies’ development, such as action research, serious games, augmented reality, multi-course project-based learning and group model building processes; testing and validation of assessment tools and processes for linking sustainability competencies to employability and quality assurance processes. The contributions show how the field of sustainability and ESD competencies has become a major focus in recent years and present emerging research developments. Further research efforts need to be put into operationalizing sustainability competencies and developing tools that help measure and assess students’ and educators’ competencies development.

scholarly journals Biological Control of a Phytosanitary Pest (Thaumatotibia leucotreta): A Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1198
Author(s):  
Sean D. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Microbial Control ◽  
Codling Moth ◽  
Environmental Safety ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Thaumatotibia Leucotreta ◽  
Sub Saharan

Thaumatotibia leucotreta, known as the false codling moth, is a pest of citrus and other crops in sub-Saharan Africa. As it is endemic to this region and as South Africa exports most of its citrus around the world, T. leucotreta has phytosanitary status for most markets. This means that there is zero tolerance for any infestation with live larvae in the market. Consequently, control measures prior to exporting must be exemplary. Certain markets require a standalone postharvest disinfestation treatment for T. leucotreta. However, the European Union accepts a systems approach, consisting of three measures and numerous components within these measures. Although effective preharvest control measures are important under all circumstances, they are most critical where a standalone postharvest disinfestation treatment is not applied, such as within a systems approach. Conventional wisdom may lead a belief that effective chemical control tools are imperative to achieve this end. However, we demonstrate that it is possible to effectively control T. leucotreta to a level acceptable for a phytosanitary market, using only biological control tools. This includes parasitoids, predators, microbial control, semiochemicals, and sterile insects. Simultaneously, on-farm and environmental safety is improved and compliance with the increasing stringency of chemical residue requirements imposed by markets is achieved.

Group model building effectiveness: a review of assessment studies

2002 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eti�nne A. J. A. Rouwette ◽  
Jac A. M. Vennix ◽  
Theo van Mullekom
Keyword(s):  
Model Building ◽  
Group Model ◽  
Group Model Building

Exploring construction workers' attitudinal ambivalence: a system dynamics approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng Xu ◽  
Mengge Zhang ◽  
Bo Xia ◽  
Jiangbo Liu
Keyword(s):  
System Dynamics ◽  
Model Building ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Construction Workers ◽  
Group Model ◽  
Group Model Building ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Pressure ◽  
Safety Attitude

PurposeThis study aimed to identify driving factors of safety attitudinal ambivalence (AA) and explore their influence. Construction workers' intention to act safely can be instable under conflicting information from safety management, co-workers and habitual unsafe behaviour. Existing research explained the mechanism of unsafe behaviours as individual decisions but failed to include AA, as the co-existence of both positive and negative attitude.Design/methodology/approachThis study applied system dynamics to explore factors of construction workers' AA and simulate the process of mitigating the ambivalence for less safety behaviour. Specifically, the group model building approach with eight experts was used to map the causal loop diagram and field questionnaire of 209 construction workers were used to collect empirical data for initiating parameters.FindingsThe group model building identified five direct factors of AA, namely the organisational safety support, important others' safety attitude, emotional arousal, safety production experience and work pressure, with seven feedback paths. The questionnaire survey obtained the initial values of the factors in the SD model, with the average ambivalence at 0.389. The ambivalence between cognitive and affective safety attitude was the highest. Model simulation results indicated that safety experience and work pressure had the most significant effects, and safety experience and positive attitude of co-workers could compensate the pressure from tight schedule and budget.Originality/valueThis study provided a new perspective of the dynamic safety attitude under the co-existence of positive and negative attitude, identified its driving factors and their influencing paths. The group model building approach and field questionnaire surveys were used to provide convincible suggestions for empirical safety management with least and most effective approaches and possible interventions to prevent unsafe behaviour with tight schedule and budget.

Microworld Development

2008 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias M. Fischer ◽  
Federico Barnabè
Keyword(s):  
Production Process ◽  
Model Building ◽  
Calcium Carbide ◽  
Group Model ◽  
Interactive Learning Environment ◽  
Industrial Firms ◽  
Chemical Company ◽  
Production Processes ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Building Project

The article presents the outcomes of a group model-building project at a chemical company that produces calcium carbide. The project led not only to the creation of a system dynamics model describing the production process but also to a microworld, a computer-based interactive learning environment meant to reproduce most of the features of the operating and controlling software actually used in the company. The process of organizational learning, the gaining of a better common understanding of the production process, and the development of the different mental models of the plant operators were some of the project's main goals. Moreover, the method followed during the project can be considered as general and can be used mainly in a variety of production processes in most manufacturing industrial firms both for the modeling of production processes and for teaching and training the operators who manage such systems.

Group Model Building

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. S79-S83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian M. Thomas ◽  
Stacia R. Reilly
Keyword(s):  
Model Building ◽  
Group Model ◽  
Group Model Building
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