7. huntingmammoths.com
P: Ever wonder what those sparkly dots are up there?
T: Pumbaa. I don't wonder; I know.
P: Oh! ...What are they?
T: They're fireflies. Fireflies that uh… got stuck up on
that big… bluish-black… thing.
P: Oh. Gee. I always thought that they were balls of
gas burning billions of miles away
T: Pumbaa, wit’ you, everything's gas.
P: Simba, what do you think?
S: Well, I don't know…
P: Aw come on. Give, give, give .. Well, come on,
Simba, we told you ours... pleeeease?
T: Come on, come on... give, give..
S: Well, somebody once told me that the great kings
of the past are up there; watching over us.
P: Really?
T: You mean a bunch of royal dead guys are watching
us? Pbbb.
From now on, you will need “systems thinking” to work …
Systems; explanations
we need for everything.
The Lion King. 1994
79. huntingmammoths.com
A system must be thought considering it may be:
Tightly coupled. Everything may influence everything.
Multi dynamics. Changes may occur at many scales and levels.
Counterintuitive. Cause and effect may be distant in time and/or space.
Policy resistant.
Obvious solutions to problems fail or actually worsen the
situation.
Non-linear.
Long term behaviour is often different from short term
behaviour.
A system is a way of looking at the world.
102. huntingmammoths.com
System thinking tools
Q-Q diagram
Based on “fishbone” or cause and effect
diagram. Captures free flowing thoughts in
a structured manner, and distinguishes
between “hard” (quantitative) and “soft”
(qualitative) variables that affect the issue
of interest. Is structured during a
brainstorming session; helps participants
see the whole system in question.
118. huntingmammoths.com
1 2 3
Understand, Model, Predict!
List and order the
elements of a system
using a Q-Q diagram.
Build a system model
with the previous
components using a
B/R loop.
Check the potential
impact of actions into
the system using the
previous models.
Tasks
127. huntingmammoths.com
Exercise: Drafting the health system.
Check up Blood test, blood pressure, etc.
Diagnostic tests Radiology, magnetic resonance imaging, etc.
Chronic care Diseases for life or long time.
Urgencies A flu, a broken arm, etc.
Acute care A heart attack, a cancer, etc.
Health education Citizen’s level of health knowledge.
Addictions Cigarettes, drinks, stupefies, etc.
Nutrition Correct habits and healthy eating.
Environment Levels of pollution in air, water quality, etc.
Exercise Physical activity, sports, etc.
Workplace Healthy places for workers.
Public coverage Universal health assistance.
Private coverage Privately contracted health insurance.
Health authorities Institutions managing the health system.
Health services Hospitals, primary care centres, etc.
Interconnect
the
components,
putting users in
the centre