3. Mobile phones
• Please put your mobile phone in “silent
mode” and PUT IT AWAY (I.E. NOT IN
FRONT OF YOU ON THE DESK) for the
duration of the class
• I will not be answering or using mine, I
expect you to do the same
3
4. 1 & 2 – Develop a Rich Picture
7.
Action
to improve
1.
problem
situation
unstructured 6.
Feasible/
desirable
2. changes
Problem 5.
situation Real world/
expressed system world
compared
Real World
3.
Root
definition 4.
of relevant System World Conceptual
systems models
5. Rich Pictures
observation
coffeetime yet?
boundary
idea!
crossed swords
=friction
• iconic representations - drawn together into a
picture which sums up the important elements of
the problem situation
6. Rich Pictures
• In reviewing a situation or examining a system
the first task is to
– 'express' the problem situation i.e. to form a rich
picture.
– Rich picture = 'thorough, but non-judgmental
understanding’.
–Note: Different rich pictures can be
draw for the same system/situation by
different stakeholders.
7. Rich Pictures
• Usually free form diagrams or “cartoons”
– Pictures provide an excellent way of sorting out and
prioritising complex problem areas.
– Pictures display relationships
- the way business functions work together.
• They may include elements of
– structure (e.g. the departments of a university)
– process (e.g. studying, examining),
– issues, concerns, or developments (e.g. implementing a
quality service).
8. How to Construct Them?
• They show what is considered important in the
situation. But there are no rules:
– Matchstick men and women are common,
– sometimes bubbles coming out of their mouths
indicate important issues,
– crossed swords for conflict,
– eyeballs indicate something being overlooked,
inspected or supervised
coffeetime yet?
9. Example Icons
• The idea is simply to get something on
paper
•often working with others
•even where they have different, even
conflicting, ideas.
10. rich picture - example
situation 7 action to
1 considered improve the
problematic problem situation
6 changes:
systemically desirable,
culturally feasible
problem comparison of
2 situation models and
expressed real world 5
real world
systems thinking
about real world
3 conceptual models
root definition of systems described
of relevant systems in root definitions 4
11. Rich Picture
Shows:
• conflict between the secretary and the
education secretary about the how
and what to computerise
• Worries of the education assistant
about the thought of automation
• should alert to the potential for
poor usage and user resistance,
therefore also the need for training
and support.
12. Example on previous slide
• The Secretary of a growing Professional Association
believed many of its operations could be computerised:
–including membership, examination, and tuition administration.
• Before commissioning any new systems she wanted:
– an overview of where potential benefits would be found
– and what problems might exist.
• A consultancy reviewed the organisation and created an
initial rich picture of the situation.
• (from Avison,D. and Fitzgerald,G (1995) IS Development: Methodologies, Techniques and Tools. 2nd
Edition, McGraw-Hill,, McGraw-Hill)
13.
14. 7.
Action
to improve
1.
problem
situation
unstructured 6.
Feasible/
desirable
2. changes
Problem 5.
situation Real world/
expressed system world
compared
Real World
3.
Root
definition 4.
of relevant System World Conceptual
systems models
15. Activity 3 – relevant viewpoints
• Example: Consultant is employed to improve
cost-effectiveness of organisation
– Viewed by manual workers as a means of keeping
wages to a minimum
– Viewed by management as providing a pool of
intellectual and other resources to solve problems
• An appropriate model of the manual workers’
view may lead to solutions that conflict with
those of management
16. Activity 3 – relevant viewpoints
• Selecting relevant viewpoints
(perspectives):
• List the stakeholders who have an interest
in the situation (from the rich picture and
other information)
– Customers, shareholders, managing director
probably have different viewpoints
17. Activity 3 - Root definition
• Next step is to select a viewpoint and then
define appropriate systems from that
perspective.
• To do this we construct a Root Definition.
– The Root Definition describes what the
system is and what it aims to achieve
• The mnemonic CATWOE is used as a checklist
to ensure all necessary components are
present in the root definition.
18. Root Definitions
Root definitions follow rich pictures.
• A root definition is
– a short textual definition of situation
1 considered
7 action to
improve the
problematic problem situation
the aims and means of the 6 changes:
systemically desirable,
culturally feasible
system to be modelled. 2
problem
situation
comparison of
models and
expressed real world 5
– It is not the real world that real world
systems thinking
about real world
is being modelled, but 3
root definition
conceptual models
of systems described
in root definitions 4
of relevant systems
potential or 'virtual'
systems that are logical and
coherent
19. Format of Root Definitions
• A system to do X, by (means of) Y, in order to
Z
– telling us
• what the system will do,
• how it is to be done, and
• why it is being done (its long term aims).
Here is an example of a primary task root definition:
A university owned and operated system to award degrees and diplomas to suitably qualified
candidates (X), by means of suitable assessment (Y), (in conformance with national standards), in
order to demonstrate the capabilities of candidates to potential employers (Z).
20. situation 7 action to
1 considered improve the
problematic problem situation
6 changes:
systemically desirable,
root definitions
culturally feasible
problem comparison of
2 situation models and
expressed real world 5
real world
systems thinking
about real world
3 conceptual models
root definition of systems described
of relevant systems in root definitions 4
• short textual statements which define the
important elements of the relevant system
being modelled - rather like mission
statements
they follow the form:
a system to do X by (means of) Y in order to Z
what the system does - X
how it does it - Y
why it’s being done - Z
21. root definition examples
1) primary task (relating to basic tasks and
structures)
A university owned and operated system to
award degrees and diplomas to suitably
qualified candidates (X), by means of suitable
assessment (Y), (in conformance with national
standards), in order to demonstrate the
capabilities of candidates to potential
employers (Z).
22. root definition examples
2) issue based (relating to temporary or
qualitative concerns, or concerns of judgment)
A university owned and operated system to
implement a quality service (X), by devising
and operating procedures to delight its
customers and control its suppliers (Y), in
order to improve its educational products
(Z).
23. CATWOE analysis
a check to ensure that root
definitions contain most of what is
important
Customers the victims or beneficiaries of T
Actors those who do T
Transformation input output
Weltanschauung the worldview that makes the T
meaningful in context
Owners those with the power to stop T
Environmental elements outside the system which
constraints are taken as given, but nevertheless
affect its behaviour
24. example CATWOE
C candidate students
A university staff
T candidate students
degree holders and diplomates
W the belief that awarding degrees and
diplomas is a good way of demonstrating the
qualities of candidates to potential
employers
O the University governing body
E national educational and assessment
standards
25. situation 7 action to
1 considered improve the
problematic problem situation
6 changes:
activity (conceptual)
systemically desirable,
culturally feasible
problem comparison of
2 situation models and
expressed real world 5
real world
models
systems thinking
about real world
3 conceptual models
root definition of systems described
of relevant systems in root definitions 4
• representation of the minimum set of
activities necessary to ‘do’ the root
definition
• activities modelled by verbs
26. activity models - symbols
verb + noun
phrase activity - ‘do something’
A
logical dependency arrow - activity A must come
B
before B, or if activity A is done badly - so will B
boundary
cook dinner study BIT
eat take BIT
dinner examination
example use
27. activity model - example
design
enrol students education
programmes
appreciate
educate allot
national
students resources
standards
award design
degrees + diplomas
and carry out
to students reaching
assessment
acceptable levels
A university owned and operated system to award degrees and
diplomas to suitably qualified candidates (X), by means of
suitable assessment (Y), (in conformance with national
standards), in order to demonstrate the capabilities of
candidates to potential employers (Z).
28. measures of performance
• E1 - efficacy (does the system work, is the
transformation effected)?
• E2 - efficiency (the relationship between the
output achieved and the resources consumed
to achieve it)
• E3 - effectiveness (is the longer term goal (Z)
achieved)
29. measures of performance - example
• E1 (efficacy) - are degrees and diplomas awarded?
• E2 (efficiency) - how many degrees and diplomas, of what
standard, are awarded for the resource consumed?
• E3 (effectiveness) - do employers find the degrees and
diplomas a useful way of assessing the qualities of
potential employees?
30. the complete conceptual product
• root definition
• CATWOE
• activity model
• measures of performance
31. the complete model - example
A university owned and operated system to award
degrees and diplomas to suitably qualified candidates (X),
by means of suitable assessment (Y), (in conformance with
design
national standards), in order to demonstrate the
enroll students education capabilities of candidates to potential employers (Z).
programmes
appreciate C candidate students
educate allot
national
students resources A university staff
standards
T candidate students
award degree holders and diplomates
design W the belief that awarding degrees and
degrees + diplomas
and carry out diplomas is a good way of demonstrating
to students reaching
assessment the qualities of candidates to potential
acceptable levels take control
employers
action
O the University governing body
monitor for
E1, E2, E3 E national educational and assessment
standards
• E1 (efficacy) - are degrees and diplomas awarded?
• E2 (efficiency) - how many degrees and diplomas, of what standard, are awarded for the
resource consumed?
• E3 (effectiveness) - do employers find the degrees and diplomas a useful way of assessing
the qualities of potential employees?
32. levels of resolution
• each activity may be modelled at a higher level of
resolution - in other words a new root definition
is prepared specific to that activity and a
conceptual model built which further defines the
set of (more detailed) activities necessary to
accomplish it.
• in this way complex situations with many
activities can be modelled without loosing a sense
of the overall shape of the problem
33. situation 7 action to
1 considered improve the
problematic problem situation
6 changes:
systemically desirable,
culturally feasible
comparison with 2
problem
situation
expressed
comparison of
models and
real world 5
real world
systems thinking
about real world
the real world
3 conceptual models
root definition of systems described
of relevant systems in root definitions 4
activity is it done in the real situation? comments,
how is it done? recommendations
1
2
3
34. University Accommodation Systems Exercise
• In your groups:
– using the rich pictures in the Rose handout
– do a CATWOE analysis and develop a Root
Definition for the perspective you have
been given:
• Groups 1, 5, 9, 13 – university management
• Groups 2, 6, 10, 14 – landlords
• Groups 3, 7, 11, 15 – project team
• Groups 4, 8, 12, 16 - students
35. University Accommodation Systems Exercise
• In your groups and for the perspective you
have been given:
1. use the rich pictures in the Rose handout
2. do a CATWOE analysis
3. develop a Root Definition
4. do on paper first
5. transfer to the transparency
6. nominate someone to present
