Soft systems methodology

Soft systems methodology (SSM) is an organised way of thinking and it can be used to tackle general problematic situations that arise in the real world and in the management of change by using action. Developed in England by academics at the Lancaster Systems Department, by utilising a ten-year action research programme.

Overview

The Development of ‘Soft Systems’ Thinking was first developed using earlier approaches at problem solving, In the 1960’s Systems thinking was only thought of with ‘Space age’ technology, to which was then thought to be extended to reach all ends of society, including civilian life. Peter Checkland and his many colleagues such as Brian Wilson were the first to develop this approach. Checkland himself stating that the system analysis of this kind should be seized upon by professional politicians for their own legitimate purposes. The primary use of SSM is in the analysis of complex situations where there are divergent views about the definition of the problem. These complex situations are known as “soft problems”, it is usually a real world problem where the goals and purposes of the problem are problematic themselves. Examples of “soft problems” are things like: How to improve the delivery of health services? How to manage homelessness with young people? “Soft approaches” are an assumption that people’s view of the world will change all the time and their preferences of it will also change.

In such situations, even the actual problem to be addressed may not be easy to agree upon. To intervene in such situations the soft systems approach uses the notion of a "system" as an interrogative device that will enable debate amongst concerned parties. In its 'classic' form the methodology consists of seven steps, with initial appreciation of the problem situation leading to the modelling of several human activity systems that might be thought relevant to the problem situation. By discussions and exploration of these, the decision-makers will arrive at accommodations (or, exceptionally, at consensus) over what kind of changes may be systemically desirable and feasible in the situation. Later explanations of the ideas give a more sophisticated view of this systemic method and give more attention to locating the methodology with respect to its philosophical underpinnings. It is the earlier classical view which is most widely used in practice (created by Peter Checkland). A common criticism of this earlier methodology is that it follows an approach that is too linear. Checkland himself agreed that the earlier methodology is ‘rather bald’. Most advanced SSM analysts will agree, though, that the classical view is an easy way for inexperienced analysts to learn the SSM methodology.

There are several hundred documented examples of the successful use of SSM in many different fields, ranging from ecology, to business and military logistics. It has been adopted by many organizations and incorporated into other approaches: in the 1990s, for example, it was the recommended planning tool for the UK government's SSADM system development methodology.

The general applicability of the approach has led to some criticisms that it is functionalist, non-emancipatory or supports the status quo and existing power structures; this is a claim that users would deny, arguing that the methodology itself can be none of these, it is the user of the methodology that may choose to employ it in such a way.

The methodology has been described in several books and many academic articles.

SSM remains the most widely used and practical application of systems thinking, and other systems approaches such as critical systems thinking have incorporated many of its ideas.

Representation evolution

SSM had a gradual development process of the methodology as a whole from 1972 to 1990. During this period of time, four different representations of SSM were designed, becoming more sophisticated and at the same time less structured and broader in scope.

Blocks and arrows (1972)

The first studies in the research programme were carried out in 1969, and the first account of what became SSM was published in a paper three years later called ‘Towards a systems-based methodology for real-world problem solving’ (Checkland 1972). In this paper, soft systems methodology is presented as a sequence of stages with iteration back to previous stages.The sequence was as follows: analysis, root definition of relevant systems, conceptualisation, comparison and definition of changes, selection of change to implement, design of change and implementation and appraisal.

The overall aim to implement change instead of introducing or enhancing a system implies that the thinking was ongoing as a result of these early experiences, even if the straight arrows in the diagrams and the rectangular blocks in some of the models can now be misleading!

Seven stages (1981)

The intitial book about SSM methodology, recognized a cluster of seven steps in a cyclical learning process and it was called the seven stage-model. These were categorically used to identify problems causes and further the line of questioning in order to come up with viable solutions. The four steps are;

1. Enter situation considered problematical
2. Express the problem situation
3. Formulate root definitions of relevant systems of purposeful activity
4. Build conceptual models of the systems named in the root definitions
5. Compare models with real-world situations
6. Define possible changes which are both possible and feasible
7. Take action to improve the problem situation

Two streams (1988)

The two-stream model of SSM recognizes the crucially important role of history in human affairs. This expression of SSM is presented as an approach embodying not only a logic-based stream of analysis (via activity models) but also a cultural and political stream which enable judgements to be made about the accommodations between conflicting interests which might be reachable by the people concerned and which would enable action to be taken.

Four main activities (1990)

The four-activities model is iconic rather than descriptive and subsumes the cultural stream of analysis in the four activities. The four activities are:

1. Finding out about a problem situation, including culturally/politically
2. Formulating some relevant purposeful activity models
3. Debating the situation, using the models, seeking from that debate both:
   • changes which would improve the situation and are regarded as both desirable and (culturally) feasible, and
   • the accommodations between conflicting interests which will enable action
4. Taking action in the situation to bring about improvement

CATWOE

In 1975, David Smyth, a researcher in Checkland's department, observed that SSM was most successful when the root definition included certain elements. These elements, captured in the mnemonic CATWOE, identified the people, processes and environment that contribute to a situation, issue or problem that required analyzing.

This is used to prompt thinking about what the business is trying to achieve. In further detail, CATWOE helps explore a system by underlining the roots which involve turning the inputs into outputs. CATWOE helps businesses as it analyses a gap between current and useful systems. Business perspectives help the business analyst to consider the impact of any proposed solution on the people involved. This mainly involves stakeholders which allows them to test assumptions they have made as stakeholders will all have different opinions about certain problems and opportunities. CATWOE’s method helps gain better and achievable results, as well as avoiding additional problems using six elements. The six elements of CATWOE are:

• Customers – Who are the beneficiaries of the highest level business process and how does the issue affect them?
• Actors – Who is involved in the situation, who will be involved in implementing solutions and what will impact their success?
• Transformation process – What is the transformation that lies at the heart of the system - transforming grapes into wine, transforming unsold goods into sold goods, transforming a societal need into a societal need met? This means change, in one word, is the centre of the transformation system; the process of becoming is more important than the business solution system. This is because the change is what the industry 2.0 systemic sustainability system practice purpose solves. The purpose behind the transformation system where change is provides the change, thus the results. For example when converting grapes into wine the purpose for Change is to supply to members of the public interest or involvement in grapes more value of the product, thus sustaining the product value more systemically.
• Weltanschauung (or Worldview) – What is the big picture and what are the wider impacts of the issue? “The word Weltanschauung is a German word that has no real English equivalent. It refers to “all the things that you take for granted” and is related to our values.” But the closest translation would be “world view”, which is the collective summary of the stakeholders belief that gives meaning to the root definition. Model of the human activity system as a whole.
• Owner – Who owns the process or situation being investigated and what role will they play in the solution?
• Environmental constraints – What are the constraints and limitations that will impact the solution and its success?

Human activity system

A human activity system can be defined as "notional system (i.e. not existing in any tangible form) where human beings are undertaking some activities that achieve some purpose".

Within most systems there will be many human activity systems integrated within it to form the whole system. Human activity systems can be used in SSM to establish worldviews (Weltanschauung) for people involved in problematic situations. The assumption with all human activity systems is that all actors within them will act accordingly with their own worldviews.

See also

• Enterprise modelling
• Hard systems
• Holism
• List of thought processes
• Problem structuring methods
• Rich picture
• Structured systems analysis and design method
• Systems theory
• Systems philosophy

Further reading

Books

• Avison, D., & Fitzgerald, G. (2006). Information Systems Development. methodologies, techniques & tools (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
• Wilson, B. and van Haperen, K. (2015) Soft Systems Thinking, Methodology and the Management of Change (including the history of the systems engineering department at Lancaster University), London: Palgrave MacMillan. ISBN 978-1-137-43268-1.
• Checkland, P.B. and J. Scholes (2001) Soft Systems Methodology in Action, in J. Rosenhead and J. Mingers (eds), Rational Analysis for a Problematic World Revisited. Chichester: Wiley
• Checkland, P.B. & Poulter, J. (2006) Learning for Action: A short definitive account of Soft Systems Methodology and its use for Practitioners, teachers and Students, Wiley, Chichester. ISBN 0-470-02554-9
• Checkland, P.B. Systems Thinking, Systems Practice, John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 1981, 1998. ISBN 0-471-98606-2
• Checkland, P.B. and S. Holwell Information, Systems and Information Systems, John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 1998. ISBN 0-471-95820-4
• Wilson, B. Systems: Concepts, Methodologies and Applications, John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 1984, 1990. ISBN 0-471-92716-3
• Wilson, B. Soft Systems Methodology, John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 2001. ISBN 0-471-89489-3

Articles

• Dale Couprie et al. (2007) Soft Systems Methodology Department of Computer Science, University of Calgary.
• Mark P. Mobach, Jos J. van der Werf & F.J. Tromp (2000). The art of modelling in SSM, in papers ISSS meeting 2000.
• Ian Bailey (2008) MODAF and Soft Systems. white paper.
• Ivanov, K. (1991). Critical systems thinking and information technology. - In J. of Applied Systems Analysis, 18, 39-55. (ISSN 0308-9541). A review of soft systems methodology as related to critical systems thinking.

External links

• Peter Checkland homepage.
• Models for Change Soft Systems Methodology . Business Process Transformation, 1996.
• Soft systems methodology Action research and evaluation on line, 2007.
• Checkland and Smyth's CATWOE and Soft Systems Methodology, Business Open Learning Archive 2007.