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Managing Communications, Knowledge and Information (MCKI)

Week 3: SSM – Rich Pictures, CATWOE and Root Definitions

Sources: 1)Handout by Jeremy Rose, BIT, Manchester Metropolitan University2)Rich Pictures by Edwards & Humphries (University of Sunderland) osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/~cs0hed/csem04/ CSEM04Unit10richpictures.ppt – 24/9/10

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Readings: Course Book, p318-319Handout: Soft Systems Methodology, Rose, J., p.5-9

MCKI – Week 3 lecture overview

• Introduction• Rich Pictures• CATWOE analysis• Root definitions• Summary

• Summary

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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

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1.problem situation

unstructured

2.Problem situation

expressed

3.Root

definitionof relevantsystems

4.Conceptual

models

5.Real world/

system world compared

6.Feasible/desirablechanges

7.Action

to improve

Real World

System World

1 & 2 – Develop a Rich Picture

Rich Pictures

coffeetime yet?

• iconic representations - drawn together into a picture which sums up the important elements of the problem situation

observation

idea!crossed swords

=friction

boundary

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.

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).

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

Example Icons

• The idea is simply to get something on paper •often working with others •even where they have different, even conflicting, ideas.

rich picture - example

situationconsideredproblematic

problemsituation

expressed

real world

systems thinkingabout real world

conceptual modelsof systems describedin root definitions 4

comparison ofmodels andreal world 5

6 changes:systemically desirable,

culturally feasible

7 action toimprove the

problem situation

3root definition

of relevant systems

2

1

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.

Rich Picture

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)

1.problem situation

unstructured

2.Problem situation

expressed

3.Root

definitionof relevantsystems

4.Conceptual

models

5.Real world/

system world compared

6.Feasible/desirablechanges

7.Action

to improve

Real World

System World

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

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

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.

Root Definitions

• A root definition is– a short textual definition of

the aims and means of the system to be modelled.

– It is not the real world that is being modelled, but potential or 'virtual' systems that are logical and coherent

situationconsideredproblematic

problemsituation

expressed

real world

systems thinkingabout real world

conceptual modelsof systems describedin root definitions 4

comparison ofmodels and

real world 5

6 changes:systemically desirable,

culturally feasible

7 action toimprove the

problem situation

3root definition

of relevant systems

2

1

Root definitions follow rich pictures.

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 qualifiedcandidates (X), by means of suitable assessment (Y), (in conformance with national standards), inorder to demonstrate the capabilities of candidates to potential employers (Z).

root definitions

a system to do X by (means of) Y in order to Z

situationconsideredproblematic

problemsituation

expressed

real world

systems thinkingabout real world

conceptual modelsof systems describedin root definitions 4

comparison ofmodels andreal world 5

6 changes:systemically desirable,

culturally feasible

7 action toimprove the

problem situation

3root definition

of relevant systems

2

1

they follow the form:

• short textual statements which define the important elements of the relevant system being modelled - rather like mission statements

what the system does - Xhow it does it - Y

why it’s being done - Z

root definition examples

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).

1) primary task (relating to basic tasks and structures)

root definition examples

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).

2) issue based (relating to temporary or qualitative concerns, or concerns of judgment)

CATWOE analysisa check to ensure that root

definitions contain most of what is important

Customers the victims or beneficiaries of TActors those who do TTransformation input outputWeltanschauung the worldview that makes the T

meaningful in contextOwners those with the power to stop TEnvironmental elements outside the system which constraints are taken as given, but nevertheless

affect its behaviour

C candidate studentsA university staffT candidate students

degree holders and diplomatesW 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

example CATWOE

activity (conceptual) models

• representation of the minimum set of activities necessary to ‘do’ the root definition

• activities modelled by verbs

situationconsideredproblematic

problemsituation

expressed

real world

systems thinkingabout real world

conceptual modelsof systems describedin root definitions 4

comparison ofmodels andreal world 5

6 changes:systemically desirable,

culturally feasible

7 action toimprove the

problem situation

3root definition

of relevant systems

2

1

activity models - symbols

study BIT

take BITexamination

cook dinner

eatdinner

verb + noun phrase

A

B

activity - ‘do something’

logical dependency arrow - activity A must come before B, or if activity A is done badly - so will B

example use

boundary

activity model - exampleenrol students

designeducation

programmes

appreciatenational

standards

educatestudents

allotresources

designand carry outassessment

awarddegrees + diplomasto students reaching

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).

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)

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?

the complete conceptual product

• root definition• CATWOE• activity model• measures of performance

the complete model - example

enroll studentsdesign

educationprogrammes

appreciatenational

standards

educatestudents

allotresources

designand carry outassessment

awarddegrees + diplomasto students reaching

acceptable levels

monitor forE1, E2, E3

take controlaction

• 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?

C candidate studentsA university staffT candidate students

degree holders and diplomatesW the belief that awarding degrees and

diplomas is a good way of demonstratingthe qualities of candidates to potential employers

O the University governing body

E national educational and assessment standards

A university owned and operated system to awarddegrees and diplomas to suitably qualified candidates (X),by means of suitable assessment (Y), (in conformance with

national standards), in order to demonstrate thecapabilities of candidates to potential employers (Z).

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

situationconsideredproblematic

problemsituation

expressed

real world

systems thinkingabout real world

conceptual modelsof systems describedin root definitions 4

comparison ofmodels andreal world 5

6 changes:systemically desirable,

culturally feasible

7 action toimprove the

problem situation

3root definition

of relevant systems

2

1

comparison with the real world

activity is it done in the real situation?how is it done?

comments,recommendations

1

2

3

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

University Accommodation Systems Exercise

• In your groups and for the perspective you have been given:1. use the rich pictures in the Rose handout2. do a CATWOE analysis 3. develop a Root Definition4. do on paper first5. transfer to the transparency6. nominate someone to present

Summary

• Review of Rich Pictures

• CATWOE analysis

• Root definitions

• Exercise – Rich Pictures, CATWOE and Root

Definition

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