systems tools for c h s a g c l diagrams
TRANSCRIPT
SYSTEMS TOOLS FOR
COMPLEX HEALTH
SYSTEMS:
A GUIDE TO CREATING
CAUSAL LOOP DIAGRAMS
SESSION FOUR
CAUSAL LOOP
DIAGRAMS
• Identify the causal loop diagram (CLD) seed
structure
• Build causal loop diagram
• Identify polarity of variable relationships
• Identify feedback loops
• Identify leverage points
Session outline
Session Four 3
• Identify the causal loop diagram (CLD)
seed structure
• Build a causal loop diagram
• Identify polarity of variable relationships
• Identify feedback loops
• Identify leverage points
Session outline
Session Four 4
Session Four 5
As you identify your seed structure – think back to
boundary issues:
• What is the question or issue that is driving the creation of
the causal loop diagram?
• What are the boundaries of your system?
• Think about the level at which you want to intervene?
Determine the CLD seed
structure
From your interrelationship digraph
– Identify your output or outcome of interest
variable
– Identify an intervention/driving variable at your
reference level
Determine the CLD seed
structure
Session Four 6
mothers attendingANC, hospital
deliveries and PNC
level of awarenessof MHC and NHC
health ofmothers death risk of
neonate
safe deliveriesand PNC
socio-economicstatus
resource adequacy(staffing, drugs,
logistics andsupplies)
neonatalsurvival
healtheducation by
healthworkers
perceptions andbelief in myths
mothers' birthpreparedness
care ofnewborn
Surface seed model using
drivers and outcomes
Session Four 7
Surface seed model using main
drivers and outcomes
Session Four 8
mothers attending ANC,hospital deliveries and
PNC
level of awarenessof MHC and NHC
death risk ofneonate
safe deliveriesand PNC
Session outline
• Identify the causal loop diagram (CLD) seed
structure
• Build a causal loop diagram
• Identify polarity of variable relationships
• Identify feedback loops
• Identify leverage points
Session Four 9
• Determine the “seed structure”:
– Identify your output or outcome of interest variable
– Identify a intervention variable at your reference level
• Explore the linkages between these variables
and identify intervening variables that explain
the situation
Building your own System
Map
Session Four 10
mothers attendingANC, hospital
deliveries and PNC
level of awarenessof MHC and NHC
health ofmothers death risk of
neonate
safe deliveriesand PNC
socio-economicstatus
resource adequacy(staffing, drugs,
logistics andsupplies)
neonatalsurvival
healtheducation by
healthworkers
perceptions andbelief in myths
mothers' birthpreparedness
care ofnewborn
Identify intermediate variables
using IRD as a guide
Session Four 11
mothers attendingANC, hospital
deliveries and PNC
level of awarenessof MHC and NHC
death riskof neonate
safedeliveriesand PNC
neonatal survival
healtheducation by
health workers
mothers' birth
preparedness
Insert intermediate variables
using IRD as a guide
Session Four 12
• Determine the “seed structure”:
– Identify your output or outcome of interest variable
– Identify your key intervention variable
• Explore the linkages between these variables and identify intervening variables that explain the situation
• Explore linkages amongst the other key variables in your system, looking for feedback loops
Building your own System
Map
Session Four 13
mothers attendingANC, hospital
deliveries and PNC
level of awarenessof MHC and NHC
death riskof neonate safe
deliveriesand PNC
socio-economic
status
resource adequacy
(staffing, drugs,
logistics and
supplies)
neonatal survival
healtheducation by
health workers
perceptions
and belief in
myths
mothers' birth
preparedness
care of
newborn
Build CLD – drawing on
relationships identified in IRD
Session Four 14
mothers attendingANC, hospital
deliveries and PNC
level of awarenessof MHC and NHC
health of mothers
death riskof neonate safe
deliveriesand PNC
socio-economic
status
resource adequacy
(staffing, drugs,
logistics and
supplies)
neonatal survival
healtheducation by
health workers
perceptions
and belief in
myths
mothers' birth
preparedness
care of
newborn
Build CLD – drawing on
relationships identified in IRD
15
• Determine the “seed structure”: – Identify your output or outcome of interest variable
– Identify your key intervention variable
• Explore the linkages between these variables and identify intervening variables that explain the situation
• Explore linkages amongst the other key variables in your system, looking for feedback loops
• Identify additional variables to be added to the system to better explain the relationship between two variables
Building your own System
Map
Session Four 16
mothers attendingANC, hospital
deliveries and PNC
level of awarenessof MHC and NHC
health of mothers
death riskof neonate safe
deliveriesand PNC
socio-economic
status
resource adequacy
(staffing, drugs,
logistics and
supplies)
neonatal survival
healtheducation by
health workers
perceptions
and belief in
myths
mothers' birth
preparedness
care of
newborn
???
???
Build CLD – drawing on
relationships identified in IRD
17
mothers attendingANC, hospital
deliveries and PNC
level of awarenessof MHC and NHC
health of mothers
death riskof neonate safe
deliveriesand PNC
socio-economic
status
resource adequacy
(staffing, drugs,
logistics and
supplies)
neonatal survival
healtheducation by
health workers
perceptions
and belief in
myths
mothers' birth
preparedness
care of
newborn
trust in thehealthcare
service
Mothers'frustration (longwaiting times,stock outs)
Identify and add additional variables
to deepen understanding of the
relationships
18
Indicate delays
Session Four 19
Session outline
• Identify the causal loop diagram (CLD) seed
structure
• Build a causal loop diagram
• Identify polarity of variable relationships
• Identify feedback loops
• Identify leverage points
Session Four 20
• Pick a starting variable in your CLD
• Assess whether arrows between two variables
indicate change in the same or opposite direction
• For each “pair” of variables decide what would
happen if variable A changed: would it result in a
change in the same direction (+) or opposite
direction (-) in variable B?
• Label each arrow to indicate the direction of effect.
If change is in the same direction use a “+” sign, and if
the change is in opposite directions use a “-“ sign
Identifying the polarity of
variable relationships
Session Four 21
mothersattending ANC,
hospitaldeliveries and
PNC
safe deliveriesand PNC
resource adequacy(staffing, drugs,
logistics andsupplies)
trust in thehealthcare
service
Mothers'frustration (long
waiting times,stock outs)
Determine the polarity of the links
Determine the polarity of the
links
Session Four 22
mothersattending ANC,
hospitaldeliveries and
PNC
safe deliveriesand PNC
resource adequacy(staffing, drugs,
logistics andsupplies)
trust in thehealthcare
service
Mothers'frustration (long
waiting times,stock outs)
+
Determine the polarity of the
links
Session Four 23
mothersattending ANC,
hospitaldeliveries and
PNC
safe deliveriesand PNC
resource adequacy(staffing, drugs,
logistics andsupplies)
trust in thehealthcare
service
Mothers'frustration (long
waiting times,stock outs)
-
-
-
+
Determine the polarity of the
links
Session Four 24
mothersattending ANC,
hospitaldeliveries and
PNC
safe deliveriesand PNC
resource adequacy(staffing, drugs,
logistics andsupplies)
trust in thehealthcare
service
Mothers'frustration (long
waiting times,stock outs)
- -
-
+ +
+
+
Determine the polarity of the
links
Session Four 25
mothers attending ANC,
hospital deliveries and PNC
level of awareness of
MHC and NHC
health of mothers
death risk of
neonatesafe deliveries and
PNC
socio-economic
status
resource adequacy
(staffing, drugs,
logistics and
supplies)
neonatal survival
healtheducation by
health workers
perceptions
and belief in
myths
mothers' birth
preparedness
care of
newborn
trust in thehealthcare
service
Mothers'frustration (longwaiting times,stock outs)
Determine the polarity of the
links
26
mothers attending ANC,
hospital deliveries and PNC
level of awareness of
MHC and NHC
health of mothers
death risk of
neonatesafe deliveries and
PNC
socio-economic
status
resource adequacy
(staffing, drugs,
logistics and
supplies)
neonatal survival
healtheducation by
health workers
perceptions
and belief in
myths
+
+
+
+
-
mothers' birth
preparedness
+
+
--
--
+
care of
newborn
+
- +
-
-
-
+
+
trust in thehealthcare
service
+
+
Mothers'frustration (longwaiting times,stock outs)
-
-
-
+
+
+
+
+
Determine the polarity of the
links
27
Session outline
• Identify the causal loop diagram (CLD) seed
structure
• Build a causal loop diagram
• Identify polarity of variable relationships
• Identify feedback loops
• Identify leverage points
Session Four 28
• A reinforcing loop is one in which an action
produces a result which influences more of the same
action thus resulting in growth or decline at an ever-
increasing rate
• Where feedback increases the impact of a change, we
call this a Reinforcing Loop.
• Positive reinforcing loops produce virtuous cycles
• Negative reinforcing loops produce vicious cycles.
Reinforcing loops
Session Four 29
Employee
Performance
Supervisor’s
Supportive
Behavior
Unsupportive
Behavior
Structure
+
+
Perf.
Level
Time
Behavior Over Time
Supportive
Behavior
Employee
Performance
Supervisor’s
Supportive
Behavior
Reinforcing loops
Session Four 30
• Balancing processes generate the forces of resistance, which eventually limit growth, maintain stability, and achieve equilibrium
• Balancing loops reduces the impact of a change and are goal seeking
• Shortcut to determining a balancing loop: Count the number of minus signs (-) in the loop: an odd number of minus signs = balancing loop
Balancing Loops
Session Four 31
Structure
Desired Utilization
Time
Behavior Over Time
100
100 - -
100 ++
Actual Utilization
Balancing Loops
Session Four 32
utilization ofprimary care
services
staff motivation
workload
quality of care at
primary level
staffproductivity
respectful
care
_ +
+ +
+
+ +
mothers attending ANC,
hospital deliveries and PNC
level of awareness of
MHC and NHC
health of mothers
death risk of
neonatesafe deliveries and
PNC
socio-economic
status
resource adequacy
(staffing, drugs,
logistics and
supplies)
neonatal survival
healtheducation by
health workers
perceptions
and belief in
myths
+
+
+
+
-
mothers' birth
preparedness
+
+
--
--
+
care of
newborn
+
- +
-
-
-
+
+
trust in thehealthcare
service
+
+
Mothers'frustration (longwaiting times,stock outs)
-
-
-
+
+
+
+
+
Identify the feedback loops
33
Identify the feedback loops
34
mothersattending ANC,
hospitaldeliveries and
PNC
safe deliveriesand PNC
resource adequacy(staffing, drugs,
logistics andsupplies)
trust in thehealthcare
service
Mothers'frustration (long
waiting times,stock outs)
- -
-
+ +
+
+
Identify the feedback loops
35
mothersattending ANC,
hospitaldeliveries and
PNC
safe deliveriesand PNC
resource adequacy(staffing, drugs,
logistics andsupplies)
+
-
trust in thehealthcare
service
+
+
Mothers'frustration (long
waiting times,stock outs)
--
+
Reinforcing
Loop
mothersattending ANC,
hospitaldeliveries and
PNC
safe deliveriesand PNC
resource adequacy(staffing, drugs,
logistics andsupplies)
+
-
trust in thehealthcare
service
+
+
Mothers'frustration (long
waiting times,stock outs)
--
+
Identify the feedback loops
36
Balancing
Loop
Identify the feedback loops
37
mothersattending ANC,
hospitaldeliveries and
PNC
safe deliveriesand PNC
resource adequacy(staffing, drugs,
logistics andsupplies)
+
-
trust in thehealthcare
service
+
+
Mothers'frustration (long
waiting times,stock outs)
--
+
Balancing
Loop
Identify the feedback loops
38
Balancing
Loop
mothersattending ANC,
hospitaldeliveries and
PNC
safe deliveriesand PNC
resource adequacy(staffing, drugs,
logistics andsupplies)
+
-
trust in thehealthcare
service
+
+
Mothers'frustration (long
waiting times,stock outs)
--
+
R
B
B
Balancing
Loop
Reinforcing
Loop
mothers attending ANC,
hospital deliveries and PNC
level of awareness of
MHC and NHC
health of mothers
death risk of
neonatesafe deliveries and
PNC
socio-economic
status
resource adequacy
(staffing, drugs,
logistics and
supplies)
neonatal survival
healtheducation by
health workers
perceptions
and belief in
myths
+
+
+
+
-
mothers' birth
preparedness
+
+
--
--
+
care of
newborn
+
- +
-
-
-
+
+
trust in thehealthcare
service
+
+
Mothers'frustration (longwaiting times,stock outs)
-
-
-
+
+
+
+
+
R
B
Feedback loops
39
Session outline
• Identify the causal loop diagram (CLD) seed
structure
• Build a causal loop diagram
• Identify polarity of variable relationships
• Identify feedback loops
• Identify leverage points
Session Four 40
A leverage point is a place in the system’s structure:
– where micro changes can result in macro results.
– when an intervention can be applied
A low leverage point—small level of intervention or change
force results in a small change in the behavior of the system.
Often used to address intermediate causes of a problem
A high leverage point—small level of intervention/change
force, causes a large change in the system’s behavior. Used
to resolve root causes.
Leverage Points
Session Four 41
Points of leverage: physical and
informational
42
TYPE LEVER AIM
Physical
• Change physical amount
of elements and stocks
• Change structure of
physical systems e.g.;
staffing structures
• Focus on changing inputs
• Focus on more proximal drivers
Note: Low leverage potential
Informational
• Change rate of system
responses
• Manage relationships and
timing between feedback
loops
• Create new loops to
connect different system
elements
• Reduce system delays
• Examine stabilizing/ resisting influence
of balancing feedback loops
• Reinforce virtuous feedback loops
• Explore and alter who has access to
what information
Points of leverage: social and conscious
43
TYPE LEVER AIM
Social
• Alter rules of the system
(such as incentives,
punishments, constraints)
to support desired goals
• Alter goals of the system
- what a system seeks to
achieve
• Understand and change what the rules are
and who has power over them
• Nurture innovation, flexibility, variation
and collaboration
Note: High leverage potential
Conscious
• Shift mindset or paradigm
out of which the system
arises
• View whole system functioning and
dynamics
• Expose anomalies and failures in old
paradigm and challenge assumptions
• Work with active change agents
Note: Highest leverage potential
Leverage Points and intervention
strategies
System Dynamic Strategic Intervention
System is stagnant or stalled Look for constraints
Vicious cycles Identify “brakes”
Examine intervention points to
return process to virtuous
cycle
Reinforce virtuous feedback cycles
Find the strongest feedback structure operating then review the
implications and generic leverage points.
Examine each link and consider the consequence of
strengthening it or weakening it.
44
Session Four 45
Examine CLD for potential policy resistance following strategy
implementation
Develop “what if” alternatives to mitigate policy resistance by:
• Adding a new link or loop – can the system start doing
something differently or new?
• Breaking or weakening a link between two variables – can
the system stop doing something or do less of something.
• Strengthening a link and hence a loop – can the system do
more of something that was working.
• Alter delays.
• Switching an + to a - (or vice versa) on the link from one
variable to another – by getting the system to behave in a
different way.
Overcoming policy resistance
mothers attending ANC,
hospital deliveries and PNC
level of awareness of
MHC and NHC
health of mothers
death risk of
neonatesafe deliveries and
PNC
socio-economic
status
resource adequacy
(staffing, drugs,
logistics and
supplies)
neonatal survival
healtheducation by
health workers
perceptions
and belief in
myths
+
+
+
+
-
mothers' birth
preparedness
+
+
--
--
+
care of
newborn
+
- +
-
-
-
+
+
trust in thehealthcare
service
+
+
Mothers'frustration (longwaiting times,stock outs)
-
-
-
+
+
+
+
+
R
B
Examine the systems map
46
• Feedback loops • Dynamic changes • Leverage points • Policy resistance
Identify the following: • Underlying issue for which this CLD has been developed
• Reference level informing the CLD
• Source of information used to construct the CLD?
• How people’s mental models and assumptions were made explicit
• Key variables of interest/key outcomes in this CLD?
• Main drivers – proximal and distal of outcomes of interest and how they interact
• Major feedback loops in this CLD interacting to give rise to the system behaviour?
• Thinking about intervening in the system
• What is your scope of influence and how does this impact the level of leverage possible?
• What are the range of strategic interventions possible and how would these impact the
system if successfully implemented.
• What are possible points of policy resistance and how might those be mitigated given
the specific system dynamics
• Finally – consider the boundaries of the system – how were these determined?
Whose voices are included in the system and who is left out? What additional
elements should be included?
Exploring causal loop
diagrams
Session Four 47
• Explain root problems, their drivers and feedback
mechanisms
• Identify potential leverage points for interventions
• Explore appropriate intermediate and outcome
measures
• Model the potential impact of system interventions
• Identify potential policy resistance
• Formulate appropriate research questions
• Make explicit our theory of change
How do we use Systems
Thinking Tools?
Session Four 48
• Meadows D. Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System. Donella Meadows
Institute. 1999. http://www.donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-
places-to-intervene-in-a-system/
References
Session Four 49
This work was coordinated by the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research,
the World Health Organization, with the aid of a grant from the
International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada.
Thank you
Presentation developed by Helen de Pinho MBBCh, MBA, FCPH
assisted by Anna M. Larsen BS, MPH
Averting Maternal Death and Disability Program (AMDD)
Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health
Mailman School of Public Health
Columbia University
February 2015