SD and system design
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 1996 1:46 pm
Dear system dynamicists,
Who of the SD-community could give me literature or personal information
about methods of designing new systems, departing from the framework of
system dynamics thinking?
Our department wants to develop a course in designing new sustainable
agricultural systems on an ecological base. The system should exhibit some
desired behavior with regard to selected goal-variables, and it should
exhibit that behaviour within a number of prior limiting conditions. (the
idea is that the problematic behaviour of the conventional agricultural
system cannot be overcome by policy-measures, so that complete new system
stuctures are needed).
The method of designing we look for should be as straight forward, systematic
and reproducible as possible.
In systems analysis we always ask for the system behaviour which can be
inferred from the system structure. We start by modelling a part of reallity
with some problem (and goals and instuments) in mind and look for the
behaviour of the structure and analyze which manipulations with which
decision variables may remove the problematic behaviour, and which are the
new side effects.
In system design the question is just the other way around. We start from a
desired behaviour of goal-variables and ask for a structure (mainly to be
composed of existing elements in the real ecological, social and technical
world), which exhibit that behaviour - within selected limiting conditions.
Up to now we found some systematical approaches to design:
In the technical sciences methods exist for a more systematic way of
designing machines, buildings, towns. Ill try to adapt such methods for our
own goals, but from the literature I got the impression that the dynamical
aspects are neglected somewhat. It is true that socio-ecological systems are
very different from technical machines, but their methods might be usefull
for designing ecologic and socio-economic systems as well.
Some of my collegues are working with linear programming and similar
optimization tools. Has any of you the opinion that for the design of systems
linear programming is a more promising tool than system dynamics ?
Other collegues are working much more intuitively and qualitatively. I look
for a more logical, quantitative approach.
I should be glad to get some fruitful ideas to proceed,
best wishes,
Geert Nijland,
Geert.Nijland@USERS.ECO.WAU.NL
Wageningen Agricultural University,
Department of Ecological Agriculture,
Haarweg 333 / 6709 RZ Wageningen, The Netherlands
Who of the SD-community could give me literature or personal information
about methods of designing new systems, departing from the framework of
system dynamics thinking?
Our department wants to develop a course in designing new sustainable
agricultural systems on an ecological base. The system should exhibit some
desired behavior with regard to selected goal-variables, and it should
exhibit that behaviour within a number of prior limiting conditions. (the
idea is that the problematic behaviour of the conventional agricultural
system cannot be overcome by policy-measures, so that complete new system
stuctures are needed).
The method of designing we look for should be as straight forward, systematic
and reproducible as possible.
In systems analysis we always ask for the system behaviour which can be
inferred from the system structure. We start by modelling a part of reallity
with some problem (and goals and instuments) in mind and look for the
behaviour of the structure and analyze which manipulations with which
decision variables may remove the problematic behaviour, and which are the
new side effects.
In system design the question is just the other way around. We start from a
desired behaviour of goal-variables and ask for a structure (mainly to be
composed of existing elements in the real ecological, social and technical
world), which exhibit that behaviour - within selected limiting conditions.
Up to now we found some systematical approaches to design:
In the technical sciences methods exist for a more systematic way of
designing machines, buildings, towns. Ill try to adapt such methods for our
own goals, but from the literature I got the impression that the dynamical
aspects are neglected somewhat. It is true that socio-ecological systems are
very different from technical machines, but their methods might be usefull
for designing ecologic and socio-economic systems as well.
Some of my collegues are working with linear programming and similar
optimization tools. Has any of you the opinion that for the design of systems
linear programming is a more promising tool than system dynamics ?
Other collegues are working much more intuitively and qualitatively. I look
for a more logical, quantitative approach.
I should be glad to get some fruitful ideas to proceed,
best wishes,
Geert Nijland,
Geert.Nijland@USERS.ECO.WAU.NL
Wageningen Agricultural University,
Department of Ecological Agriculture,
Haarweg 333 / 6709 RZ Wageningen, The Netherlands