Combining Value-Focused thinking and soft systems methodology: A systemic framework to structure the planning process at a special educational needs school in Brazil

Abstract

Soft systems methodology (SSM) is a well-known Problem Structuring Methods that has proven effective when tackling problematic situations. To model different perceptions of a problematic situation, SSM encourage stakeholders to propose possible transformation likely to improve the situation. The more transformations compiled the richer the process become; but in practice, managing higher number of transformations presents a challenge. Value-Focused Thinking (VFT) is an approach designed to obtain and structure stakeholders' valuebased objectives. In an SSM application, stakeholders ascribe their value-based objectives to the transformations proposed; we propose a multi-methodological framework in which VFT analysis is added to a revised version of SSM (Re-SSM). This allows to reduce the transformations to a manageable number. We applied the (Re-SSM)-VFT framework to a single casestudy to structure/define policies/practices in planning the inclusion of students with special educational needs in a Brazilian Federal High School. In applying the framework, we found that from more than 40 initial SSM transformations only 8 transformations were needed to reach 4 out of 5 objectives. Results suggest that it is possible to save time/effort in the planning process by considering transformations associated with the stakeholders' value-based objectives enabling efficient systemic plans, aligned with their expectations.

A prioritization approach based on VFT and AHP for group decision making: a case study in the military operations

“…Some works are combining SSM and VFT. Françozo et al (2021), for example, use this combination to structure policies in planning the inclusion of students with special needs in Brazilian Federal High School, however, they do not use an MCDA method to aid the decision. Nevertheless, Abuabara et al (2019) make the exact combination used here; they did not show how they made the transition from VFT to AHP.…”

“…They were already extensively reported in the literature (Rosenhead, 1989(Rosenhead, , 2006Mingers & Rosenhead, 2004;Ackermann & Eden, 2011;Ackermann, 2012;Abuabara et al, 2019;Dyson et al, 2021;Abuabara & Paucar-Caceres, 2021) and their analytical assistance is characterized by: multiple actors; different perspectives; conflicting interests; important intangibles; and key uncertainties. Françozo et al (2021) have presented VFT in a problem structuring context as done here. It will be discussed forward its use to an MCDA model as proposed by Almeida et al (2015).…”