Using participatory system dynamics learning to support Ryan White Planning Council priority setting and resource allocations

Weeks, Margaret R.; Montaque, Helena D Green; Lounsbury, David W.; Li, Jianghong; Ferguson, Alice; Warren-Dias, Danielle

doi:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2022.102104

Cited by 4 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…29 One of the more powerful advantages of applying a systems thinking lens to public health problems is the ability of SD and system diagrams to demonstrate and communicate complexity effectively. [30][31][32][33][34][35] By utilizing stakeholder input to develop system diagrams, PSD methods allow for the explicit acknowledgment of the complexity of wicked public health problems. [30][31][32][33][34][35] Several articles described PSD methods as approachable tools for understanding and communicating complex concepts into understandable stories accessible to a wide variety of professionals and laypersons alike.…”

Section: Subtheme 11: Greater Understanding Of Public Health Problemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[30][31][32][33][34][35] By utilizing stakeholder input to develop system diagrams, PSD methods allow for the explicit acknowledgment of the complexity of wicked public health problems. [30][31][32][33][34][35] Several articles described PSD methods as approachable tools for understanding and communicating complex concepts into understandable stories accessible to a wide variety of professionals and laypersons alike. 30,31 The collective act of creating CLDs in PSD methods facilitates a visual storytelling practice that not only accessibly communicates complex concepts H. Decker and M. Wendel…”

Section: Subtheme 11: Greater Understanding Of Public Health Problemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…October-December 2023 ■ Volume 46 ■ Number S1 collaboration, communication, and shared discussion among team members, facilitating increased dialogue, consensus building, and shared visions among diverse stakeholders. 24,28,29,35,38,39,44,[65][66][67] Drawing from the diverse range of experience and expertise among PSD participants, PSD methods "elevate the capability of public health to fully step into the role of meaningful convener for the community to achieve collective impact." 65 The practice of engaging in PSD can convene diverse stakeholders, even with conflicting agendas or interests, and allow for them to build consensus about the behavior of a system, including where the leverage points are.…”

Section: Family and Community Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…29,30,34,42,46,47,61,69,70 Subtheme 1.5: Opportunity for advancing equity and justice A major benefit of PSD methods discussed in several articles within this review was the opportunity to advance health equity. 25,28,29,31,[34][35][36]38,42,44,45,47,53,[57][58][59][60][61][69][70][71][72][73][74][75] PSD methods facilitate equity by allowing a diverse set of stakeholders to provide expertise to inform a model and necessarily include the engagement and participation of stakeholders with proximity to the issue being investigated. Community-based system dynamics, a specific approach under the umbrella of PSD, explicitly includes directly impacted populations in the modeling process to combat epistemic violence and imbue the problem-structuring and theory-building processes with perspectives that have historically been excluded from the scientific process.…”

Section: Family and Community Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…20 The community-engaged process of PSD thus offers an intentional framework for the equitable inclusion of marginalized and diverse voices in the process of creating theoretical understanding of complex problems, increasing cultural relevance of models, and granting opportunity to public health research and practice to advance equity and justice in the field. 25,31,35,42,50,53,57,69,71,72 PSD methods, and specifically CBSD methods, are culturally responsive to historical and contemporary power dynamics between research institutions and marginalized and minoritized communities, making them appropriate for leveling power and allowing the perspectives of impacted communities to be embedded into every phase of research. 29,47,57,59,61,70,76 In addition, engaging stakeholders who are deeply involved in a system and invested in its outcomes in a participatory model-building process increases the validity of the model.…”

Section: Family and Community Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Applications of Participatory System Dynamics Methods to Public Health

Decker,

Wendel

2023

Family &Amp; Community Health

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System dynamics, and specifically qualitative participatory applications of system dynamics, have potential to benefit public health research, scholarship, and practice. A systematic review was conducted to examine the existing applications of participatory system dynamics (PSD) to public health research. Three databases were searched using unique search terms related to PSD and methodological applications in public health research. A total of 57 unique articles met inclusion criteria and were included for review. The studies included for review were conducted globally and represent a wide breadth of public health issues. The review identified several advantages to adopting PSD methods in public health scholarship and practice. The PSD methods provide innovative frameworks for conceptualizing complex and nuanced public health problems. The participatory nature of PSD allows for increased community engagement and empowerment to address public health problems, as well as to mitigate existing power dynamics between research institutions and marginalized communities that are disproportionately impacted by social and health inequities. Finally, causal loop diagrams developed using PSD methods have unique potential to convey complex concepts to policy makers and interventionists. This systematic review reports evidence for PSD's potential to advance equity in public health research and practice.

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Section: Subtheme 11: Greater Understanding Of Public Health Problemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Subtheme 11: Greater Understanding Of Public Health Problemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Family and Community Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Family and Community Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Family and Community Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Applications of Participatory System Dynamics Methods to Public Health

Decker,

Wendel

2023

Family &Amp; Community Health

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The soft underbelly of complexity science adoption in policymaking: towards addressing frequently overlooked non-technical challenges

Nel,

Taeihagh

2024

Policy Sci

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The deepening integration of social-technical systems creates immensely complex environments, creating increasingly uncertain and unpredictable circumstances. Given this context, policymakers have been encouraged to draw on complexity science-informed approaches in policymaking to help grapple with and manage the mounting complexity of the world. For nearly eighty years, complexity-informed approaches have been promising to change how our complex systems are understood and managed, ultimately assisting in better policymaking. Despite the potential of complexity science, in practice, its use often remains limited to a few specialised domains and has not become part and parcel of the mainstream policy debate. To understand why this might be the case, we question why complexity science remains nascent and not integrated into the core of policymaking. Specifically, we ask what the non-technical challenges and barriers are preventing the adoption of complexity science into policymaking. To address this question, we conducted an extensive literature review. We collected the scattered fragments of text that discussed the non-technical challenges related to the use of complexity science in policymaking and stitched these fragments into a structured framework by synthesising our findings. Our framework consists of three thematic groupings of the non-technical challenges: (a) management, cost, and adoption challenges; (b) limited trust, communication, and acceptance; and (c) ethical barriers. For each broad challenge identified, we propose a mitigation strategy to facilitate the adoption of complexity science into policymaking. We conclude with a call for action to integrate complexity science into policymaking further.

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