Systems Thinking and the Public Service
Reform, renewal and refinement are constant features of public services. Research into change in this arena tends to focus on the impact of specific interventions. The process of change in public services, however, involves collaborations between multiple government and non-government organisations and actors; it occurs in complex systems that have multiple boundaries and feedback loops from which new ways of working can emerge in unpredictable ways.
Impact
Our research is aimed at delivering:
- enhanced conceptualisation of policy issues and problems
- improved understanding of change processes
- more effective policy implementation
- improved evaluation and measurement
Competitive Advantage
We study different aspects of change at multiple levels and work in partnership with policy makers, practitioners, advocates and service users to develop and apply methods in new ways to help understand and solve real world problems. Researchers in this theme have a broad range of theoretical and practical expertise and undertake research and consultancy work to adapt and apply systems frameworks to support policy design, implementation and evaluation.
Successful Applications
Dr Karen Gardner, Professor Helen Dickinson and Dr Miriam Glennie have been using systems thinking concepts to evaluate a healthy skin program established by a not-for-profit in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory that aims to eliminate crusted scabies.
Dr Karen Gardner has applied systems concepts to improve implementation of performance management programs with partners in the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector.
Study With Us
Much has been written about systems thinking and its potential application in public administration, yet few university courses offer students opportunities to apply key systems concepts and consider their implications for public policy design and management.
Our People and Systems course, part of the Master of Business, considers the role of people in delivering organisational effectiveness and high performance, in conjunction with the impact of their managers on the outcomes. The concept of systems thinking and the role of people as part of those systems is explored.