Community Based System Dynamics

This workshop introduces participants to community-based system dynamics (CBSD) as a participatory systems science method for engaging and working with organizations and communities to address complex problems and advance equity. The first part of the workshop will focus on a general overview of when and how to apply CBSD to identify systems underlying structural violence and the use of group model building. The second part will provide a demonstration of how results from group model building can be translated into computer simulation models that can in turn be quantitatively analyzed to identify leverage points and the underlying feedback mechanisms driving trends.

Participants will see a range of domestic and international examples from CBSD research across a wide variety of topics from food, energy, and housing insecurities to health disparities. The emphasis will be on providing participants with a broad view of CBSD and applications to advancing social work research to understand and changing systems underlying structural violence to advance equity.

Participants will experience a group model building exercise, and see a demonstration of software for simulating models, and publishing interactive online interface that run on any smartphone, tablet, or desktop/laptop computer. Participants will be able to access workshop materials and explore models with a free workshop license to the software.

While CBSD draws on both qualitative and quantitative methods, the approach does not rely on prior formal training in qualitative or quantitative research methods, computer programming, or math beyond basic algebra.