Local Systems Practice User's Guide

The LSP activity is a three-year (2017 – 2020) activity supported under the Local Works program, a consortium of six organizations that can directly collaborate with Local Works missions and local actors in their countries. The LSP consortium is composed of LINC, an organization dedicated to strengthening local systems; ANSER, a not-for-profit, public-service research institute; AVSI–USA, an experienced development organization; Notre Dame Interdisciplinary Center for Network Science & Applications (iCeNSA), a university with expertise in computer science applications of network analytics; Practical Action, an organization with extensive experience in participatory approaches to systems design; and the University of Missouri, a research university with a strong Land Grant Extension Outreach program and expertise in survey methods and social capital analysis. A systems-based approach enables a holistic view into the broader context and dynamics associated with complex issues or problems. It involves treating problems and opportunities as part of a larger system, where understanding various phenomena requires considering them as part of a unified whole. A system is a group of interdependent/interacting parts that form a unified whole to pursue a common goal. Systems analysis can be conducted with a range of tools and methods, including Social Network Analysis (SNA), Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs), Ethnography, and Participatory Systems Analysis (PSA). SNA helps identify actors best positioned to positively impact the network by visualizing the relationships among actors and analyzing the structural characteristics of a network. CLDs are used to conceptually model dynamic systems in a holistic manner, mapping how variables influence one another and identifying high and low leverage intervention points in a system. Ethnography allows us to gain an "insider's perspective" to increase our understanding of complex social dynamics in a given context or community. It can assist in the identification of actors, processes, and institutions that are commonly perceived as influential within a complex social process, while uncovering those that tend to be hidden. Participatory Systems Analysis puts the emphasis on the system actors and the processes that allow them to interact, learn from each other, and find feasible areas for collaboration. The systems approach draws on multiple methodologies and tools, and the ones presented in this User's Guide are not exhaustive but rather represent a sampling of frequently used tools. These tools and methods can be applied in combination, and these combinations depend on the pragmatic needs of a particular inquiry. The LSP consortium's systems analysis tools and methods are designed to help local works missions and local organizations apply a systems lens to drive their own development.