Assignment 2 - Systems Thinking and Complexity in Development

Assignment Options:

You can select 1 of the following options for this assignment.

Option 1: Systems Diagram

Create a systems diagram illustrating the interconnectedness of factors contributing to a selected development challenge, explaining how systems thinking helps identify leverage points.

OR

Option 2: Systems Analysis Report

Analyze a complex development issue using systems thinking principles, identifying feedback loops and proposing interventions for systemic change.

Instructions

In Week 4, we explored systems thinking and its application in development. This assignment offers you two distinctive options to showcase your grasp of systems thinking principles and their relevance in addressing complex development challenges.

Option 1: Systems Diagram

Imagine you're faced with a complex development challenge (e.g improving access to clean water in a rural community). Your task is to create a systems diagram that visually maps out the intricate web of factors contributing to this challenge.

Step 1: Select a Development Challenge: Choose a real or hypothetical development challenge that interests you. It could relate to healthcare, education, agriculture, or any other aspect of development.

Step 2: Visualize the Interconnectedness: Use a digital tool of your choice to create a visual representation (a diagram) that illustrates how various elements—social, economic, environmental, and cultural—are interconnected within this challenge. Show how changes in one element can affect others.

Highlight Leverage Points: Explain, within your diagram or through accompanying text, how systems thinking helps identify leverage points—those critical junctures where targeted interventions can lead to significant positive changes.

Option 2: Systems Analysis Report

Imagine you've been tasked with analyzing a complex development issue and proposing systemic interventions. Your goal is to write a systems analysis report that dissects the challenge, identifies feedback loops, and suggests interventions for systemic change.

Step 1: Select a Complex Development Issue: Choose a development issue that intrigues you. It could relate to urbanization, poverty, gender equality, or any other complex societal problem.

Step 2: Analyze Feedback Loops: Using systems thinking principles, analyze the issue to identify feedback loops—cycles of cause and effect that perpetuate the challenge. Explain how these feedback loops contribute to the persistence of the problem.

Step 3: Propose Systemic Interventions: Based on your analysis, propose interventions that target specific points within the system to disrupt feedback loops and create positive change. Describe how these interventions could lead to systemic improvements.

Both options require you to apply systems thinking to real-world or hypothetical development challenges. Choose the one that aligns with your interests and strengths.

Submission

Submit your assignment, whether it's a systems diagram or a systems analysis report, on Gradescope and then Anchor.

Should you have any questions or need clarification, feel free to post your message in the #help-eng4dev channel on Discord.