Towards a new framework for evaluating systemic problem structuring methods

Midgley, Gerald; Cavana, Robert Y.; Brocklesby, John; Foote, Jeff L.; Wood, David R. R.; Ahuriri-Driscoll, Annabel

Abstract

Operational researchers and social scientists often make significant claims for the value of systemic problem structuring and other participative methods. However, when they present evidence to support these claims, it is usually based on single case studies of intervention. There have been very few attempts at evaluating across methods and across interventions undertaken by different people. This is because, in any local intervention, contextual factors, the skills of the researcher and the purposes being pursued by stakeholders affect the perceived success or failure of a method. The use of standard criteria for comparing methods is therefore made problematic by the need to consider what is unique in each intervention. So, is it possible to develop a single evaluation approach that can support both locally meaningful evaluations and longer-term comparisons between methods? This paper outlines a methodological framework for the evaluation of systemic problem structuring methods that seeks to do just this. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Citation

Midgley, G., Cavana, R. Y., Brocklesby, J., Foote, J. L., Wood, D. R. R., & Ahuriri-Driscoll, A. (2013). Towards a new framework for evaluating systemic problem structuring methods. European journal of operational research, 229(1), 143-154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2013.01.047

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 28, 2013
• Online Publication Date: Feb 8, 2013
• Publication Date: Aug 16, 2013
• Deposit Date: Nov 13, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 13, 2014
• Journal: European journal of operational research
• Print ISSN: 0377-2217
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 229
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 143-154
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2013.01.047
• Keywords: Management Science and Operations Research; Modelling and Simulation; Information Systems and Management
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/469432
• Publisher URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377221713000945
• Additional Information: Copy of article first published in: European journal of operational research, 2013, v.229, issue 1