The popularity of the Alliance flagship report Systems Thinking for Strengthening Health Systems, has endured for more than a decade. In a new global climate of manifold uncertainties, ambiguities and adaptations, systems thinking has never been needed more. In LMICs especially, and in policymaking and practice in particular, systems thinking still remains underused as an approach to strengthen health systems.
As an outgrowth of what we’re learning through our Systems Thinking for District Health Systems (ST-DHS) project in three countries, the Alliance has spent 2021 working with partners to develop the Systems Thinking Accelerator (SYSTAC), a community-of-practice for applied systems thinking. SYSTAC seeks to be a platform for systems thinking science and practice in HPSR, building theory and generating knowledge; a community of decision-makers, practitioners and researchers interested in systems thinking and engaged in tools and methods use, convening and strengthening capacities of a critical mass of health actors with systems thinking skills and mindsets; and an amplifier of applied systems thinking in LMICs, promoting and advocating greater use of systems thinking in implementation and policymaking.
To date, SYSTAC has:
- Conducted five regional assessments and local activities under the leadership of its regional institutions;
- Led a series of webinars and ‘how-to’ briefs through its capacity stream; and
- Hosted an online platform with resource repository and discussion topics.
This global meeting will convene researchers with an interest in systems thinking and will take place over two days. The two days will cover similar areas but will take place at different time zones to allow for participation from different regions.
Day 1
November 2021, 15:00-17:00 CET (Geneva time, UTC+1)
Chair
- Aku KWAMIE, Technical officer, Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research
Agenda
- SYSTAC overview (Dr Aku KWAMIE)
- Regional perspectives
- Prof Karl BLANCHET, University of Geneva
- Dr Rocio SAENZ, University of Costa Rica
- Dr Gina TEDDY, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration
- Capacity strengthening for applying systems thinking: what are we learning?
- Dr Daniel COBOS, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute
- Panel discussion (Dr Ligia PAINA, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, chair)
- Dr Chedu DICK, Institute of Development Management, Botswana
- Prof. Daniel MACEIRA, Professor of Economics, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Dr Kara DURSKI, Epidemiologist, WHO/University of Minnesota
- Breakout sessions
- Room 1 – Clarifying systems thinking terminology: what is it, and what do we mean? (Facilitator: Ms Sonam YANGCHEN)
- Room 2 – Identifying systems thinking tools: when to use which one? (Facilitator: Dr Mohamed JALALI)
- Room 3 – Models for funding applied systems thinking: what is needed? (Facilitator: Prof (Emeritus) Don DE SAVIGNY)
- Concluding remarks
- Dr Abdul GHAFFAR, Executive Director, Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research
Day 2
9 November 2021, 10:00-12:00 CET (Geneva time, UTC+1)
Chair
- Dr Aku KWAMIE, Technical officer, Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research
Agenda
- SYSTAC overview (Dr Aku KWAMIE)
- Regional perspectives
- Dr Katherine-Ann REYES, University of the Philippines, Manila
- Dr Devaki NAMBIAR, The George Institute
- Dr Faraz KHALID, Technical Officer, UHC/Health Systems, WHO Regional Office
- Capacity strengthening for applying systems thinking: what are we learning?
- Ms Carmen SANT, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute
- Panel discussion (Ms Tashi CHOZOM, Ministry of Health, Bhutan, chair)
- Dr Shamsa RIZWAN, Child Advocacy International, Pakistan
- Prof. Mike C. JACKSON, Emeritus Professor of Management Systems, former Dean, Hull University Business School
- Dr Alexandre HEDJAZI, Director, Global Environment Policy Programme, University of Geneva
- Breakout sessions
- Room 1 – Overcoming challenges to systems thinking in policymaking and practice (Facilitator: Dr David TAN)
- Room 2 – Strengthening capacities for systems thinking: curricula and other models (Facilitator: Dr Fernando GARCIA Jr)
- Room 3 – Measuring systems thinking impacts: how will we know? (Facilitator: Dr Dell SAULNIER)
- Concluding remarks
- Dr Abdul GHAFFAR, Executive Director, Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research