Critical Systems Heuristics

C. West Churchman
1. ‘soft’ and ‘critical’ systemic thinking
The toolbox
1. CSH questions
  1. Sources of motivation
    1. Beneficiary
    2. Purpose
    3. Measure of success
  2. Sources of control
    1. Decision maker
    2. Resources
    3. Decision environment
  3. Sources of expertise
    1. Expert
    2. Expertise
    3. Guarantor
  4. Sources of legitimation
    1. Witnesses
    2. Emancipation
    3. Worldview
When to use CSH
1. Situation associated with human purpose
2. evaluating the purpose/implications of activity with relevant stakeholder groups.
3. evaluating plans or planning processes
4. Goal Planning. Objective Planning. Ideal Planning.
Why use CSH
1. Boundary judgements encapture key dimensions of any purposeful system of interest.
2. Value judgements are made transparent.
3. Securing improvement provides the driving principle for evaluation.
Technique
1. 1. Identify the system of interest
2. 2. Reflect and make a note on your own role as evaluator
3. 3. Attempt to locate where it fits within the three level hierarchy of planning
4. 4. Identify associated stakeholders representing beneficiaries, decision makers, experts, and witnesses.
5. 5. Build up a picture of the SoI through addressing CSH questions in a systematic manner
6. 6. Design an interview questionnaire for each of the key stakeholder groups identified.
7. 7. The final evaluation will then need to be written up in a clear narrative form.

Resource summary

	Created by Guillermo Béjar about 8 years ago