Upcoming Events

English
Development
SCiO UK

SCiO UK Virtual Development Event - October 2025

Online event
Tue, Oct 21st, 2025
13:00 - 15:00  GMT+1
FREE to members
BOOK NOW
Members only
English

SCiO UK Virtual Development Event - October 2025

Development
SCiO’s Development Event offer an opportunity to draw upon the collective expertise of SCiO members in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. By taking Development Events online, using the Zoom meeting platform, we aim to make them accessible to more SCiO......
Online event
Tue, Oct 21st, 2025
13:00 - 15:00  GMT+1
SCiO UK
FREE to members
BOOK NOW
Members only
Dutch
SCiO NL
Development
SCiO NL

SCIO-NL monthly meeting November 2025 (live in Woerden and in Dutch)

Woerden, Netherlands
Fri, Nov 14th, 2025
12:30 - 16:30  CET
FREE
BOOK NOW
NL Members + Guests
Dutch
SCiO NL

SCIO-NL monthly meeting November 2025 (live in Woerden and in Dutch)

Development
SCIO-NL komt elke 1e of 2e vrijdag van de maand live bijeen, afwisselend in Vianen (Hagenweg 3c) of in Woerden (Pelmolenlaan 2). Er staan (meestal) geen vaste onderwerpen op de agenda (daarvoor organiseren we specifieke andere meetings), maar de ervaring leert......
Woerden, Netherlands
Fri, Nov 14th, 2025
12:30 - 16:30  CET
SCiO NL
FREE
BOOK NOW
NL Members + Guests
English
London open day
Speaker(s)
SCiO UK

SCiO UK Virtual Open Meeting - November 2025

Online event
Mon, Nov 17th, 2025
18:30 - 21:00  GMT
FREE
BOOK NOW
All welcome
English
London open day

SCiO UK Virtual Open Meeting - November 2025

Speaker(s)
Virtual Open Meeting: A series of presentations of general interest to Systems and Complexity in Organisation's members and others. About this Event SCiO organises Open Meetings to provide opportunities for practitioners to learn and develop new practice, to......
Online event
Mon, Nov 17th, 2025
18:30 - 21:00  GMT
SCiO UK
FREE
BOOK NOW
All welcome

Selected Courses

VSM introduction
buy now
Viable System Model

introduction - VSM1

£200 pre-recorded Patrick Hoverstadt
This pre-recorded course of 1h 49 minutes plus exercises originally took a 6h day to work through. This course provides learners with an overview of the Viable System Model covering: Overview of VSM Basic modelling using VSM If you don’t know how to design an organisation to deliver your strategy, or how structural change happens in organisations, how effective can you be in implementing your
VSM introduction
Viable System Model

introduction - VSM1

This pre-recorded course of 1h 49 minutes plus exercises originally took a 6h day to work through. This course provides learners with an overview of the Viable System Model covering: Overview of VSM Basic modelling using VSM If you don’t know how to design an organisation to deliver your strategy, or how structural change happens in organisations, how effective can you be in implementing your...
buy now
Course is online
£200 pre-recorded
SD intro
buy now
System Dynamics

introduction - SD1

£200 pre-recorded Peter Lacey
This pre-recorded course of 2h 07 minutes plus exercises originally took a 6h day to work through. System dynamics modelling, often referred to as stock-flow modelling, is an accessible approach to understanding change in complex systems. It is based on the principle that system structure determines behaviour over time as system outcomes, or performance, emerges. The approach builds on an
SD intro
System Dynamics

introduction - SD1

This pre-recorded course of 2h 07 minutes plus exercises originally took a 6h day to work through. System dynamics modelling, often referred to as stock-flow modelling, is an accessible approach to understanding change in complex systems. It is based on the principle that system structure determines behaviour over time as system outcomes, or performance, emerges. The approach builds on an...
buy now
Course is online
£200 pre-recorded
CSH intro
buy now
Critical Systems Heuristics

introduction - CSH1

£100 pre-recorded Tony Korycki
This pre-recorded course of 1h 19minutes plus exercises originally took a 3h half-day to work through. This course provides learners with an introduction to the Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH) method. Understanding situations using Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH) is an introductory module, designed for those relatively new to systems thinking and provides basic training in modelling
CSH intro
Critical Systems Heuristics

introduction - CSH1

This pre-recorded course of 1h 19minutes plus exercises originally took a 3h half-day to work through. This course provides learners with an introduction to the Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH) method. Understanding situations using Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH) is an introductory module, designed for those relatively new to systems thinking and provides basic training in modelling...
buy now
Course is online
£100 pre-recorded
SSM core
buy now
Soft Systems Methodology

core - SSM2

£300 pre-recorded Ian Cammack
This pre-recorded course of 3h 34minutes plus exercises originally took one and a half 6h days to work through. This is a core training course, designed for those relatively new to systems thinking and provides basic training in modelling organisational or institutional situations using SSM. You’ll develop an understanding of a methodology that offers a pluralistic methodology to your inquiry into
SSM core
Soft Systems Methodology

core - SSM2

This pre-recorded course of 3h 34minutes plus exercises originally took one and a half 6h days to work through. This is a core training course, designed for those relatively new to systems thinking and provides basic training in modelling organisational or institutional situations using SSM. You’ll develop an understanding of a methodology that offers a pluralistic methodology to your inquiry into...
buy now
Course is online
£300 pre-recorded

Why Practice Systems Thinking?

The world around us is full of complexity, from the environment, to our workplaces to our own bodies. Systems thinking equips you with a framework to understand these complexities and navigate them more effectively. 

Systems thinking helps you tackle complex problematic situations: Many situations we face have interconnected causes and effects. By seeing the bigger picture and the relationships within a situation, you can identify patterns, causal mechanisms, structures, power, and dynamics. This allows you to design changes that address the system as a whole, rather than just treating symptoms.

English

Zaid Khan

Zaid Khan is a multidisciplinary strategist who works in a number of private and public sector industries. He collaborates with David on translating and expressing the branch of systems thinking, and is developing a method for “Pacing Changes”.
Read more
Contact the Author
English

Zaid Khan

Zaid Khan is a multidisciplinary strategist who works in a number of private and public sector industries. He collaborates with David on translating and expressing the branch of systems thinking, and is developing a method for “Pacing Changes”.
Contact the Author
English

David Ing

David Ing is an Adjunct Professor with the OCAD University School of Graduate Studies in Toronto. He served as president (2011-2012) of the International Society for the Systems Sciences. In a 28-year career with IBM, he had assignments in management consulting, market development, and headquarters planning.
Read more
Contact the Author
English

David Ing

David Ing is an Adjunct Professor with the OCAD University School of Graduate Studies in Toronto. He served as president (2011-2012) of the International Society for the Systems Sciences. In a 28-year career with IBM, he had assignments in management consulting, market development, and headquarters planning.
Contact the Author
English
0:23

How can a small charity make a meaningful impact on the entrenched, complex system of animal use in medical research?

Carla Owen and Nicola Reeves of Animal Free Research UK describe their charity’s shift from traditional grant-making towards a systems-thinking approach to ending animal testing. Recognizing a limited impact after decades of funding, the organization adopted tools such as SSM, VSM, and Patterns of Strategy to reframe its role—moving from simply funding research to convening networks, restructuring...
Read more
Confidential – Members Only
English
0:23

How can a small charity make a meaningful impact on the entrenched, complex system of animal use in medical research?

Carla Owen and Nicola Reeves of Animal Free Research UK describe their charity’s shift from traditional grant-making towards a systems-thinking approach to ending animal testing. Recognizing a limited impact after decades of funding, the organization adopted tools such as SSM, VSM, and Patterns of Strategy to reframe its role—moving from simply funding research to convening networks, restructuring...
Confidential – Members Only
English
0:22

Overcoming the boundaries between stakeholders for project success

Failure to identify the right stakeholder at the right stage of a project creates a likely risk the project will fail. The stakeholders are the providers of the support needed by the project, be it resources, knowledge, or consent. Not identifying may lead to incorrect assumptions and hidden barriers impacting time, cost and quality. The Stakeholder environment is usually complex and is...
Read more
Contact the Author
English
0:22

Overcoming the boundaries between stakeholders for project success

Failure to identify the right stakeholder at the right stage of a project creates a likely risk the project will fail. The stakeholders are the providers of the support needed by the project, be it resources, knowledge, or consent. Not identifying may lead to incorrect assumptions and hidden barriers impacting time, cost and quality. The Stakeholder environment is usually complex and is...
Contact the Author