Identifying Systems Problems

At a glance

Some public health policy issues can be difficult to understand and challenging to resolve. Youth violence, teen pregnancy, and obesity are examples of complicated and multi-factorial problems that can feel "messy." These are called systems problems and may benefit from new ways of thinking about both the issues and potential solutions.

gears

What is the 'system' in systems thinking?

Defining System‎

A system refers to the elements that work together to generate the results you want or desire to change. The system is the interplay between: policies and procedures, infrastructure, spending decisions, human actions, and intangible drivers of behavior (e.g., trust, goodwill, etc.).

Chances are that the public health issues of concern to you share characteristics of "systems problems." Systems problems share four fundamental characteristics:

  • Dynamic in nature, meaning they change over time
  • Include multiple organizations and people with diverse interests
  • Are interconnected, meaning that dependencies between individuals, organizations, regions, etc. exist and are important
  • Can be hard to describe

Recognizing systems problems can be a valuable process for better understanding the causes of the problem, deciding on various policy options, and engaging with partners and decision makers—which can lead to identifying higher impact solutions.

It's possible to use Thinking in Systems (TiS) to effectively frame systems problems and to think through the design of policy initiatives that generate intended effects while minimizing unintended consequences. TiS enables individuals and groups to come together to a clearer understanding of what the problem looks like, how the underlying system works, and where there might be potential for policy leverage.

Using TiS with the CDC Policy Process

Displays CDC's Policy five process domains with two overarching domains that should be considered throughout policy cycle.
Displays CDC's Policy process domains: problem identification, policy analysis, strategy and policy development, policy enactment and two overarching domains you should consider throughout policy cycle: stakeholder engagement and education and evaluation.
Show More

The CDC Policy Process includes five domains:

Evaluation, stakeholder engagement, and education take place during every domain in the process.

Many of the issues or problems faced in public health are "systems problems," understanding some key sets of systems thinking skills can help at various phases of the CDC Policy Process, including identifying policy problems, analyzing solutions, better informing decision-making, and improving stakeholder engagement.

Print
Content Source:
POLARIS; About Office of Policy, Performance, and Evaluation; About CDC's 6|18 Initiative