Lessons for Better Integration
Published 2019. No one teaches what the world needs most: integration. This paper explores the relationship between systems engineering and complex systems governance which is not clear, especially given the field of ideas and methodologies supporting complex systems governance are in their early years of evolution. Yet, it is promising. This paper looks to practice, drawing lessons from a case example about the role and application of systems engineering in a major reform program, especially in relation to complex systems governance, seeking to inform the evolution of both theory and practice in how these two important fields of ideas work better together to create sustainable development outcomes.
Why governance is part of the problem and solution
Paper presented at MIT (2018). Many of the global challenges are leadership problems of a social and political nature, where self-interest transforms competition into gaming the system for economic gain. Mechanistic governance approaches designed by leaders of the competition serve self-interest and are a problem. For a better future, where the global interests lead collaboration, governance needs to be designed in, not bolted on. This paper opens consideration of more systemic approach to governance and leadership.
Collaborative planning is a mindset and a process
Published 2014. This paper draws on work completed with the Royal Australian Navy, extensible to all complex enterprises focussed on sustainable capability development. Strategy is put into action by every individual every day in fulfilling their role of governing, planning, managing, delivering, assessing and/or assuring the delivery of business outcomes. Critically, collaborative planning keeps the whole of a complex enterprise in the mindset of every decision maker and individual in taking actions on a daily basis.
Framing Measures for Accountability in Complex Enterprises
To consider the question of whether or not a complex enterprise is achieving its best possible performance, a system of measures helps a CEO to reach into her enterprise to understand how well it and its parts are performing in the real world. If a CEO can devise an appropriate framework of measures, she has the capacity to ask the right questions from any level in the organisation that drive the desired behaviours and actions across the main human activities of the enterprise, but not limit their own decision making and action. Most socio-technical organisations will have a hierarchy of primary inter-related functions. This paper examines the question of how to structure the crucial measures to achieve this outcome. It presents a theoretic viewpoint to begin with followed by a brief insight to how this was applied in developing a first-principles approach to capability management in the Royal Australian Navy.
Applicable to all complex enterprises who understand their ‘why', ‘what' and 'how'.
Achieving Action to Improve the Framework for Defence Strategy and Execution
Published 2013. This case study describes the initial phase of the development of a systems framework to enhance the pre-existing strategy planning processes in a complex enterprise across public and private sectors and is relevant to any complex organisation wanting a systems approach to developing capabilities. The paper describes the problem context, the transformation being sought, and the approach employed to win over the key stakeholders to the idea that a systemic intervention would be worthwhile. This is often harder than doing the strategy work and critical to sustaining sponsorship of a systemic intervention. The approach was devised for the Australian National Security and Defence planning environments and was successful in winning support for the development of an integrated strategic planning and strategy execution process that was subsequently developed as a result of this work.
This Century demands dynamic strategy execution processes. Essential insights for complex enterprises.