1. Info6510
Soft systems Methodology
(SSM)
By: Dr. Nabhan AlHarrasi

2. Introduction
• Systemsthinkingapproachhasbeendevelopedoverthelast
40yearsasaresponsetothreedifferentproblems:
1. complexityoforganizationalsituation
2. theextensionofsciencetocoversocialphenomena
3. theapplicationofscienceinrealworldsituations
• Dealingwithorganisationsascomplexsystemsthat
consistofseveralinterconnectedcomponents.
• Thecomponentsofthesystemscanbehuman,technical
applications,provisionofresources,software,hardware,
networks…etc.

3. Introduction
• Dealingwiththesituationaswholeandapplyingthis
holisticview
• developedasasetofmethodsintheformofaninquiry
processtofacilitatelearningabouttherealworld
problemsinordertoassesstheproblematical
situation,modeltherealworldsystems,andconsider
thefeasibleanddesirablechanges
• SSMmakestwomaincontributionstosystemthinking
approaches:viewingthesystemas‘systemic’,insteadof
‘systematic’,andusing‘humanactivitysystems’(HAS).

4. Human Activity Systems
• TwocriticalideasledtotheemergenceofHAS:
• differentelementsoftheproblematicalsituation
interactwitheachotherandcannotbeaddressedin
isolation
• interactingcomponentsareinfluencedbyhumans,
whoseetheworldfromdifferentperspectives,have
differentinterests,opinionsandvalues.

5. Development of SSM

6. the model of stream of cultural analysis and stream of
logic-based analysis

7. Sets up
4. Action to improve
2.
Purposeful
activity
models
Comparison
3. Structured
discussion about
change
1. Perceived
real-world
problematical
situation
SSM a four-stage model

8. 1. findingoutaboutaproblemsituation,including
culturally/politically
2. formulatingsomerelevantpurposefulactivity
models
3. debatingthesituation,usingthemodels,seeking
fromthatdebateboth:
• changeswhichwouldimprovethesituationand
areregardedasbothsystematicallydesirableand
culturallyfeasible
• theaccommodationbetweenconflictinginterests
whichwillenableaction-to-improvetobetaken
4.Takingactioninthesituationtobringabout
improvement

9. First stage: finding out about the problem situation
• Fouraspectsneed to be considered:
1. Processesor transformations(who is
doingwhat)
2. Structures (in what organisational
framework)
3. Climate (under what cultural norms and
values) and;
4. Issues(involvingwhat problemsand
feelings).

10. Thethreeanalyses:theintervention,thesocial
systemandthe politicalsystem
• the analysisof intervention:
1. the role of the ‘client’,
2. the role of the ‘practitioner’,
3. the role of the ‘problemowner’:

11. Thethreeanalyses:theintervention,thesocial
systemandthe politicalsystem
• the analysis of social system:
1. Roles:thesocialpositionsthatcanbenamed
formallyorinformallybyparticipants
2. Norms:‘theexpectedbehaviourassociatedwith,
andhelpingtodefine,therole,.
3. Value:whatbehaviourisculturallyacceptedas
‘good’or‘bad’byroleholders.

12. Thethreeanalyses:theintervention,thesocial
systemandthe politicalsystem
• Analysis of political system:
- ‘Anyhumansituationwillhave apolitical
dimension’
- Thepower-relatedactivitywithineach
organization
- Powercanbeachievedby virtueofpositionorrole,
personalcharisma,membershipofvarious
committees,andhavingregularaccesstopowerful
role-holders.

13. Building rich picture

14. Secondstage:BuildingHumanActivitySystems
• Itisacceptedthatseveraldifferentviewsmay
emergetodescribetheproblemsituation
• Basedontheworldviewsofthepeople,itis
expectedthatmorethanonesystemmaybe
appropriateinaddressingorimprovingproblems
• twoSSMtechniquestobedevelopedinthisstage:
1. Rootdefinition
2. Conceptualmodels.

15. Root definition:
• Define:
- whatthesystemis?
- Describeinput,process,andoutputs
- statingthemainpurposeofthesystem
- Whoownthesystem?
Two kindsofsystemscanbedescribedbyroot
definition:
1. primary-tasksystem
2. issue-basedsystem

16. Root definition
• Theprimarysystemis“anyvisiblesysteminthe
organisation”
• Issue-basedsystemsarerelevanttomatterssuch
asconflictandproblemsbetweenactorsand
ownersofasystem

17. Root definition
• CATWOEcomponentsaredevelopedtotestadefinitionand
ensurethatiswellformed:
1. Customer:clientoftheactivity,beneficiary,orvictim.
2. Actors:theagentswhocarryoutthetransformation
processesoractivitiesofthesystem.
3. Transformation
4. Worldview
5. Owner:ownershipofthesystem
6. Environment:whatsurrounds,orliesoutsidethesystem.

18. Example of root definition
“An academic library-owned system, run by experienced
library staff or the researcher, aiming to enhance library
staff awareness about the significance of library
collaboration in order to increase their understanding
and prepare them for potential a cooperative programme
among academic libraries in Oman, within constraints of
timing, motivation and attitude of staff, and cost”.

19. Clients library staff and directors
Actors Experienced library staff
Transformation staff with low awareness level
staff with appropriate awareness level
Worldviews enhancing the library staff awareness in context of
library collaboration is likely to guarantee project
success
a raise awareness system could contribute to
attitude change of library staff regarding
collaboration
a raise awareness system could facilitate sharing of
information on existing successful library
collaboration programmes around the world
Owners Academic libraries, Library directors and staff,
professional developer, the researcher
Environment time, motivation and attitude of staff, cost
The CATWOE elements of raise awareness system

20. Building HAS
• A diagram showingthe relationship
between activitiesrequired of the system to
achieveimprovementsin the current
system
• Building a conceptualmodel should be
simpleand clear to enable conversionof the
input into the output

21. Building HAS
• the 3Estechniqueis usually usedto
measure the performanceof the
transformationprocess:
1. Efficacy(for ‘does the means work?’)
2. Efficiency(for ‘amountof outputdivided
by amountof resourcesused’)
3. Effectiveness(for ‘is the transformation
meeting the longer term aim?’)

22. Third stage: comparison
• theanalystmovesonfromthesystemworldviewsto
therealworldoftheproblemsituation.
• Thecomparisonaimstomakeadjustmentsbetween
theconceptualmodelsandtherichpicture
• Thisstageisimportantforevaluatingtheeffectiveness
oftheconceptualmodelsselectedtoimprovethe
problemsituationbeforegoingontothenextsteps.
• Thecomparisonrequiresinvolvementofthe
participantsindiscussingpotentialchangestothe
problemsituation
• Analystandparticipantswillexaminethemodelasifin
reallife

23. Fourthstage:identifyingthefeasibleanddesirablechanges
anddevelopingactionstoimprovetheproblemsituation
• theaimofthisstageisto‘identifychangeswhichthe
cultureoftheorganisationwillsupportandwhichwill
yieldthedesiredimprovementtotheprocessof
organization
• Thechangescouldrelateto:
1. thestructureoftheorganisation,
2. Processes,
3. AndBehaviourofpeoplewithinsituation.