Aperture Book of the Month - December 2024

Aimed at providing pragmatic guidance for systems practitioners, ‘Critical Systems Thinking’ follows Jackson’s previous publication, an expansive and comprehensive presentation of the philosophy of systems thinking, accompanied by critiques of ten of the most impactful systems thinking methodologies. This book is only a third of the size of its predecessor, however, and provides an accessible and engaging summary of the origins and evolution of critical systems thinking (and its increasing importance in the face of the inability of “the scientific method to cope with increasing complexity”) before adding Jackson’s own iterative ‘EPIC’ framework for managing a systems-based intervention in critical systems practice.

The construct of Jackson’s suggested approach is described with clarity. It firstly explores the system of interest from various perspectives, analogous to a machine and an organism, as well as in terms of its inter-relationships, its purpose, and its societal and environmental influences and impacts. Jackson uses the UK government’s approach to the COVID crisis in 2020 to illustrate the illuminating utility of this framework. This results in a better understanding of the primary and secondary drivers of the ‘problem’ at hand. Based on the learning derived from ‘Explore’, the crux of the approach is then to select the most appropriate systems thinking methodology or model to use to ‘Produce’ an intervention strategy. There follows the ‘Intervene’ phase, staying flexible about the systems thinking methodologies and models employed, followed by the ‘Check’ which tests both the efficacy of the selected methodology and its results in terms of improvements observed. There are plenty of case studies included to bring this iterative cycle to life.  

‘Critical Systems Thinking’ aims to provide an understanding of ‘the full range of systems approaches and how to use them’. It achieves this aim but some of the detail may be off-putting for the beginner. The book is perhaps aimed more at the intermediate practitioner who has some understanding of the theory of systems thinking and wish to delve deeper. It’s an authoritatively rich, provocative, deeply rooted and even passionate plea for a mindset change in how to approach problem solving and decision making in the face of complexity and uncertainty. As we know from our own ‘Four Frames’ approach to strategy design, systems thinking is all about changing the mindset.

One of the themes that is written between the lines of this book is that there is no right answer, no template, and no universal laws to govern systems thinking. As the book is perhaps not for the beginner, so the EPIC framework is not o

ne that a novice will find easy to practice without the necessary experience and immersion. In Dr Jackson’s words, systems thinking can, however, “supply policy- and decision-makers with the enhanced imaginative capabilities and powerful methodologies that can help them do better when confronted with the many significant issues where traditional science has little to offer”. ‘Critical Systems Thinking’ is the authoritative guide to the state of that art.

Mike Jackson stresses that this is his last book. We hope he will not be absent from the field, however, otherwise he will be sorely missed.