System Dynamics

System dynamics (SD) is an approach to understanding the nonlinear behaviour of complex systems over time.

Places to Intervene in a System

In order of increasing effectiveness

• The sizes of buffers and other stabilizing stocks, relative to their flows.
• The structure of material stocks and flows (such as transport networks, population age structures)
• The lengths of delays, relative to the rate of system change
• The strength of negative feedback loops, relative to the impacts they are trying to correct against
• The gain around driving positive feedback loops
• The structure of information flows (who does and does not have access to what kinds of information)
• The rules of the system (such as incentives, punishments, constraints)
• The power to add, change, evolve, or self-organize system structure
• The goals of the system
• The mindset or paradigm out of which the system—its goals, structure,rules, delays, parameters—arises
• The power to transcend paradigms