what-when-how
In Depth Tutorials and Information
might start to pay of in a couple of years and not immediately. System dynamics
emphasizes quantification of a systems model as the only way to gain insights from
its behavior. he CLIOS process, which uses a similar concept for representing
complex systems, emphasizes both qualitative and quantitative insights. We will
look at the CLIOS process in more detail in the upcoming section.
2.2.3 The CLIOS Process
he CLIOS process (Mostashari and Sussman, 2009) is an approach to fostering
understanding of complex sociotechnical systems by using diagrams to highlight
the interconnections of the subsystems in a complex system and their potential feed-
back structures. he motivation for the causal loop representation is to convey the
structural relationships and direction of influence between the components within
a system. In this manner, the diagram is an organizing mechanism for exploring
the system's underlying structure and behavior and then identifying options and
strategies for improving the system's performance.
2.2.3.1 Physical Domain and Institutional Sphere
A CLIOS system can be thought of as consisting of a physical
domain
—with inter-
connected physical
subsystems
—nested in an institutional
sphere
(i.e., nested com-
plexity). his is illustrated in Figure 2.1. herefore, when we speak of a CLIOS
system, we refer both to the physical and the institutional aspects of the system
in which we are interested. he choice of system boundary (for both the physical
domain and the institutional sphere) within the CLIOS process depends on the
problem we are trying to address and the extent of our leverage over the system.
Institutional
Sphere
CLIOS System
Boundary
Subsystem 1
Subsystem 2
Subsystem 3
Physical
Domain
Component
Figure2.1
ACLIOSsystemconsistsofaphysicaldomain(madeupofsubsys-
tems),nestedwithinaninstitutionalsphere.
