1. Soft Systems: an Interdisciplinary Method Dr Karen Bowler Marine and Coastal Policy Research Group School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences

2. The Irish Sea: a socio-ecological system
Marine management
Sustainability:
‘Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generation s to meet their own needs.’ Brundtland 1987
Ecosystem wellbeing fundamental
Humans are part of the ecosystem.

3. The Problem – Why is marine conservation failing to deliver?’
Ecosystem
PRESSURES
Environmental
STATE
CHANGES
Societal
DRIVERS
RESPONSES
IMPACTS
on Society
D-P-S-I-R
Science-policy gap
Barriers to change
ESRC/NERC
Multiple disciplines involved
Which methods?
Current approaches to marine sustainability are focused on scientific appraisal of marine ecosystems, sometimes extending to descriptions of human activities and their consequences, yet framed exclusively within the scientific paradigm. These approaches therefore necessarily fail to consider the ultimate societal causes of environmental degradation.

4. Disciplines ‘Disciplinary silos’ INTERDISCIPLINARITY Academia
Civil society
‘Sage on stage’
After Brand, R & Karvonen A, 2007

5. Soft systems Why use soft systems?
Current focus – marine science and human activities framed exclusively within the scientific paradigm.
These approaches therefore necessarily fail to consider the ultimate, societal, causes of environmental degradation.
Advantages:
‘messy’ situations
‘soft’/multiple problem definitions
Context sensitive
Include many kinds of information
Clarify assumptions, values, purpose
Critical system for action (Ulrich, W)

6. Soft systems What is a system? A ‘Holon’ -Greater than sum of parts
Structured by its components, interactions and feedbacks
Persistent in face of change
What are Soft Systems?
A ‘thinking tool’, ‘a sense-making approach’ (Checkland P, 1981)
A process of enquiry using systems tools and thinking
‘holons’ developed to structure debate, compare with real world, consider changes
Can be issue-based or task-based (O.R.)
Ideally – with multiple stakeholders
Iterative learning cycle

7. 7-step method – iterative, refined, results of several cycles
Ongoing evaluation
Take Action
Interpretation of
results
Model analyses
Model development
Screening -
system boundaries
probs/opps
Scoping -
Explore the context
START
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 7
Step 6
After Checkland, 1981

8. Context – Rich Pictures

9. Problems/Opportunities:
A ‘Mess’
Marine environmental damage/degradation
Scientific uncertainty
Multiple legislatory challenges: Marine Protected Areas, shipping, fishing, tourism, conservation,
Conflicting interests: high population, high consumption levels, energy demands, economic competitiveness, global links
Sustainability – economic? social?
Root Definition: Transformation of a non-sustainable Irish Sea into a sustainable Irish Sea?

10. Scale, Boundaries,

11. Multiple-cause diagram 1

12. Multiple-cause diagram 2

13. Influence diagram

14. Critical System Critical components identified:
Causes: Failures in Legislation, Management, Modelling, Technology use
Influences: Feedback loops
Economic growth-energy-trade
Externalities-short-termism-Overshoot
Critical areas for action e. g. Strengthen weakly interacting feedback at long-term interests

15. Wider discussion The Irish Sea itself does not comprise a holon.
Scientifically defined ‘ecosystem’
Politically divided
Statistical data at national level
Subject to multiple influences from system environment
A sustainable Irish Sea is a long way from reality.

16. Conclusions
Soft systems methods provide a key link in developing our understanding of complex, trans-disciplinary issues. They:
Extend understanding to multiple, underlying causes eg advertising, outside usual consideration
Construct a holistic picture of context and interrelationships which influence (non)-sustainability
As a learning cycle, could offer much more if practiced on the ground in stakeholder fora.

18. DPSIR and Data Natural Sciences Quantity ‘ WHAT HAPPENS’ PRESSURES
Social Sciences
‘WHY IT HAPPENS’
PRESSURES
STATE
CHANGES
DRIVERS
RESPONSES
IMPACTS
Needs Wants
Feelings
Power
Beliefs,
Values
Quantity
Speed
Volume
Area
Size

19. DPSIR and Epistemologies
Natural Sciences
Value Neutral
Social Sciences
Value Pluralism
PRESSURES
STATE
CHAGES
DRIVERS
RESPONSES
IMPACTS
Relationships
Context
Process
Pattern
More Data
Reduce uncertainty
Consensus
Empathy
Respect
Commitment, Vision
‘Rational’
‘Non-Rational’

20. Current basis for marine sustainability
‘…based on sound science’ – as opposed to unsound science
Oceanography
Biology
Ecology
Fisheries
Science
Resource
management
Conservation
of habitats and
species
Chemistry

21. Extended basis for marine sustainability
‘…based on sound science’ – but only as a basis – cultural values
Context, advertising, global economy,
unequal distribution of benefits, trade-offs,
advertising, short term benefit v ultimate aims,.
Where are we really going?
Is it good or bad – beyond science
Oceanography
Biology
Ecology
Fisheries
Science
Resource
management
Conservation
of habitats and
species
Chemistry
Scientific Basis