Scripts to Support Group Model Building; A Guide for Participatory Systems Analysis
Authors: Alastair Ager, Helen de Pinho, Martina Lembani, Karly Bennett, Peter Delobelle, Christina Zarowsky
Health Systems Resilience: A Systems Analysis is a ReBUILD affiliate research project applying a systems dynamics approach to understand, predict and identify mechanisms that influence the resilience of health systems in contexts of adversity. The project is implemented by the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, in collaboration with the School of Public Health, University of Western Cape.
The three studies in this project piloted use of a participatory methodology using group model building. The goal was to develop a systems model representing the forces shaping health systems delivery in the specific context and consequently identify potential points of leverage to strengthen systems functioning. In each of the four distinct phases of the work, especially the GMB phase – analysis is supported by the use of specific guides or ‘scripts’. This guide documents twelve of the scripts that were found to be most valuable during the course of the completed case studies.