ims5024 information systems modelling

Information Technology

IMS5024 Information Systems Modelling

Human Activity modelling

School of Information Management & Systems

9.2

Content

• Soft Systems Methodology


9.3

Why consider human behaviour?

• Started with participation• History of participation - refer back to

Hirschheim et al.• Early ISD payed lip service to participation• System technically viable – but fails

because?


9.4

History of ISD methodologies

Generation Principle management and organisational issues

Formal life-cycle approaches

Control of SDLC; guidance through standardization

Structured approaches

Productivity, better maintainable systems, control over analyst/programmer

Prototyping and evolutionary approaches

Speed and Flexibility, overcome communication gap, right kind of system instead of getting system right


9.5

History of ISD methodologies(2)


Socio-technical, participatory approaches

Control of ISD by users through participation; conflict management; joint optimisation

Sense-making and problem formulation approaches

Multiple perspectives in problem framing; software development as social reality construction


9.6

History of ISD methodologies(3)


Trade-Union led approaches

Labour/ management conflict; workers rights; industrial democracy

Emancipator

approaches

Improve communication; furthering emancipatory effects of ISD


9.7

Answers to these problems:

• More than interviews• HCI• End user computing• JAD and JRP• Prototyping


9.8

Three levels of participation:

• Consultative – lowest level

• Representative – design group, equal say

• Consensus- involve all user department staff, user driven


9.9

Human Activity modelling view of ISD:

Conventional

Human-oriented

after Fig 7.1 Avison & Fitzgerald


9.10

Soft Systems Methodology

• (always abbreviated to SSM)• came from the failure of systems

engineering to solve management problems• applies systems thinking to messy

problems• not a development methodology


9.11

rationale for SSM

• humans attribute meaning to what they experience and observe

• we form intentions and take action based on the meanings we derive

• new experiences can change the meaning we attribute

• this is called learning


9.12

application of SSM

• people take purposeful action• using Information Systems as tools• if analysts understand their intentions

we can build better tools• SSM brings rigour to the process of

understanding

the basic shapeof SSM

Checkland and Scholes (1990) p29


9.14

the process of doing SSM

• a situation is interpreted by some as being a problem which they want to fix

• the situation is a product of history• it has a cultural dimension and a logic-

based dimension• the one informs the other so that agreed

action is both culturally feasible and systemically desirable


9.15

activities in an SSM study

• identify and engage the problem situation• express the problem situation• define “systems” which might be relevant• model the relevant systems• compare them with the real world and discuss• identify changes agreed to be feasible and

desirable• take action to change the situation


9.16

the cultural enquiry

• understand the situation• record your understanding

diagrammatically• analyse the intervention• identify the roles being played• place the roles in their social context• try to identify the political dimension in

the problem situation


9.17

understanding the situation

• Rich Picture Diagram• interested parties

• alliances

• feuds

• values

• constraints

• perceptions

• documents the people-related issues


9.18

Rich Picture Diagrams

• you don’t have to be an artist!• it would take too many words to express• shows complexity better than linear

prose• for the use of the analyst alone; not a

communication tool• refer: Lewis, Avison & Wood-Harper,

Avison & Fitzgerald

Rich PictureDiagram



9.20

RPD examples

• Checkland and Scholes (1990) figures 2.13, 2.14 pp46-47

• Avison and Fitzgerald (1995) figure 4.2 p112

• Lewis P.J in EJIS 1,5 pp351-360


9.21

Analysis One

• analysis of the intervention itself• who is the client?• who is the would-be problem solver?• who is the problem owner?


9.22

Analysis Two

• roles• norms• values• the interaction of these three determines

the social fabric of the situation

Analysis Two



9.24

Analysis Three

• who has power in the situation?• how is it manifest?• who can you believe?• you can’t ask straight questions• what do you do when they wont tell you?• can the politics ruin the whole exercise?


9.25

Content

• Rich pictures• Root definitions• Conceptual models • SSM• Others (Multiview, Ethics)• Place in ISD• Evaluation of Human Activity modelling


9.26

Reading for next week

Checkland and Scholes. 1999. Chapter 2, pp 44-58

Lewis, P. 1992. European Journal of Information Systems 1, 5, pp351-360

Davies, L. 1988. Journal of Applied Systems Analysis 15, 1, pp31-36


9.27

• like natural systems and designed systems, they are useful descriptors

• different from the actions which people undertake in life

• a conceptual rather than a descriptive model

• but, a conceptual model from somebody’s point of view

human activity systems


9.28

Relevant Systems

a system to…

….perfectly perform some function

• each person involved will have a point of view on what is the perfect performance


9.29

selecting relevant systems

• no system is inherently relevant to a given problem situation

• Primary Task system• Issue-based systems• metaphors can help conceptualise

systems


9.30

Relevant system

• a system (in the philosophical sense) that is helpful for understanding a real-world situation• scope / boundary• defined purpose• input - transformation - output• consistent / dependable

• it is a human activity system


9.31

naming relevant systems

• a Root Definition (the name) expresses the essence of a particular relevant system

• It is a transformation from input to output• “A system to do X by means of Y in order to

achieve Z”

• best done by considering the elements of the CATWOE mnemonic


9.32

CATWOE mnemonic

C ustomers

A ctors

T ransformation

W eltanschauung

O wners

E nvironment

The Core issues


9.33

Relevant system / Root Definition

• There may be many for any one real world situation

• One primary task Root Definition• Many issue-based task Root Definitions


9.34

conceptual models

• the minimum set of activities necessary to undertake the transformation

• based on logical contingency• may be hierarchically decomposed• represented as process bubbles linked

by contingency arrows• includes monitoring and control


9.35

conceptual model structure

Do this activity first

1

Then you can do this

activity3

Only do this after the other activities

4

Must do this before the last

activity2

Monitor 1 - 4 Define

performance criteria

Take control action


9.36

what use is the model?

• it is an ideal type relevant to the problem• it is neither valid nor invalid, only

defensible or indefensible in terms of the problem

• Used to start a discussion about the model and its relevance to the problem

• Does this model suggest some action for improvement of the problem situation?


9.37

achieving results

• several methods of testing the models• search for agreement not compromise• the whole problem wont be “solved”• make the agreed changes• reflect on their outcome• do the whole process over again until

agreement to finish

comparison matrix

from Checkland & Scholes (1990) p43


9.39

Advantages/ Benefits of Human Activity modelling

• Include different perspectives on a problem situation

• Compare reality with the conceptual model

• Participation of affected people essential• Change is a central element of the

process• Others??


9.40

Disadvantages of Human Activity modelling

• Only useable in soft problems• Can take a long time to reach consensus• Some managers see this as silly• Not well used• Others??


9.41

References

Checkland and Scholes (1990) Soft Systems Methodology in Action. John Wiley & Sons

Avison and Fitzgerald (2003) Information Systems Development. 3rd edn. McGraw-Hill

Stowell (1995) Information Systems Provision. McGraw-Hill.

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