Complexity models arise from thinking in systems

From Future of Local Services to the Public

From Clayton, S. and Schultz, W (April 2008) 'Local Government Horizon Scan 2015-30'

Summary

Clayton and Schultz argue that, 'systems thinking (emerged from the study of living organisms, their communities, and ecologies) gives rise to the paradigm of complexity, which in turn underlies and informs other new mental models like biomimicry or social networking.'

Complexity studies are described as models which are:

• self-organising
• self-stabilising
• self-repairing and maintaining
• goal-oriented and self-programming
• self replicating
• with unique properties that have emerged as a result of these activities

Schultz and Clayton argue further that, 'as a mental model, complexity proposes certain design rules to create stable, flexible, robust living systems, like organizations and communities' and that: 

• Complex systems are ‘open’ systems, exchanging energy, resources, and information with their environment. They emphasize resiliency rather than stability (ie they acknowledge the need for constant incremental change to remain strong)
• They distribute decision-making among the various local sub-systems that make up the whole system.
• That put increasing focus on distributed decision-making and more emphasis on local communities and local expertise to resolve civic, social, and economic challenges.