UNTYING THE KNOT: An ethnographic perspective on problem structuring methods (presentation available)
Speaker: Dr. Tom Horlick-Jones, Cardiff School of Social Sciences
Date/Time: Wednesday 30 May 2007 - 1.00 pm - 2.30 pm
Venue: Warwick Business School, Room B1.19 (Scarman)

Seminar jointly organised by The Operational Research and Information Systems Group at Warwick Business School and Problem Structuring Methods (PSM) Special Interest Group of the OR Society.

TAKING USE SERIOUSLY: An exploration of issues in deriving usable theory from action settings.
Methods (PSM) Special Interest Group of the OR Society.
Speaker: Professor Chris Huxham, University of Strathclyde Business School
Date/Time: Thursday 22 March 2007
Venue: Warwick Business School, Room B1.19 (Scarman)

• This seminar will explore some of the issues that arise in building and presenting emergent theory that is designed to inf orm reflective practice, from data gathered in action settings. The issues to be discussed have been raised through a systematic examination of original data, research notes and various versions of, and reviewers’ comments on, six articles from three projects associated with a 16 year research programme on the management of collaboration. The principles of research oriented action research (RO-AR) will be briefly introduced and the interpretive clustering approach to theory building, and its stance on generalising from the particular, will be discussed. The focus will be particularly upon the way in which this both aids the process of working creatively with raw data to provide below-the-surface insights and helps to ensure the faithfulness to the data that is required for its use in supporting reflective practice.
• Chris Huxham is Professor of Management in the University of Strathclyde Business School, a Senior Fellow of the ESRC/EPSRC Advanced Institute of Management Research and Chair of the British Academy of Management. Her 16 year action research programme is concerned with the development of practice-oriented theory – the Theory of Collaborative Advantage - relating to the management of collaborative ventures. She has co-received 3 awards from the Academy of Management for aspects of this work. Her book, Co-authored with Siv Vangen, draws together the research into a coherent account of the Theory of Collaborative Advantage.

Using PSMs in the public sector: the experience at Dstl (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) (presentation available)
Seminar jointly organised by the Problem Structuring Methods (PSM) Special Interest Group of the Operational Research Society, and the Information Systems Group of the London School of Economics and Political Science
Speaker: Nicola Morrill
Date: Wednesday 11 October 2006
Venue:LSE, Room S421

• About the speaker: Nicola Morrill 's background is in Operational Research and she currently works for Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) within the Strategic Analysis (SA) Group, leading the Coercion Deterrence and Resilience team. The vast majority of Nicola's work utilises qualitative data and is largely focussed on the future. Soft methods play a strong part in the work undertaken within the Group and, increasingly, across Dstl. To this end, a Soft OA Community of Practice has been established within Dstl to share expert knowledge across the Lab.  This talk will provide a short overview of Dstl, discuss the use of PSMs within the organisation, with a slant toward the SA Group, and introduce the Soft OA Community of Practice. A number of methods developed within Dstl will also be briefly introduced (including Benefits Mapping, the Strategic Assessment Method, Influence Analysis and Psychologically Profiled Experimental Gaming). Morrill is Nicola’s married name, people may know her as Nicola Stewart.

Seminar jointly organised by the Operational Research and Information Systems Group at Warwick Business School, and Problem Structuring Methods (PSM) Special Interest Group of the OR Society.
Facilitating Strategic Thinking And Innovation Using Soft Systems Methodology (SSM)
Speaker: Dr. Giles A. Hindle HCS Ltd & Lancaster University
Date: Thursday 11th May 2006
Venue: Warwick Business School , Social Studies Lounge

• The talk will reflect on the use of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) to facilitate strategic thinking and innovation within a series of consultancy projects for Lancaster University. Effective workshop formats will be presented and suggestions made for making best use of the human activity system (HAS) modelling language.
  Giles A. Hindle PhD is a Director of the Operational Research company HCS Ltd and an external supplier of consultancy services to Lancaster University Management School (LUMS). He is an Honorary Lecturer in the Department of Management Science at LUMS, and a Research Fellow at Hull University Business School.
  Giles has undertaken consultancy, research and university lecturing in areas such as systems methodologies, operational research, systems design, research methodology and organizational behaviour, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. He has worked for several organisations including Safecote Ltd., NHS Scottish Executive, DEFRA, Countryside Agency, DHSSPS N. Ireland, and Secta Health Group.

Seminar jointly organised by the: Operational Research and Information Systems Group at Warwick Business School, and Problem Structuring Methods (PSM) Special Interest Group of the OR Society.
Strategic Options Development and Analysis (Soda): Hints and Tips from Practice
Speakers: Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann University of Strathclyde
Date: Monday 20 February 2006
Venue: Warwick Business School, Social Studies Lounge 3.30 pm - 5.30 pm

• An integral part of SODA (now known as Journey Making) is causal mapping. Mapping for OR can be used in many different ways with individuals, groups, for the analysis of documents. Mapping when working with a group to reach agreements about how to deal with strategic issues can be employed through manual techniques (such as the Oval Mapping Technique OMT), or computer supported using Decision Explorer and/or Group Explorer. Mapping is a formal modelling technique, and the analyses of the model to support problem resolution depend upon the mapping formalities being followed. However, the management of group processes is also crucial to the modelling being effective in negotiating agreements through the map displaying ‘visible thinking’ (and as a ‘transitional object’). Group Explorer provides participants with the opportunity to contribute directly to the construction of the group map. The seminar will provide 'hands on' experience with mapping through Group Explorer. This will act as the focus for reviewing coding practice, 'on-the-hoof' analyses, and group process issues (with discussion about identifying emergent goals, options, and seeking agreement). Managing both content and process in group support events is demanding; the session will address some of the ways this can be addressed in practice. Examples from recent interventions with organizations will also be used to illustrate the talk.
• Colin Eden is Director of the University of Strathclyde Graduate School of Business and Professor of Strategic Management and Management Science. His major research interests are into the processes of strategy making in senior management teams; the use of group decision support in the analysis and making of strategy; managerial and organisational cognition; 'soft OR' modelling approaches and methodologies, including particular emphasis on the role of cognitive mapping; the theory of consultancy practice; the process and practice of 'action research'; and the modelling of the behaviour of large projects disruptions and delays, including issues of the dynamics of productivity changes, and learning curves. Colin is the author of 8 books and over 150 scholarly articles in management science and strategic management. His most recent book, with Fran Ackermann, is The Practice of Making Strategy, Sage 2005. The most recent book about mapping is Bryson, J.; Ackermann, F.; Eden, C., and Finn, C. Visible Thinking: Unlocking Causal Mapping for Practical Business Results. Chichester: Wiley; 2004.
• Fran Ackermann is a Professor in Strategy and Information systems in the Department of Management Science at Strathclyde University. Her interests focus upon the use of cognitive and cause mapping and its application to messy complex problems. As a result she has worked with a wide range of public and private organizations in the arenas of problem structuring, strategy development, risk assessment and the modelling of disruption and delay in large projects. Along with working for a range of organizations, she has been integrally involved in a number of research projects; for example 'Scenarios for Scotland', ‘Economic Scenarios of the Value of Renewable Obligation Certificates’, and the ‘Assessment and Management of Risk in complex projects’. Her interest in harnessing technology to support group working has resulted in her exploring the role Information Systems can play in supporting groups, and along with Colin Eden, she has been instrumental in developing software tools namely Decision Explorer and Group Explorer for the modelling of qualitative data. More recently she has been working with multi-organizational groups exploring how group support systems can be developed to support these particular types of organizations. She is Coordinator of the European Working Group on Group Decision and Negotiation, an Affiliate Professor at Bordeaux Business School, and an Associate Editor for two leading Information Systems journals. She has written extensively and has published 3 books, and numerous book chapters and journal articles (two of which have won best paper prizes).

Evaluating Problem Structuring Methods: Developing a Framework to Show the Effectiveness of PSMs in a Regeneration Context (presentation available)
Leroy White, University of Bristol
Thursday 30 June 2005
London School of Economics, Room H103

• Seminar jointly organised by the Problem Structuring Methods (PSM) Special Interest Group of the Operational Research Society, and the Department of Information Systems of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
• This seminar will discuss the challenges associated with the evaluation of problem structuring methods. PSMs are seen as complex interventions that seek change and action at many levels, both individual and system. There is now a widespread acceptance that the traditional evaluation approaches are inappropriate for the evaluation of PSMs. The difficulty is compounded when PSMs are used in multi-agency area-based initiatives. Leroy White will propose that evaluation, while pragmatic and situated, must be a theory based exercise. Part of the challenge of evaluation is to provide a narrative of the intervention as well as an agreed assessment.
• Leroy White is Head of the Department of Management at the University of Bristol. His main areas of interest are Strategic Partnerships, large group decision-making, democracy and management, public and community involvement, and public sector working, Health service management. He has worked with a range of clients including the Department of Health, local health authorities, Health Trusts, and the voluntary sector in both the UK and abroad. Currently, he is evaluating a number of regeneration initiatives. He is the co-author with Ann Tacket of Partnerships and Participation (Wiley, 2000)

Problem Structuring Seminar
A seminar on developing capacities for participatory problem structuring in a developing country.
Warwick Business School , Social Studies Lounge. 4.00 p.m. - 6.00 p.m.
Wednesday 27 April 2005 (see reports and presentations above)

• The Seminar has been jointly organised by the Operational Research and Information Systems Group at Warwick Business School, and the Problem Structuring Methods (PSM) Study Group of the Operational Research Society
• The seminar will be hosted by Professors Elisenda Vila and Ana Maria Benaiges, planning consultants to central and local government in Venezuela. They are visiting the UK during April and will be stopping off at Warwick University to convey their experiences in participatory problem structuring on Wednesday 27 April 2005.
• They wish to use their visit to Warwick Business School to present their continuing innovative work, which enjoys the active support of President Chavez and Minister of Planning, Dr. Jorge Giordani; and to discuss this work and gain feedback and comments. This event follows a consulting assignment in Caracas in March by Professor Jonathan Rosenhead of LSE and John Friend, co-author of Planning under Pressure: the Strategic Choice Approach.
• Elisenda Vila will describe the national programme of participatory planning, currently running in consultation with State Governors and Mayors, initiated by the President in November 2004, and will draw upon aspects of the Strategic Choice Approach.
• Ana Maria Benaiges will introduce the community workshops she facilitates, in these she applies the same methods with the residents of San Julian: a disadvantaged barrio in the coastal State of Vargas severely affected by the recent floods and mudslides.
• Elisenda and Ana Maria are among the contributors to the third edition of Planning under Pressure, by John Friend and Allen Hickling, published by Elsevier in late 2004.