Facilitating Group Model Building to Construct a Joint Systems Understanding

The world is becoming increasingly complex, and leading international organizations such as the UN, WHO, OECD, and EU recognize the importance of systems analysis to address policy failures and promote sustainable development. System Dynamics (SD) provides a powerful framework for understanding how social and natural systems are structured and how they behave. Because SD is problem-driven, it is inherently interdisciplinary and applicable across sectors, professions, and societal challenges.

This summer course is designed for researchers, consultants, and practitioners who want to strengthen their facilitation skills and deepen their understanding of Group Model Building as a systems-analytical approach.

Participants begin with tailored, self-paced online materials that build the conceptual and methodological foundation for the on-campus sessions. The in-person component focuses intensively on facilitation practice: conducting GMB sessions, reflecting on group dynamics and model outcomes, and learning how to apply and report on GMB in organizational or policy settings.

Radboud University has a long-standing tradition of using System Dynamics as a participatory intervention method within and across organizations. It is internationally recognized as a leader in the facilitated approach to System Dynamics known as Group Model Building; an approach in which SD models are developed collaboratively with stakeholders.

Learning objectives

1. You will have knowledge and understanding on Group Model Building and its application
   1. You know about the fundamentals of Group model building (GMB): what it is, why it is used and how GMB sessions are conducted.
   2. You are familiar with the idea of data and knowledge sources for SD models and knowledge elicitation from these sources.
   3. You know why and how Group model building (GMB) is used in socially complex problem situations.  
   4. You are familiar with a range of ‘scripts’ for GMB as well as methods that can be used in combination with GMB, and how these are used to facilitate interventions in complex problems with social conflict, in which power differences play a role    
   5. You are able to reflect on the issue whether Group model building is an appropriate method for a given problem/situation.
       
2. You will be able to communicate through simple system models
   1. You are familiar with possible presentations of results from Group model building sessions, both in written form and orally, to stakeholders, interested academics, and clients.
       
3. You will be able to apply knowledge and reflection through facilitation of Group Model Building with a group of peers
   1. You are able to design an effective intervention based on the system dynamics methodology
   2. You are able to facilitate, report and evaluate a GMB session with participants.
   3. You are able to reflect on the group dynamics and your facilitation.