I have completed this course and would highly recommend it to others!

Some personal reflections follow:

• Course framing / examples etc err towards social change but proposed “systems practise” model / tools are transferable to more socio-technical challenges.

• Some lofty concepts are cited (moral leadership, philanthropy etc) but the course seems to gets more practical as it progresses.

• Reflects a more qualitative than quantitative method.

• Complexity spectrum prompts are helpful in eliciting thoughts / perspectives on given problem / opportunity. Envisaged onward use in group project KO / issue analysis meeting or workshop as well as individual practise (gathering personal reflections on any given matter).

• Challenge / goals framing method is helpful and efficient.

• Proposed additional prompts inc. Resolution (requisite precision to guide quantification / quality of analysis, discussion, capture, communication etc) and Exposure (how long do we have / need to look at matters?).

• Building loops and discovering deep structures is challenging.

    - Advance identification forces and discussion / reflection on linked causes / effects helps.

    - Rendering variables as "increasing / decreasing X“ helps.

    - More complex scenarios may need multiple filtered views / complementary diagrams to capture, summarise and communicate varied elements, structures, and perspectives. This is likely to be helpful also when attempting to model competing dynamics / narratives as these seem harder to reconcile conceptually and render in one view.

• CLA modelling could be done using Visio / other but Kumu offers value-added features (e.g. auto-detection and summary labelling of loops, highlighted / focus on nodes and connections, search etc).

• Socialising and iterating CLDs is helped by broad engagement, structured prompts and filtered / focussed progression (deep structure view points / core stories presented / addressed in turn).

• Modelling / analysis could be an unbounded and unending task. Individuals / teams should aim to do enough to identify and validate deep structure and prospective leverage points as commensurate with problem / opportunity scenario.