Created by a network of practitioners in the North of England, SCiO will act as an extra channel for disseminating to others their experience of practical applications, education and research in complex problem solving.
Over the last sixty years the new disciplines of ‘Systems Thinking’ and ‘Managerial Cybernetics’ have emerged. The new thinking started from the consideration of complex problems faced during the Second World War; then later in the 1970’s the same patterns of thinking emerged with the new awareness of the complexity of ecological problems. The ideas developed and spread into other areas of science and in particular into management. In the last thirty years new insights and understanding have developed in the way to approach apparently intractable problems in many areas.
At this time the terms ‘whole systems approach’ and ‘systems thinking’ seem to be appearing more frequently in published policy documents and guidance on best practice in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, such as in the UK National Health Service; in documents on public health, sustainable communities, in education, in considerations of the environment, and in corporate governance.
The members of SCiO believe that the use of systems thinking and managerial cybernetics can have major impacts on the well-being of our communities, and our business and social organisations.
The purpose of SCiO is to promote the use of systems thinking and managerial cybernetics by means of:
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Establishing and maintaining members support groups
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Holding regular meetings to share learning, experiences and discuss issues
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Learning through conversations between members
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Creating contexts for working together on practical applications
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Offering support for practice through the development of an electronic practitioner journal (“scientific rather than academic”)
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Developing and maintaining a community of practice through actively developing, disseminating and propagating knowledge
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SCiO is distinguished from other groups by the focus on practice and members support activities.
Founders
The Cybernetics North founders were Denis Adams, Robin Asby, Angela Espinosa, Doug Haynes, Penny Marrington, Ann Mulhaney, Jim Rowe, Jon Walker and Mike Walsh.