Subject: Invitation to participate in an IFSR Project
Dear IFSR Colleagues,
You are cordially invited to participate in a project to help us understand how to better meet the needs of our 44 member societies and their members. For those of you who attended our strategy meeting in Vienna, following the EMCSR in 2014, this is the project which developed from the offer by Nam Nguyen and Ockie Bosch to use their systems-based approach with our members. It is being framed in terms of quality improvement, that is, how to help us work better together. The specific objectives of this project are included in the enclosed project proposal.
The project team includes the Executive Committee (EC) of the IFSR and various other co-investigators. Dr Nam Nguyen (a Vice President of the IFSR) is the project coordinator.
The project will use the systems-based Evolutionary Learning Laboratory (ELLab) framework and the Think2ImpactTM platform to facilitate the necessary steps to achieve its overall aim and objectives.
1. The project will use ‘online’ workshops (one of the functions of Think2Impact) to conduct different workshops with the participants – meaning that the participants can provide their answers/comments at their own time on line (i.e. there is no need for participants to meet face to face at the same time);
2. The project team will work together to develop the systems models (e.g. a causal loop diagram, systems archetypes and Bayesian Belief Networks) to identify potential systemic interventions that will improve the quality of the IFSR. This will be done based on the data/information collected from the participants;
3. The project team will then work further with the participants (via the Think2Impact platform) to refine the models and identify the systemic interventions/action plans – as the member societies are involved in the whole process – they will most likely take ‘ownership’ of the systemic interventions/actions and work on their own or work in collaboration with other members or societies and the IFSR on these actions;
4. Actions with a high likelihood to improve the quality will then be implemented and the impact will be reflected upon (using Think2Impact);
5. The project will also integrate and share new lessons and innovations amongst the systems societies in the world.
The project team will soon be in contact with you provide you with access to the Think2Impact platform, and to take you through the necessary steps for participating. If you agree to participate we can assure you that your involvement will not take an excessive amount of time. If you would prefer NOT to participate, please contact Nam (nam.nguyen@adelaide.edu.au) so that your name can be removed from future communications.
Thank you very much for your involvement and assistance!
With our best regards,
Gary S. Metcalf, Ph.D.
Prof. Dr. Gerhard Chroust Dr. Gary Metcalf
Secretary General IFSR President IFSR
