Systems Thinking & Complex Systems Toolkit

Systems thinking offers a set of concepts, methods and tools for understanding and intervening in systems to address complex problems — the kind that do not respond well to linear, reductionist approaches. In public health and policy, this means grappling with problems where causes are multiple and interacting, where interventions can have unintended consequences, and where different stakeholders hold genuinely different understandings of what the problem even is.

This toolkit is a curated, annotated guide to freely available resources. It does not advocate for a single approach. Systems thinking encompasses a wide family of traditions — from cybernetics and system dynamics through to participatory action research and complexity science — and different problems call for different tools. The aim is to provide a starting point from which to navigate this landscape.

Who is this toolkit for?

The toolkit is designed for a mixed audience. It will be useful to:

  • Public health researchers and practitioners looking to apply systems methods in their work
  • Policy analysts and civil servants working on complex or ‘wicked’ problems
  • Research teams setting up a systems-oriented study and selecting appropriate methods
  • Students and early-career researchers building methodological literacy
  • Those who have encountered systems thinking and want to go further

How to use this toolkit

Each section corresponds to a tab and covers a distinct aspect of systems thinking practice. You do not need to read sections in order — use the tab navigator to jump to the section most relevant to your current need.

If you are completely new to systems thinking, the Learning & Training section (tab 6) and the Frameworks & Concepts section (tab 8) are the best places to start. If you are ready to choose a tool for a specific task, go directly to the Quick Reference table (tab 9).

A note on access

All resources listed were freely available at the time we compiled the toolkit (or at least have a free tier of access) — either open access, free to download, or available via a free account. Where a free tier exists alongside a paid version we tried to note this. A small number of foundational books are listed in the Frameworks section that require library access, but free alternatives or summaries are signposted where possible.

Systems Mapping Tools

Systems mapping tools allow researchers and practitioners to build visual representations of causal relationships. The most common output is a causal loop diagram (CLD), which shows variables in a system and the positive or negative relationships between them, including feedback loops. Other forms include rich pictures, influence diagrams, and network maps.

Tools vary considerably in complexity, analytical power, and ease of use. The right tool depends on your purpose — quick facilitation sketch, analytical CLD, or a shareable interactive map — and your audience.

Kumu

Type: Online platform (browser-based) | Access: Free for public projects

Kumu is a capable free tool for systems and network mapping. It supports causal loop diagrams, stakeholder maps, and social network analysis, and includes built-in metrics such as degree centrality, betweenness, and MICMAC analysis. Maps can be made interactive and shared via link, making it well suited to participatory work and policy communication.

The free tier is sufficient for most research purposes but networks will be public.

Vensim PLE

Type: Desktop application (Windows / Mac) | Access: Free (Personal Learning Edition)

Vensim is a tool for system dynamics modelling. The PLE version is fully free and supports both causal loop diagrams and stock-and-flow simulation models. It is the software used in the Johns Hopkins public health systems thinking course (see Learning & Training tab) and is a widely used tool in published system dynamics research.

Loopy

Type: Online (browser-based) | Access: Free, no login

A simple, open-source browser tool for building and simulating causal loop diagrams. Created by Nicky Case as an educational tool. Excellent for introducing feedback loops to non-expert audiences in workshops. Cannot produce publication-quality outputs but is uniquely accessible.

causal-loops.com

Type: Online (browser-based) | Access: Free, no login

A lightweight browser-based tool for drawing causal loop diagrams. No installation or account required. Good for quick sketches and teaching sessions. More basic than Kumu but simpler to introduce in a workshop context.

Gephi

Type: Desktop application | Access: Free, open source

An open-source tool for network analysis and visualisation. Handles large datasets and provides comprehensive social network analysis metrics. More powerful than Kumu for pure network analysis but has a steeper learning curve. Widely used for stakeholder network mapping and policy network analysis. Last update was a while ago, java based.

Miro, Mural, and FigJam

Type: Online collaborative whiteboard | Access: Free tier available

Miro, Mural, and FigJam (Figma) are general-purpose collaborative whiteboards that include causal loop diagram templates. Both are well suited to remote participatory mapping workshops — stakeholders can work simultaneously on a shared canvas. They do not provide analytical features, but maps can be exported and recreated in Kumu for analysis.

Systems Science Lab — QSEM

Type: Online platform (browser-based) | Access: Free

The Qualitative Systems Exploration Model (QSEM) is a recently launched (2025) free browser-based tool that adds structured analytical rigour to causal loop diagrams. Where tools like Kumu and Vensim support the drawing and simulation of CLDs, QSEM is designed to help researchers and practitioners move from mapping to meaning — systematically classifying factors, scoring relationships, identifying influential feedback loops, and detecting system archetypes.

The framework was demonstrated in a commissioned UK government project examining dietary choices and food systems, and has been presented via the System Dynamics Society seminar series. The underpinning framework paper was published in System Dynamics Review (2026, open access).

Ripple Effects Mapping

Type: Methodology supported by Java Software | Access: Free

A tool and associated methodology to support ripple effects mapping, which is a useful way which sequences of events can be recorded. For example, this could be evidence of the impact of an intervention.

Co-Model

Type: Online platform (browser-based) | Access: Free

CoModel helps you articulate your problem statement, describe key cause and effect relationships and highlight the feedback loops that matter in the systems you care about.

Participatory System Mapper

Type: Online platform (browser-based) | Access: Free

A free, secure, and open-source platform for mapping complex systems. Built for researchers, policy-makers, and facilitators to collaborate in real-time. Part of the CECAN project (see also Participatory and Group Methods section).

Network Canvas

Type: Online platform (browser-based) | Access: Free & Open Source

Network Canvas provides free and open-source software for surveying networks, designed around the needs of both researchers and their participants.

Cytoscape

Type: Online platform (browser-based) & Downloadable | Access: Free & Open Source

Cytoscape is an open source software platform for visualising complex networks and integrating these with any type of attribute data. A lot of Apps are available for various kinds of problem domains, including bioinformatics, social network analysis, and semantic web.

SocNetV

Type: Downloadable cross platform | Access: Free & Open Source

SocNetV is a cross-platform, free and open-source application for social network analysis and visualisation. Draw networks with a few clicks, load data from dozens of file formats, run analysis, and produce beautiful reports — all from an intuitive interface that works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Stakeholder.Net

Type: Online platform (browser-based) & Downloadable | Access: Free

Stakeholder.Net has been developed by Queen’s University Belfast, a WHO Collaborating Centre for research and training on complex systems and network science for NCD prevention and control. It is a web-based tool created to facilitate the design, data collection, and data analysis for stakeholder network surveys.

M-Tool

Type: Online platform (browser-based) | Access: Free

A free, standardised tool for capturing mental models — usable by any population, including those who cannot read or write. This means researchers can scale up and test differences in mental models across groups, cultures and time.

References

CLD Handbook

A concise, practical handbook on constructing and reading causal loop diagrams. Produced by the Cascade Institute (2024) and freely downloadable as a PDF. Suitable as a workshop handout for audiences new to CLDs.

CLD Handbook (PDF): https://cascadeinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Causal-Loop-Diagrams-Handbook-June-27-2024.pdf

Systems Mapping (Barbrook-Johnson & Penn, 2022) This open-access book is the most comprehensive practical guide to systems mapping methods currently available. It covers causal loop diagrams, participatory systems mapping, fuzzy cognitive mapping, Bayesian networks, agent-based models, and cross-impact balance analysis. Written for policy and research audiences. Free to download as a PDF.

Full PDF (Open Access): https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/57376

Publisher page (Springer): https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-01919-7

Simulation & Modelling Platforms

Simulation tools allow researchers to go beyond static maps and explore how systems behave over time. This is particularly valuable for testing the likely effects of policy interventions and for understanding non-linear dynamics. The three main paradigms used in public health research are system dynamics, agent-based modelling, and network simulation.

Note: Wikipedia maintains a dedicated Comparison of system dynamics software and a parallel Comparison of agent-based modeling software to distinguish the two approaches.

System Dynamics

System dynamics (SD) models represent systems as stocks, flows, and feedback loops. They are particularly suited to studying how policies propagate effects through a system over time.

Vensim PLE (free)

A standard tool for system dynamics research and a good starting point. The Personal Learning Edition is fully featured for academic use. Tutorials, example models, and documentation are freely available on the Vensim website and via the System Dynamics Society.

Stella Online (free model viewing)

isee Systems offers Stella Online for free model viewing. Useful for sharing and exploring pre-built models. Full model authoring requires a licence, but the free tier is sufficient for running and exploring existing models.

Insight Maker (free)

Free online platform for developing shareable rich pictures and causal loop diagrams. Free browser based platform. 

Agent-Based Modelling

Agent-based models (ABMs) simulate individual agents — people, households, institutions — and the emergent behaviours that arise from their interactions. They are used in public health for modelling disease transmission, behaviour change interventions, urban health dynamics, and the effects of policy on population-level outcomes.

NetLogo (free)

A widely used free ABM environment, developed at Northwestern University. Extensively documented and comes with a large library of pre-built models covering epidemiology, public health, ecology, and social systems. Models can also be run directly in a browser via NetLogo Web — no installation required. The recommended starting point for researchers new to agent-based modelling.

Mesa (Python, open source)

A Python-based ABM framework for researchers already working in Python. Integrates naturally with pandas, matplotlib, and other data science tools. Provides spatial grids, agent schedulers, and browser-based visualisation. Actively maintained on GitHub.

Repast (Java/Python, open source)

A mature, open-source ABM toolkit from Argonne National Laboratory. Supports large-scale models and high-performance computing. More technically demanding than NetLogo but substantially more powerful for research-grade applications requiring large agent populations.

GAMA Platform (free, open source)

A comprehensive, open-source modelling environment designed for building agent-based simulations with a strong emphasis on spatial dynamics. GAMA is highly versatile and has been utilised across diverse research and policy domains, including epidemiology, urban planning, disaster response, and climate adaptation. It provides a robust platform for developing complex models to inform strategy and decision-making.

Model Repositories

CoMSES Net

An open repository of computational models — primarily agent-based — with an emphasis on reproducibility and FAIR data principles. Models can be browsed by topic, including epidemiology and public health. Models are peer-reviewed and archived for long-term access.

NetLogo Model Library

A freely browsable library of agent-based models covering epidemiology, population dynamics, social systems, and more. All models are open source. Models can be run directly in a browser using NetLogo Web with no installation required — making them useful for teaching and demonstrations.

Further Reading: ABM in Public Health

The Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health maintains a freely available methods guide on agent-based modelling in public health, including a software comparison, key readings, and links to relevant courses.

Columbia ABM in Public Health guide: https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/population-health-methods/agent-based-modeling

Other Useful Methods and Tools

Discrete Event Simulation (DES)

DES models a system as a sequence of discrete events in time, where each event changes the state of the system and time itself advances in jumps between events rather than continuously. It is the standard technique for modelling queues, workflows, service systems, and process bottlenecks, and sits alongside system dynamics and agent-based modelling as one of the three classical simulation paradigms for organisational and operational systems. Stewart Robinson’s history of the field traces its development from the early operations-research pioneers through to modern practice and sets out where the field was headed next. Common open implementations include SimPy (Python) and the simmer package (R).

deSolve (R package)

deSolve is the standard R package for solving systems of differential and difference equations — ordinary (ODE), partial (PDE), differential-algebraic (DAE), and delay differential equations (DDE). It is the computational workhorse underneath most compartmental and system dynamics models built in R, including custom epidemic, population, and stock-and-flow models, and is the numerical engine that packages like EpiModel build on.

EpiModel (R package)

EpiModel provides tools for simulating and analysing mathematical models of infectious disease dynamics, spanning deterministic compartmental models (built on deSolve), stochastic individual-contact models, and stochastic network models (via temporal exponential random graph models, TERGMs). Its network-based extension is particularly relevant beyond epidemiology, since the same TERGM machinery can represent diffusion of information, behaviour, or influence through an organisational or social network over time.

COMPLEX-IT

Developed by Brian Castellani and colleagues out of the case-based complexity tradition (building on David Byrne’s work treating cases as complex systems), COMPLEX-IT is a case-based modelling and scenario-simulation platform. It combines k-means and hierarchical clustering with self-organising maps (SOM) to find, visualise, and corroborate typologies (“profiles”) within multi-dimensional case data, and extends into case-based systems mapping and dynamic scenario projection. It is aimed squarely at applied social, health, and policy datasets where cases are multi-dimensional, path-dependent, and not well served by variable-centred statistics alone.

Multi-Method / Hybrid Simulation

Hybrid simulation combines two or more of the three classical simulation paradigms — discrete event simulation, system dynamics, and agent-based modelling — within a single study, matching each sub-problem to the paradigm best suited to it (e.g. queues and resource flows in DES, feedback and accumulation in SD, heterogeneous adaptive behaviour in ABM). Brailsford and colleagues’ state-of-the-art review sets out a simulation-lifecycle framework for designing, building, and validating such models, and documents its rapid growth across healthcare, manufacturing, and supply chain applications since the early 2000s. 

  • Brailsford, S. C., Eldabi, T., Kunc, M., Mustafee, N., & Osorio, A. F. (2019). Hybrid simulation modelling in operational research: A state-of-the-art review. European Journal of Operational Research, 278(3), 721–737. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2018.10.025

Participatory & Group Methods

Participatory approaches are central to systems work in public health and policy. They involve stakeholders directly in the process of building and interpreting models, which improves the quality and legitimacy of the model and increases the likelihood that findings will be used. This section covers the main participatory methods with free practical resources for each.

Group Model Building (GMB)

Group Model Building is a facilitated process in which stakeholders collaboratively build system dynamics models — typically causal loop diagrams or stock-and-flow models. It is one of the most widely evidenced participatory methods in public health. A 2023 systematic review of 72 studies found that GMB positively affects shared understanding, model confidence, and system-level change outcomes.

GMB is resource-intensive and works best with committed stakeholder groups and an experienced facilitator. It is commonly used for obesity, chronic disease prevention, health system strengthening, and implementation science.

Key resources:

CECAN PSM Facilitator Guide (PDF): https://www.cecan.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/PSM-Workshop-method.pdf

Estrada-Magbanua et al. 2023 (PLoS ONE): https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0284765

Participatory Systems Mapping (PSM)

Developed by Barbrook-Johnson and Penn at CECAN, Participatory Systems Mapping combines network analysis with group facilitation to produce causal maps with and for stakeholders. It uses post-it note workshops (in-person or via Mural/Miro) followed by network analysis in Kumu. PSM has been applied to food systems, obesity, physical activity, and health policy.

A 2024 paper in Health Research Policy & Systems provides a detailed description of a full PSM workflow, using Mural for remote facilitation and Kumu for analysis — a replicable model for other research teams.

Rich Pictures

Rich pictures are informal, drawn representations of a problem situation from a particular perspective. Originating in Checkland’s Soft Systems Methodology, they are useful for eliciting multiple stakeholder worldviews in a low-barrier, non-threatening way. They work particularly well early in a systems inquiry to surface contested framings before more structured modelling begins.

The UK Government Office for Science Systems Thinking Toolkit includes a worked example and template for rich pictures, applicable beyond the civil service context.

Concept Mapping

Concept mapping (Trochim, 1989) is a structured participatory method for generating, sorting, and organising ideas from stakeholder groups. It produces spatial cluster maps of concepts based on participants’ own sorting judgements. It has been applied to needs assessment, programme planning, and systems problem framing in public health.

  • CmapTools is free software for concept mapping, available from the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition.
  • CmapTools (free download): https://cmap.ihmc.us/

Systemic Inquiry

Systemic inquiry is a facilitated process drawing on Soft Systems Methodology and action research traditions. It involves structured exploration of a situation through multiple stakeholder lenses, typically producing rich pictures, root definitions, and conceptual models. A 2023 paper in Systemic Practice and Action Research describes a practical application of systemic inquiry for community health and wellbeing planning in local government — a model replicable in public health settings.

Institutional & Policy Resources

Several governments and international health bodies have produced substantial freely available resources specifically designed for applying systems thinking in policy and public health. These are directly applicable and produced with civil servants and health professionals as the primary audience.

UK Government Office for Science — Systems Thinking for Civil Servants

A good resource for UK-based researchers and policy practitioners. Produced by GO-Science in collaboration with the Policy Profession, Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Systems Thinking Interest Group. The suite includes:

  • Introduction to Systems Thinking — what it is, when to use it, and why it helps
  • The Systems Thinking Journey — maps five systems thinking principles to the policy design cycle
  • The Systems Thinking Toolkit — step-by-step guidance on 11 accessible tools, including rich pictures, influence diagrams, feedback loop mapping, and stakeholder analysis. Includes worked examples and templates.
  • The Systems Thinking Case Study Bank — 14 testimonials from civil servants across departments, including Defra, BEIS, and the Food Standards Agency
  • The Systems Leadership Guide — for senior civil servants embedding systems approaches in their organisation

The Toolkit and Case Study Bank are directly relevant to NHS, public health, and food policy contexts.

UK Government Office for Science — Futures Toolkit

A complementary toolkit focused on futures and foresight methods, including scenario planning, horizon scanning, and futures wheels. These methods pair naturally with systems mapping for anticipatory policy work. Free to download.

The Magenta Book

HM Treasury guidance on what to consider when designing an evaluation. The Magenta Book is the UK government’s central guidance on evaluation. It is a critical tool in supporting the effective development and assessment of government policies, programmes and projects.

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute — Systems Thinking Toolkit

The Swiss TPH has produced a freely available systems thinking toolkit specifically designed for health systems — originally for low- and middle-income country contexts but applicable more broadly. It is organised around six systems thinking characteristics, with corresponding tools for each. Supported by a peer-reviewed framework paper (STHA) published open access in BMJ Global Health (2023).

World Health Organisation — Systems Approaches for NCD Prevention

The WHO published guidance in 2022 on applying systems approaches for non-communicable disease prevention policy. It includes examples of place-based systems approaches, group model building, and network analysis applied in a range of national contexts.

The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre

The Prevention Centre has produced a body of systems-based research and practical resources on prevention, including physical activity, obesity, and chronic disease. Their Systems Approaches to Physical Activity (ASAPa) report and related materials are freely available and provide good applied examples.

NHS North West Leadership Academy — System Leadership Behaviours Framework

A framework for system leadership behaviours within NHS and public health contexts. Provides guidance on leading across complex health systems rather than within a single organisation. Free to access.

Learning & Training Resources

The resources below provide structured learning pathways into systems thinking and complex systems methods. Most are free to access; those on Coursera are free to audit (without certification). Several are specifically designed for public health professionals.

Free Online Courses

Systems Thinking in Public Health — Johns Hopkins / Coursera

An introductory course for health professionals and researchers. Covers causal loop diagrams, system dynamics modelling (using Vensim), agent-based models, network analysis, and participatory methods, with public health examples throughout. Free to audit on Coursera.

Systems Thinking in Public Health — MARPHTC / Drexel / Pitt

A three-part training module focused on agent-based modelling, system dynamics, and systems thinking tools in public health practice. Hosted by the MidAmerica Regional Public Health Training Center. Free with no login required.

Introduction to Complexity — Santa Fe Institute / Complexity Explorer

A foundational course covering emergence, adaptation, networks, and complex systems theory, delivered by the Santa Fe Institute — the world’s leading complexity science research centre. Not health-specific but provides the theoretical foundations underlying all systems approaches. Additional courses on agent-based modelling and network analysis are also available free.

Research and Training on Complex Systems and Network Science for NCD Prevention and Control

This WHO Collaborating Centre (CC) focuses on advancing the use of complex systems and network science in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. It aims to develop methodological literacy, foster innovation, and address NCDs through systemic strategies, with a particular emphasis on city- and population-level interventions.

Open University – Open Learn

Free courses provided by the Open University, the link below navigates to courses related to systems thinking.

Open-Access Books

Barbrook-Johnson & Penn (2022) — Systems Mapping

A practical guide to systems mapping for policy and research. Covers the full range of methods — causal loop diagrams, participatory systems mapping, fuzzy cognitive mapping, Bayesian networks, cross-impact balance analysis, and agent-based models. Written for a research and policy audience. Fully open access.

Meadows (2008) — Thinking in Systems

The classic introduction to systems thinking — Donella Meadows’s posthumously published primer on stocks, flows, feedback loops, and leverage points. The essential first text for anyone new to the field. Available via university libraries; widely available in PDF form.

Network Science Free Online Book (2015 – might have had updates)

Network Science, a textbook for network science, is freely available under the Creative Commons license. The physical book is also available.

YouTube Channels

Santa Fe Institute

The SFI YouTube channel hosts recordings of their community lectures, symposia, and research talks — all free. Broad complexity science coverage featuring leading researchers from across disciplines. Good for foundational theoretical content and for keeping up with current directions in complexity science.

Complexity Explorer

The SFI education arm has its own channel with lecture videos from their online courses, including Introduction to Complexity and agent-based modelling. More structured and pedagogical than the main SFI channel — a good starting point for those new to the field who prefer video over reading.

System Dynamics Society

Archives of the SDS seminar series webinars, conference presentations, and Special Interest Group meetings, including the Health Policy SIG. A substantial back-catalogue covering causal loop diagramming, simulation modelling, and applied work across health, environment, and policy. The most directly relevant channel for researchers working in system dynamics.

Reference & Tutorial Sites

The Systems Thinker

Publishes accessible articles on systems archetypes, leverage points, and practical applications. Free article archive. Useful for practitioner-level introductions to core concepts and for explaining archetypes to stakeholders.

Habits of a Systems Thinker

The Habits of a Systems Thinker provide a conceptual foundation for understanding systemic structures and the temporal impact of interventions. This framework encompasses a diverse range of strategies designed to enhance analytical problem-solving and critical inquiry. The Thinking Tools Studio offers dedicated training modules for each individual habit. The following summaries provide an orientation to these principles; this guide serves as a practical reference for use during exercises and deeper methodological study.

Seminars & Online Communities

The following seminar series and online communities provide opportunities for ongoing learning, peer engagement, and staying current with developments in systems thinking and complexity research. All are free to join or access.

Online Seminar Series

CECAN Webinar Series

The Centre for the Evaluation of Complexity Across the Nexus (CECAN) runs a regular free webinar programme focused on complexity in policy evaluation, with a strong UK government and public health orientation. Recent sessions have covered complexity evaluation in health inequality programmes, systems thinking in Net Zero policy, developmental evaluation approaches, and participatory systems mapping. Recordings of past webinars are freely available on the CECAN website.

CECAN also runs paid CPD workshops on handling complexity in policy evaluation, which go into greater depth than the free webinars.

System Dynamics Society — Society Seminar Series

The System Dynamics Society runs a regular free webinar programme covering system dynamics applications across health, policy, business, and environment. Recent sessions have included cancer research modelling, renewable energy policy, AI integration with system dynamics, and multisolving in complex systems. Recordings are archived on the SDS website. The Society also has a Health Policy Special Interest Group that holds quarterly work-in-progress meetings — a useful forum for researchers applying system dynamics in health contexts.

MIT Sloan System Dynamics Group — Friday Seminars

The MIT Sloan System Dynamics Group holds seminars most Fridays during term, typically 12:00–1:30pm Eastern Time, available via Zoom. Topics span academic and applied system dynamics work across health, policy, and management. Contact the group directly to be added to the mailing list and receive joining details.

Santa Fe Institute — Community Lecture Series

The Santa Fe Institute has held a series of public lectures since the late 1980s, typically five to six per year, recorded and freely available on YouTube. These are broader complexity science talks rather than methods-focused, but provide excellent theoretical grounding and feature leading researchers in the field. A good source of accessible, high-quality intellectual engagement with complexity science.

Research and Training on Complex Systems and Network Science for NCD Prevention and Control

This WHO Collaborating Centre (CC) focuses on advancing the use of complex systems and network science in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. It aims to develop methodological literacy, foster innovation, and address NCDs through systemic strategies, with a particular emphasis on city- and population-level interventions.

Online Communities

Systems Evaluation Network — LinkedIn Group

The LinkedIn group for the Systems Evaluation Network provides a space for members to connect with others, learn from each other about the evaluations and methods being applied, share opportunities and resources, and support collaboration. A useful community for those applying systems approaches in evaluation and research practice.

UKPRP Systems Thinking & Complex Systems Interest Group

The UK Prevention Research Partnership hosts an interest group specifically on systems thinking and complex systems in prevention research. Produces outputs including methodological guidance and case studies relevant to the UK public health context. Open to researchers and practitioners working in UKPRP-adjacent areas.

System Dynamics Society — Membership and Community

The System Dynamics Society provides a broader community for those working with system dynamics, including mailing lists, special interest groups (including Health Policy), and the annual International System Dynamics Conference. Student and low-income membership rates are available. The annual conference (ISDC) is the main global gathering for system dynamics researchers and is held as a hybrid event.

Complex Systems Society – Membership and Community

This international scientific society aims to foster and advance all dimensions of complex systems science across the global research community.

Research and Training on Complex Systems and Network Science for NCD Prevention and Control – LinkedIn Group

The LinkedIn group for this WHO Collaborating Centre provides a space to learn about the Centre’s activities and for members to connect with others. Open to researchers and practitioners interested in systems science for NCD prevention and control. 

Journals & Repositories

The following journals regularly publish open-access or freely available work on systems thinking, complexity, and health policy research. Repositories listed below provide access to models and data for reuse.

Journals

Health Research Policy & Systems (BioMed Central)

Journal for systems approaches in health research. The majority of systems mapping, complexity, and participatory methods papers in public health appear here. Fully open access.

Systemic Practice and Action Research (Springer)

Covers Soft Systems Methodology, action research, and systems practice. Particularly useful for qualitative and participatory systems approaches in community health and local government contexts. Mixed open access.

System Dynamics Review (Wiley)

The primary journal for system dynamics research, including health applications. Subscription-based but with some open-access articles.

Complexity (Hindawi/Wiley)

Interdisciplinary open-access journal covering complexity science broadly. Publishes health and organisational complexity papers.

PLoS ONE

A large open-access general journal. A significant volume of applied systems and simulation work in public health — including ABM and system dynamics studies — appears here.

Health Promotion International (Oxford)

Publishes work on health promotion and public health practice. A growing number of systems-informed papers appear here, including the Gadsby & Wilding (2024) paper on broadening systems thinking in public health. Mixed open access.

Frameworks & Concepts

Systems thinking draws on a rich intellectual heritage spanning cybernetics, operations research, ecology, and social science. This section provides an orientation to the key frameworks and traditions that underpin the tools described elsewhere in this toolkit, along with essential freely available readings.

Readers new to the field are encouraged to begin with the Learning & Training section before returning here for deeper theoretical grounding.

Frameworks

Cynefin Framework

Developed by Dave Snowden, Cynefin is a sense-making framework for distinguishing between simple (now ‘clear’), complicated, complex, and chaotic problem domains. It is widely used in policy and health contexts to determine when systems approaches are appropriate versus when conventional management methods are sufficient. Freely accessible via The Cynefin Co.

Stacey Matrix

A framework for assessing the degree of certainty and agreement in a problem context, positioning problems on continuua from simple to chaotic. Frequently paired with Cynefin in health and policy workshops to justify the use of participatory and systems methods.

System Dynamics (Forrester / Sterman)

System dynamics was developed by Jay Forrester at MIT and extended by John Sterman. It models systems as stocks (accumulations), flows (rates of change), and feedback loops. The approach underpins causal loop diagramming and simulation modelling. The foundational text is Sterman’s Business Dynamics (2000), available via university libraries.

Soft Systems Methodology (SSM)

Developed by Peter Checkland, SSM is a structured methodology for working with ill-defined, human-centred problems. It uses rich pictures to capture different stakeholder worldviews, root definitions (CATWOE) to articulate purposeful activity systems, and conceptual models to facilitate structured debate. Particularly applicable in health services and policy reform where multiple legitimate worldviews coexist.

Systems Archetypes

Peter Senge’s work (The Fifth Discipline, 1990) identified recurring causal patterns in complex systems — archetypes such as ‘Shifting the Burden’, ‘Limits to Growth’, and ‘Tragedy of the Commons’. These provide ready-made templates for recognising common dynamics in health systems, including dependency, delayed feedback, and escalation. The Systems Thinker journal provides free introductory articles on each archetype.

Complex Adaptive Systems Theory

Complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory, developed primarily at the Santa Fe Institute, describes systems composed of many interacting agents that adapt their behaviour based on local information. Properties such as emergence, non-linearity, and self-organisation are central. CAS theory provides the conceptual grounding for agent-based modelling and underpins much of the contemporary complexity science applied to public health.

Viable System Model (VSM)

Developed by Stafford Beer from cybernetics, the Viable System Model describes the organisational structures necessary for any system to be viable — to survive and adapt in a changing environment. It has been applied to health systems governance and regulatory analysis. More specialised than the other frameworks here but influential in organisational systems thinking.

NASSS Framework (Non-adoption, Abandonment, Scale-up, Spread, and Sustainability)

Developed by Trisha Greenhalgh and colleagues, NASSS is a framework for understanding why technology-supported change efforts in health and social care succeed or fail. It structures analysis across seven domains. The condition or illness, the technology, the value proposition, the adopter, the organisation, the wider system, and how all of these evolve over time, with each domain assessed as simple, complicated, or complex. It is widely used to evaluate digital health and care technology implementations, and extends readily to organisational technology adoption more broadly.

CDC’s Syndemics Framework

Rooted in the medical anthropology of Merrill Singer, and adopted and developed by the CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STI, and TB Prevention, the syndemics framework analyses how two or more health conditions cluster and interact synergistically within a population, driven by shared social and structural conditions, to produce a disease burden greater than the sum of its parts. It shifts analysis from single-issue, single-pathogen thinking toward the upstream social determinants and interacting drivers that produce clustered health and social problems — a lens with clear extensions to organisational and policy contexts where problems co-occur and compound.

Leverage Points Framework (Meadows)

Developed by Donella Meadows and grounded in the system dynamics tradition she shared with Jay Forrester, this framework identifies twelve places to intervene in a system, ranked from shallow, low-leverage points (parameters such as subsidies or taxes) to deep, high-leverage points (the rules, self-organising capacity, goals, and underlying paradigm of the system). Meadows’s core insight is that most intervention effort is spent on the least effective, most intuitive points, while the more powerful levers — information flows, rules, and paradigms — are systematically overlooked. It is one of the most widely taught tools for locating where change efforts in complex systems will actually matter.

Free Readings

Peters (2014) — The application of systems thinking in health

A widely cited primer on why and how systems thinking is applied in health research. The most common first reading assigned on the topic. Freely available via Health Research Policy & Systems.

Gadsby & Wilding (2024) — Systems thinking in, and for, public health

A critical commentary calling for broader engagement with Systems traditions in public health, including equity and social justice considerations. Open access, Health Promotion International.

Leischow & Milstein (2006) — Systems thinking and modelling for public health

An early and influential articulation of systems science as a framework for public health practice. Free via PubMed Central.

Rethinking Health Systems Strengthening (PMC)

A practical overview of systems thinking tools applied to health systems strengthening, covering system dynamics, social network analysis, and participatory methods. Freely available via PubMed Central.

Use this table to identify the most appropriate tool or method for your specific task. Tools marked (free) require no payment; others have free tiers noted.

Task / GoalRecommended tool(s) and notes
Quick CLD sketch or teachingcausal-loops.com or Loopy — no login needed, suitable for workshops with non-expert audiences
Remote participatory mapping workshopMiro or FigJam for collaborative sketching; export to Kumu for analysis
Causal loop diagram with network analysisKumu (free for public projects) — includes MICMAC, centrality, and community detection
System dynamics modellingVensim PLE (free) — industry standard, used in Johns Hopkins course
Agent-based modelling — beginnerNetLogo (free) — large model library, runs in browser via NetLogo Web
Agent-based modelling — Python userMesa (open source) — integrates with pandas and matplotlib
Large-scale network or stakeholder analysisGephi (free, open source) — more powerful than Kumu for large datasets
Group model building with stakeholdersGMB using Vensim or Kumu; see CECAN facilitator guide for workshop design
Rich picture or stakeholder perspective mappingUse the GO-Science Toolkit template — no software needed
Concept mapping with stakeholder groupsCmapTools (free download from IHMC)
Health systems analysisSwiss TPH Toolkit — designed specifically for health systems contexts
Policy framing and civil service contextGO-Science Systems Thinking Toolkit — 11 tools with civil service examples
Learning systems thinking fundamentalsJohns Hopkins Coursera (free to audit) or Complexity Explorer (free)
Sharing or archiving a computational modelCoMSES Net — open repository with peer review for reproducibility