jamorell Complex Systems, Programs, and Evaluation, Practical Ways to use Complexity to do Evaluation

A Complex System View of Technology Acquisition Choice

I am involved in a project that involves helping people make a single choice among multiple technologies. They must commit to one, so there is no waffling. This is one more of many such exercises that I have been involved in over the course of my career, and I have never been fully satisfied with any of them. On an intuitive level, everyone knows they cannot make the best choice, but everyone thinks that they should be able to. I finally figured out why they cannot. I don’t mean that people are not smart enough. I mean that it is impossible. The behavior of complex systems makes it impossible.

jamorell Practical Ways to use Complexity to do Evaluation

Consequences of Small Change: Part 5 of 6 Posts on Evaluation, Complex Behavior, and Themes in Complexity Science

Common Introduction to all 6 Posts History and Context These blog posts are an extension of my efforts to convince evaluators to shift their focus from complex systems to specific behaviors of complex systems. We need to make this switch because there is no practical way to apply the notion of a “complex system” to … Continue reading Consequences of Small Change: Part 5 of 6 Posts on Evaluation, Complex Behavior, and Themes in Complexity Science

jamorell Practical Ways to use Complexity to do Evaluation, Program Theory and Program Logic

Unspecifiable Outcome Chains: Part 4 of 6 Posts on Evaluation, Complex Behavior, and Themes in Complexity Science

Common Introduction to all 6 Posts History and Context These blog posts are an extension of my efforts to convince evaluators to shift their focus from complex systems to specific behaviors of complex systems. We need to make this switch because there is no practical way to apply the notion of a “complex system” to … Continue reading Unspecifiable Outcome Chains: Part 4 of 6 Posts on Evaluation, Complex Behavior, and Themes in Complexity Science

jamorell Practical Ways to use Complexity to do Evaluation

Networks and Fractals: Part 3 of 6 Posts on Evaluation, Complex Behavior, and Themes in Complexity Science

Common Introduction to all 6 Posts History and Context These blog posts are an extension of my efforts to convince evaluators to shift their focus from complex systems to specific behaviors of complex systems. We need to make this switch because there is no practical way to apply the notion of a “complex system” to … Continue reading Networks and Fractals: Part 3 of 6 Posts on Evaluation, Complex Behavior, and Themes in Complexity Science

jamorell Practical Ways to use Complexity to do Evaluation

Power Law Distributions: Part 2 of 6 Posts on Evaluation, Complex Behavior, and Themes in Complexity Science

Common Introduction to all 6 Posts History and Context These blog posts are an extension of my efforts to convince evaluators to shift their focus from complex systems to specific behaviors of complex systems. We need to make this switch because there is no practical way to apply the notion of a “complex system” to … Continue reading Power Law Distributions: Part 2 of 6 Posts on Evaluation, Complex Behavior, and Themes in Complexity Science

jamorell Practical Ways to use Complexity to do Evaluation

Emergence: Part 1 of 6 Posts on Evaluation, Complex Behavior, and Themes in Complexity Science

Common Introduction to all 6 Posts History and Context These blog posts are an extension of my efforts to convince evaluators to shift their focus from complex systems to specific behaviors of complex systems. We need to make this switch because there is no practical way to apply the notion of a “complex system” to … Continue reading Emergence: Part 1 of 6 Posts on Evaluation, Complex Behavior, and Themes in Complexity Science