LOCAL SYSTEMS PRACTICE

Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) are used to conceptually model dynamic systems in a holistic manner, mapping how variables (i.e., factors, issues, processes) influence one another. These diagrams are particularly useful in uncovering a system's underlying feedback structures, and in identifying high and low leverage intervention points in a system. These diagrams also reveal the natural constraints within the system, helping us develop more realistic expectations regarding our ability to bring about change... Ethnography allows us to gain an "insider's perspective" to increase our understanding of complex social dynamics in a given context or community. Ethnography can assist in the identification of actors, processes, and institutions which are commonly perceived as influential within a complex social process, while uncovering those which tend to be hidden. Ethnography also increases our understanding of local logics and rationale which deepens our ability to interpret behaviors and..