Source Analysis #2: Current State Analysis

When I read Sustainable World, Ch. 3: Current Analysis I gained a deeper understanding about approaches to analyzing and resolving wicked problems. This chapter was incredibly easy to comprehend, and I was able to grasp the overall key concepts because of the examples that were explained. The three key concepts that were highlighted in this chapter are defining the system and classifying drivers, casual chain analysis, and stakeholder analysis. All three of these concepts provided me with different strategies that altered my way of thinking about how to approach and perceive a wicked problem.

The first key concept in this chapter is defining the system and classifying drivers. In the beginning of my reading, I was oblivious to what the intent or use of the word “driver” was, when applying it to solving a problem. Sustainable World’s clearest explanation was that “Drivers are the governing forces that act on a system, either causing it to change or remain in itscurrent state,” (pg.124). Within this fact, I realized that drivers are more prominent factors of a system that makes it function in its current state. There are two main types of drivers: direct drivers and indirect drivers. From my understanding, direct drivers influence the behavior of a system more directly. As opposed to an indirect driver that influences the behavior of a system ina way that is more spread out by changing the direction of a direct driver. Sustainable World thenprovides visual representation of systems and drivers through examples found in socioecological systems. These visual representations allowed me to see the rippling effects of how drivers impact systems and the factors in drivers that influence systems.

The next key concept that is introduced in the chapter is casual chain analysis. Sustainable World defines casual chain analysis as “a tool for analyzing socioecological systems by classifying key drivers, establishing the relationships among drivers, and determining their relative influences on a system,” (pg. 123) The visual representation of systems that helped me understand what drivers are, were also examples of casual chain analysis. After reading about causal chain analysis, I was intrigued by the thought of what other ways casual chain analysis is used. I wanted to see more visual representations, so through a google search I was able to witness the different organizations in systems of casual analysis beyond the socioecological perspective. I noticed that some representations used more labeling with tables or graphing, others were simplistic with the causes and effects of a system. With the key concept casual chain analysis, I came to an understand that it is a tool for analyzing any system by classifying key drivers.
The final key concept that is exhibited in this chapter is stakeholder analysis. One of the best ways that I think Sustainable World communicated how stakeholders contribute to problem-solving is “However, the current state of analysis of a system is not complete until the people and organizations with a stake in a sustainability problem are considered. This is where stakeholder analysis comes into the picture,” (pg.161). This fact acknowledges how groups of individuals also play a role in impacting a system other than drivers. Stakeholders are the people that are impacted by the system regardless of how much or how little, some of them have authoritative influence within the system. For example, key stakeholders can be either indirectly or directly affected by a system yet possess the power to drastically impact a system. Sustainable World coherently addresses how important it is to be able to identify the types of stakeholders when problem solving.

Remington – Doucette, Sonya. Sustainable World. 2nd ed., Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2013. pp. 123, 124, 161.