SPIRAL Newsletter #1 Jan-Feb 2009

SPIRAL Newsletter #1 January-February

*Systemic - Participatory - Inquiry - Research - Action - Learning*
SPIRAL — The Victorian Statewide Action Research Network
http://www.spiral-victoria.net/
This is our first SPIRAL newsletter for the year — and in it we are announcing an exciting (well we’re excited :-)  ‘Breaking news’ item #1 — SPIRAL is supporting Jacques Boulet and Borderlands/oases Graduate School Community Research Centre in its agreement with the Action Learning Action Research Association (ALARA) — to host in Melbourne the national ALARA conference this year!

So this SPIRAL year will have a different pattern to it and we hope you may consider participating in an organising group in an area of your interest in the lead up to, and by attending in September.

Plus the usual enormous feast of notices, resources and information items in this newsletter — though we are including overseas events just fyi for their content/latest topics being discussed rather than details for travelling to attend (given financial restraints and oil miles of travel involved).

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SUMMARY of contents of this newsletter:

1. Breaking news! — National Action Learning/Action Research (ALARA) Conference in Melbourne, 17-19 September 2009
2. Seeking an overhead projector
3. VLGA course for local government on strategic thinking
4. Success Works workshop on Deep Democracy
5. Community Development and Ecology conference book available
7. Transition Towns — a local inquiry-based approach to climate change
8. Paul Wildman - Bush Mechanic Victorian Tour Mission
9. Jess Dart’s Clear Horizon training events
10. News from ALARA in Queensland
11. International Society for Systems Sciences Conference, Brisbane 12-17 July 2009
12. Bob Dick’s on line action research course — starts late February
13. Community development conference, Brisbane 17-20 June 2009
14. Tasmanian Government action research & action learning tender online
15. South Australian online action learning course: Democracy and Sustainability
16. Action Research Journal Special Issue: The Arts in Action Research
17. More interesting looking texts

Overseas news of conferences etc….

18. Action Research to Promote Stewardship of Ecosystem Services, Bath University UK
19. Positive Psychology Conference — available by Webcast
20. The Fifth International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry
21. Building on Family Strengths Conference Portland, Oregon 23-25 June 2009
22. 4th International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, University of Athens, Greece, 8-11 July 2009
23. American Evaluation Conference 9-14 November 2009 Orlando, Florida USA
24. Systems science methodologies training opportunity in USA
25. New and improved COMPASS site announced — configurational comparative methods, multiple causality
26. International Course - ‘Participatory Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation: Managing & Learning for Impact’ 2-20 March 2009, The Netherlands
27. Astounding overseas systems thinking job available

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DETAILS
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1. Breaking news! — National Action Learning/Action Research (ALARA) Conference in Melbourne, 17-19 September 2009

Draft conference title/theme something like:
“Ecological and Economic meltdown: How can our methodological approach to inquiry contribute to this being a turning point towards more fully living co-operative systems?”

The national conference of ALARA (formerly ALARPM) is going to be held in Melbourne this year in conjunction with Borderlands/oases Graduate School of Community Research. On Thursday 17 September there will be a day of fee paying workshops, and the organising group will be seeking facilitators’ EOIs in a month or so. There is a further exciting possibility that this year’s conference may be a dress rehearsal for a World Congress of ALAR in Melbourne the following year, when a lot more focus would be on overseas folk coming.

More details in the March SPIRAL newsletter of the wide variety of ’strands, streams and variants’ that will be seeking convenors and small group meetings with great ideas in the lead-up to September. We hope to feature one of these each month.

Meanwhile come to the next organising meeting 5.00pm Friday 27 February at Borderlands (at the Augustine, 2 Minona Ave Hawthorn, probably in the library), and help us shape the kind of conference and maybe we can have a meal afterwards.

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2. Seeking an overhead projector

We are seeking an OHP hopefully for donation to Borderlands oases program.
(One of the ones that you use transparencies please, not a data projector)
If you need to sell it, please say the cost.  Email message to:
“oases” borders[at]borderlands[dot]org[dot]au, thanks.

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3. VLGA course for local government on strategic thinking

The Victorian Local Government Association has a local government leadership and Learning Centre courses’ program for 2009 which includes some open to the community. One relevant to SPIRAL members is: ‘New approaches to strategic thinking’ on Saturday 18 April 1.00-5.00pm

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4. Success Works workshop on Deep Democracy

For workshop — 24 & 25 March 2009 — Contact: Debbie Thomson, Success Works Pty Ltd, 97 Drummond Street, Carlton Vic 3053, Ph: (03) 9946 6801 or Fx: (03) 9946 6810 www.success-works.com.au

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5. Community Development and Ecology conference book available

The publication from the Deakin Uni CD and Ecology conference held in Melbourne in March 2008 is now available. Price $29 / $24. If you presented a paper at the conference only $24.
For order form - Anne OKeefe, Centre for Citizenship, Development and Human Rights, Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University, Geelong Campus, Pigdons Road, Geelong, Victoria 3217 Australia.
Phone: 03 5227 2113  Fax: 03 5227 2018
Email: anne[dot]okeefe[at]deakin[dot]edu[dot]au
Website: http://www.deakin.edu.au/cchr

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7. Transition Towns — a local inquiry-based approach to climate change

An influential neighbourhood-based approach to climate change is explored in a book called “The Transition Handbook” (purchase from David Holmgren who was the cofounder of permaculture 20 years ago. Contact info[at]holmgren[dot]com[dot]au )

What is a Transition Town (or village / city / forest / island)?
There are over 20 Transition Towns in the UK and a few in Australia and other countries. It all starts off when a small collection of motivated individuals within a community come together with a shared concern: how can our community respond to the challenges, and opportunities, of Peak Oil and Climate Change?
They begin by forming an initiating group and then move to adopting the Transition Model with the intention of engaging a significant proportion of the people in their community to kick off a Transition Initiative.
A Transition Initiative is a community working together to look Peak Oil and Climate Change squarely in the eye and address this BIG question:

“For all those aspects of life that this community needs in order to sustain itself and thrive — how do we significantly increase resilience (to mitigate the effects of Peak Oil) and drastically reduce carbon emissions (to mitigate the effects of Climate Change)?”

After going through a comprehensive and creative process of:
* awareness raising around peak oil, climate change and the need to undertake a community-lead process to rebuild resilience and reduce carbon,
* connecting with existing groups in the community,
* building bridges to local government,
* connecting with other transition initiatives,
* forming groups to look at all the key areas of life (food, energy, transport, health, heart & soul, economics & livelihoods, etc), 
* kicking off projects aimed at building people’s understanding of resilience and carbon issues and community engagement,
* eventually launching a community defined, community implemented “Energy Descent Action Plan” over a 15 to 20 year timescale 
This results in a coordinated range of projects across all these areas of life that strive to rebuild the resilience we’ve lost as a result of cheap oil and reduce the  community’s carbon emissions drastically.
http://transitiontowns.org/TransitionNetwork/TransitionTraining
Cate Kyne, Convenor, IACD(Vic) Network, is a local knowledgeable about TTs cateky[at]tadaust[dot]org[dot]au
News update regarding Transition Towns
Keep your eye out for these forthcoming events:
* A talk sponsored by the Village Well on ‘Transition Towns’ (TT) by Transition Town people from the UK at 5.30-8.00 Wednesday 18 February 2009
* 3CR interview of the TT UK people, and
* A TT 2 day workshop in Darebin
Janet Phillips, janet[at]consentric[dot]com[dot]au (mob) 0400 050 399
po box 484 Castlemaine VIC 3450

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8. Paul Wildman - Bush Mechanic Victorian Tour Mission

What’s a bush mechanic got to do with SPIRAL, systems, and PAR etc?!
Paul explains….
“In Australia there is a term — Bush Mechanic — for someone who links thinking and doing, and can act forward wisely and solve problems with what is available while developing innovations in the field that respond to broader needs,’ (cf article in the Journal of Futures Studies August 2005) — an artificer [ar-TIF-iss-uh] is a skilful or artistic worker, a craftsperson, one who is skilled in devising things and making things happen, an inventor bricoleur [brik-o-LEUR] tinkerer, jack or jill of all trades, someone comfortable in unfamiliar realms of learning and experience who tries things out until they figure out how to do something. And more recently, qualitative researchers who ‘mix and match’ methods to create a research design which fits the research situation.”  — Paul Wildman  http://www.kal.net.au/
Email Daryl Taylor for news of the events on 18 February being organised for Paul Wildman’s “Bush Mechanic’s” visit to Victoria at:  taylor[dot]daryl[at]yahoo[dot]com[dot]au,

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9. Jess Dart’s Clear Horizon training events

Melbourne based training courses, all to be held in Fitzroy in 2009:

* Program Logic for NRM - Two days: 17-18 February
* Participatory Performance Story Reporting - One and a half days: 19-20 February
* Evaluation Summit Workshop Technique - Half day: 20 February
* People Centred Program Logic - Two days: 16-17 March
* Meaningful Monitoring - One day: 18 March
* Most Significant Change (MSC) Technique - Two days: 19-20 March
* Participatory Evaluation - One day: 2 April
* How to design an evaluation study? - One day: 3 April

More detail on training flyer on www.clearhorizon.com.au
Contact office 9773 2299 to register

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10. News from ALARA in Queensland

a. Just fyi — does this topic interest our Victorian network for this year’s ALARA conference?…
The ALARA Cairns Conversation group met on 1 December 2008 for a discussion focused on the similarities and differences between Action Research and Action Learning.

b. The Brisbane group is featuring a presentation by Dr Richard Barber on the topic of ‘Managing “wicked” risks’ at the Moreno Collegium on the 19 February 2009 5.30pm - 8.00 pm.  Full details of the event are available on the ALARA calendar of events or contact Joan Bulcock at jbulcock01[at]optusnet[dot]com[dot]au

c. Bob Dick and Brian Danaldson are presenting a two day workshop on “Emerging stronger from a crisis”. Content will focus on organisations in crisis, foresee a crisis in the near future or wish to prepare for the unexpected.  Further details of the workshop are available on the ALARA calendar of events or contact Bob Dick on bd[at]uqconnect[dot]net

d. Bob Dick is organising a Brisbane event presented by Martin Butcher on community engagement, Thursday 19 February, 9:00 to 4:45pm. The workshop is titled “Engage or enrage: community engagement planning for better project outcomes”. Further details or to enroll: camilla[at]uqconnect[dot]net
See also Martin’s website: http://www.martinbutcher.com

e. Brisbane again, on February 12 the School for Social Entrepreneurs Australia is hosting the event: “A Conversation with Charlotte Young, The Role of Action Learning in ‘People Powered’ Change”.  Contact Kirsten Ridley on 0431 665 545 for further information.
Details of the event and flyer can be found on the ALARA calender www.alara.net.au

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And yet again for Brisbane…

11. International Society for Systems Sciences Conference, Brisbane 12-17 July 2009

Bob Williams advises that he thinks this is the first time that an ISSS conference has been held in the southern half of the world, and thus important that those of us who live here support it.
Here’s the timetable :
December 1, 2008: The start of abstract and paper submissions, using the Journals on-line submission site. (Please allow at least two weeks for your abstract to be reviewed.)
January 1, 2009: The start of registration. Registration and payment facilities will be available on-line. Off-line paper registrations (by post and fax) will still be available through contact with the ISSS office.
March 1, 2009: The deadline for panel, workshop and stream proposals.
April 30, 2009: The end of early, discounted registration.
May 10, 2009: The deadline for abstracts and full papers, recognizing that some abstracts will not be developed into full papers. Late papers may still be accepted for the conference after May 10, 2009, but will be published on the CD-ROM proceedings for the subsequent year (2010).
Special Note: ONE paper per registered participant will be accepted for the conference.

July 11,12 2009 - Pre-Conference Activities: Sustainability Workshops, Systems Tutorials
July 13-17 2009 - Conference 2009 (Conference registration and welcome gathering on July 12, 2009).
July 17-19 2009 - Post-Conference Activities: Sustainability Workshops, Systems Tutorials
http://isss.org/world/brisbane-2009

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12. Bob Dick’s on line action research course — starts late February

And finally from Queensland, the indefatigable Bob Dick announces the next iteration of the Southern Cross Institute of Action Research’s ‘areol’ — the free on line action research course sponsored by the Southern Cross University.
Areol 29 begins in late February 2009.  It is conducted over four months or a little less, and its 14 sessions (or thereabouts) provides basic information about one form of action research (the Snyder process). As with earlier programs, the theme of areol 29 is the integration of effective change with rigorous research.  In some respects, it is a combination of the principles of community and organisational change with those for change-oriented qualitative research, sometimes with use of quantitative research too. The program does not attempt to cover all varieties of action research.  Nor does it analyse the philosophy of action research in any depth.  The main intention is to allow participants to understand some processes which combine action and research, and which can be used in practice.  Later sessions briefly describe an action research approach to evaluation.
The on-line sessions are supplemented by archived files on various aspects of action research and evaluation.  You can examine the areol materials on the web.  You’ll find an index page that will give you an idea of the contents and style of the course at:
 http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/areol/areolind.html
You can also work through these web materials at your own pace, if you wish.  This is an alternative to the email version. It doesn’t include the discussion group and learning groups of the email version and isn’t revised as often as the email version (which is fine tuned each semester), so it’s less up to date.
If you wish to subscribe to the email version of areol 29, please email Bob:
“Bob Dick” bdick[at]scu[dot]edu[dot]au

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13. Community development conference, Brisbane 17-20 June 2009

Seeking offers of a presentation or workshop or a proposal for one of the many other formats of presentations that we are looking for. We have three active subcommittees:
The Themes and Programs subcommittee is focusing on how to build a lively, diverse and engaging program at the conference. Convener is ingrid[dot]burkett[at]iacdglobal[dot]org
The Participation subcommittee is working towards facilitating a diversity of people’s involvement in conference organising, building a participatory conference program and attendance. They are also developing a conference Scholarship program and Billet program. The convener is Cassandra Sheppard cassandra[at]forestersana[dot]com[dot]au
The Marketing and Sponsorship subcommittee is working towards ensuring a diverse range of delegates. The convener is Belinda Drew bdrew[at]forestersana[dot]com[dot]au.
* Ela Bhatt and Michael Shuman have agreed to be our key note speakers!
* Panels will focus on Indigenous Community Economic Development, CED in the Pacific and Corporate-Community partnerships.
* Pre-conference field visits and a social enterprise expo.
* A conference charter on the theme of ‘community centred economies’.
* Seeking ideas for artistic presentations, films, yarning circles…
* Some scholarships available
The conference website address is: www.CDconference.com.au

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14. Tasmanian Government action research & action learning tender online

From: administrator[at]treasury[dot]tas[dot]gov[dot]au
A new tender has been added in the Management and Business Professionals and Administrative Services category: DHHS-5146H - Action Research and Action Learning Services.
The tender closes on 11/02/2009 at 02:00:00 PM
Full information can be found at: http://www.tenders.tas.gov.au/domino/tenders.nsf/all-/F87948C6ECC44210CA257540000682A2

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15. South Australian online action learning course: Democracy and Sustainability

Janet McIntyre writes: Internationally we face the social, economic and environmental challenge to reduce the size of our carbon footprint. This action learning subject is intended as an elective for students who wish to work more effectively on complex problems across disciplines and organisations to address areas of concern. It is suited to students across the social and natural sciences and is transdisciplinary. The aim is to enable policy makers and managers to think critically and systemically by learning about interactive design and evaluation processes that engage the stakeholders who are to be affected by policy and management decisions. The fully online subject will enhance theoretical and methodological literacy to address complex policy and governance challenges and to increase their critical understanding of the potential and pitfalls of decentralized decision making. At the end of the topic the students will be able to apply conceptual and analytical tools to facilitate discursive democracy.
Detailed information is available at http://www.alara.net.au/node/1517 or contact Janet McIntyre directly at JanetMcintyre[at]flinders[dot]edu[dot]au

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16. Action Research Journal Special Issue: The Arts in Action Research

Call for Papers by Guest Editors:  Ariane Berthoin Antal, Mary Brydon-Miller, Lai Fong Chiu, Patricia Gaya Wicks, and Victor Friedman.
Art constitutes one of the oldest forms of knowledge and knowing.  Art has been used as a means to express, record, experiment, envision, design, shape, challenge, critique, enact, communicate, explore, enjoy, sanctify, or celebrate almost every aspect of human experience. 
However, few, if any, modern social research paradigms integrate the arts.  Because action researchers seek out new and different ways of knowing, such as presentational knowing, action research provides opportunities to experiment with art as an integral part of the creation and dissemination of knowledge and action for social change (Guhathakurta, 2008; Lykes, 2001; Mienczakowski & Morgan, 2001; Taylor, 2004; Wang, 1999) 
The aim of this special issue is to bring to light ways in which the arts have been and are currently being brought into action research.  We wish to discover how art can contribute to action research in innovative and productive ways.   
In calling for papers on this topic, we wish to be as inclusive, diverse, and international as possible.  We frame “art” as broadly as possible to include music, visual arts, poetry, plastic arts, video and other forms of electronically-generated art, theatre, dance, film, fiber art, folk art, indigenous art, — and more.  ARJ’s new website enables the publication of material in multi-media format, so we welcome submissions that take advantage of this opportunity.  Papers might address the following kinds of questions (but should not be limited to them):
* How have the arts been integrated into AR processes?
* In what circumstances and/or contexts might the integration of art and action research be particularly powerful?  What kinds of research questions could most appropriately be tackled through artistic endeavours within action research practice?
* What are the unique contributions of art to action research?
* How can the arts contribute to different ways of knowing or different kinds of knowledge?
* What is the relationship between the inclusion of art forms and participation/partnership in AR? 
* How does the creation of art relate to transformation and/or actionability in action research?  
* What is the role of the artist(s) and how does that role connect with those of other participants in the process (e.g., in terms of differentiating and connecting expertise, power, responsibilities)?
* How can multisensory data be collected, made sense of, and represented in ways that speak to an academic as well as practitioner audience?
* What kinds of methodological and theoretical questions and implications are raised in the bringing together of action research and arts practices?  For example, what might the criteria for quality look like in such cases?   
* What negative consequences or ethical issues arise when integrating art into action research?  For example, is the danger of co-optation and instrumentalization of art forms a relevant one in this context?
 
Full drafts of papers should be submitted through our on-line submission process (go to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ARJ for details) no later than December 1, 2009. Manuscripts should be between 5,000 and 7,000 words in length. If you have specific questions or concerns regarding the call for papers, please contact Mary Brydon-Miller at mary[dot]brydon[dash]miller[at]uc[dot]edu.

Some relevant reading –
Guhathakurta, Meghna (2008). Theatre in participatory action research:  Experiences from Bangladesh. In P. Reason & H. Bradbury (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of action research:  Participative inquiry and practice (pp. 510-521). London:  SAGE Publications. 
Lykes, M.B. (2001). Activist participatory research and the arts with rural Mayan women:  Interculturality and situated meaning making.  In D. Tolman & M. Brydon-Miller (Eds.), From subjects to subjectivities:  A handbook of interpretive and participatory methods (pp. 183-199).  New York:  New York University Press.
Mienczakowski, J. & Morgan, S. (2001).  Ethnodrama:  Constructing participatory, experiential and compelling action research through performance.  In P. Reason & H. Bradbury (Eds.), The handbook of action research:  Participative inquiry and practice (pp. 219-227).  London:  SAGE Publications.
Taylor, S. (2004) Presentational form in first person research:  Off-line collaborative reflection using art.  Action Research 2(1): 71-88.
Wang, C. (1999).  Photovoice:  A participatory action research strategy applied to women’s health.  Journal of Women’s Health, 8(2), 185-192.

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17. More interesting looking texts

‘Agent-Based Approaches in Economic and Social Complex Systems V’
Post-Proceedings of the AESCS International Workshop 2007, Springer Series on Agent Based Social Systems, Vol. 6
Terano, T.; Kita, H.; Takahashi, S.; Deguchi, H. (Eds.), 2009, XII, 290 p. 123 illus., Hardcover ISBN: 978-4-431-87433-1  99,95 €

 ’Transformative Research and Evaluation’ by Donna M Mertens
Footprint Books have this. From distinguished scholar Donna M Mertens, this core book provides a framework for making methodological decisions and conducting research and evaluations that promote social justice. The transformative paradigm has emerged from - and guides - a broad range of social and behavioral science research projects with communities that have been pushed to the margins, such as ethnic, racial, and sexual minority group members and children and adults with disabilities. GUILFORD PUBLICATIONS INC
Pbk  394pp   9781593853020  A$82  NZ$99   2008

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Overseas news of conferences etc….

18. Action Research to Promote Stewardship of Ecosystem Services, Bath University UK

Just fyi — Peter Reason, Director of the Centre for Action Research in Professional Practice, School of Management, University of Bath lets us know that there will be a seminar on Action Research to Promote Stewardship of Ecosystem Services.
Contact for further details: Kathryn Tate kat21[at]management[dot]bath[dot]ac[dot]uk

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19. Positive Psychology Conference — available by Webcast

Just fyi — Claremont Graduate University is pleased to announce that, to accommodate a larger audience (especially those unable to join us in Southern California for this one-time-only event) the January 24 2009 symposium on “Applying the Science of Positive Psychology to Improve Society” will also feature a live webcast.  This event will unite almost every major figure in the positive social sciences for a day of reflection on how we can use what we have learned to improve education, policy, health, business, and the lives of all people.  For a complete list of speakers and online registration, visit: www.cgu.edu/positivepsych
 For info: India Swearingen, SBOS Outreach Assistant, School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences, Claremont Graduate University outreach[at]cgu[dot]edu

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20. The Fifth International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry

Just fyi — The theme of this year’s Congress is “Advancing Human Rights Through Qualitative Research.”  Norm Denzin let us know this is offering 28 workshops. To view the full list of interesting topics, please visit http://www.icqi.org/workshop.html Registration has opened.

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21. Building on Family Strengths Conference Portland, Oregon 23-25 June 2009

Just fyi — and continuing the appreciative inquiry/strengths-based approach…
This year’s conference will feature the latest developments in two exciting areas:
* Youth empowerment and participation in designing, delivering, and evaluating services, supports, and systems
* Wraparound: practice, supervision, fidelity measurement, outcome studies, system support, and more
And, as always, the conference will include presentations on recent developments and innovations in the fields of family support and children’s mental health.
http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/conference/pgCall.php

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22. 4th International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, University of Athens, Greece, 8-11 July 2009

Just fyi — This examines the nature of disciplinary practices, and the interdisciplinary practices that arise in the context of ‘real world’ applications. It also interrogates what constitutes ’science’ in a social context, and the connections between the social and other sciences. Full details of the Conference, including an online proposal submission form, are to be found at the Conference website: http://www.SocialSciencesConference.com/.
Gerassimos Kouzelis, Professor of Philosophy of Science and Sociology of Knowledge, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Athens, Athens, Greece — For the Advisory Board, International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences and International Conference of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

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23. American Evaluation Conference 9-14 November 2009 Orlando, Florida USA

Just fyi — Bob Williams reports that: the AEA Conference this year has the theme of “context”. That’s something us systems folks have one or two views about. Call for Proposals Deadline: Friday, March 20, 2009. AEA’s annual meeting is expected to bring together approximately 2500 evaluation practitioners, academics, and students. The conference is broken down into 41 Topical Strands that examine the field from the vantage point of a particular methodology, context, or issue of interest to the field as well as the Theme of Context and Evaluation.
http://www.eval.org/eval2009/default.htm

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24. Systems science methodologies training opportunity in USA

This is very just fyi as there is an elaborate application pack needed within a week and you have to be a doctor! — but this seems interesting because of its scope and intention.
The course is called the Institute on Systems Science and Health 3-8 May, 2009, to be held in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Organized by University of Michigan Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, Center for the Study of Complex Systems, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, and with guidance and support from the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research and the CDC Syndemics Prevention Network
Phew!
This is to provide investigators with a thorough introduction to selected systems science methodologies that may be used to study behavioral and social dimensions of public health.  Participants in the week-long Institute will focus on one of three methodologies: agent-based modeling, system dynamics modeling, or network analysis. The CURRICULUM will help participants:
* Better understand systems science in general and different methodological traditions, including their strengths, limitations, and types of problems for which they are best suited;
* Work through specific problems using their chosen methodology and become familiar with relevant software package(s);
* Appreciate the potential for applying systems science methodologies to problems of population health and disease, especially those in which behavioral and social factors figure prominently;
* Prepare stronger applications to funders such as NIH, CDC, and philanthropies in those areas where systems science, behavioral and social processes, and population health intersect.
See the organisers and teachers and Program Information and the application form (on which participants will rank their preference for one or more tracks: (1) Agent-Based Modeling; (2) System Dynamics Modeling; or (3) Network Analysis) and background and resources on:  http://www.ajpm-online.net/article/S0749-3797(08)00431-5/abstract>http://www.ajpm-online.net/article/S0749-3797(08)00431-5/abstract.
Topics for which there are videocasts include:
Systems Methodologies for Solving Real-World Problems: Applications in Public Health
Network Analysis: Using Connections and Structures to Understand and Change Health Behaviors
Agent Based Modeling: Population Health from the Bottom Up
System Dynamics Modeling: Population Flows, Feedback Loops and Health
Complex Systems Approaches to Population Health  
Submit your extensive required application materials packet online at http://www.chronicdisease.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3811>www.chronicdisease.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3811
Applications must be received no later than 11:59pm eastern time on February 13, 2009. If you have additional questions or needs, please contact Slavomira Lacinova, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors at (770) 458-7400 or SummerInst[at]chronicdisease[dot]org.

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25. New and improved COMPASS site announced — configurational comparative methods, multiple causality

COMPASSS is a worldwide network bringing together scholars and practitioners who share a common interest in theoretical, methodological and practical advancements in a systematic comparative case approach to research which stresses the use of a configurational logic, the existence of multiple causality and the importance of a careful construction of research populations.
Its main goal is to further develop systematic comparative case analysis as a genuine and established research strategy to study many different and diverse phenomena. Its ‘core business’ is the further development and application of “configurational comparative methods” (crisp-set QCA, multi-value QCA, fuzzy-set QCA, and linked methods and techniques).
It is also a place of dialogue and fruitful confrontation between qualitative and quantitative methods, as well as a locus for the integration of these methods and the further development and application of original approaches, methods and techniques, in an endeavour to develop an overall approach for systematic comparative case analysis. It strives to be a place of exchange between scholars from a broad range of disciplines across the social and behavioural sciences and beyond.
See…
COMPASS - Comparative methods for the Advancement of Systematic cross-case analysis and Small-n Studies http://www.compasss.org/
AND: http://www.compasss.org/pages/welcome.html

Item received from Richard A. Parkany, Prometheus Educational Services http://www.borg.com/~rparkany/

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26. International Course - ‘Participatory Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation: Managing & Learning for Impact’ 2-20 March 2009, The Netherlands

Just fyi — For more info visit website: http://www.cdic.wur.nl/UK/newsagenda/agenda/Participatory_planning_monit
oring_and_evaluation.htm Or contact: training[dot]wi[at]wur[dot]nl or cecile[dot]kusters[at]wur[dot]nl
Cecile Kusters, Participatory Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation, Multi-Stakeholder Processes and Social Learning, Wageningen UR, Wageningen International
P.O.Box 88, 6700 AB Wageningen, the Netherlands
Visiting address: Lawickse Allee 11,Building 425, 6701 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands   Tel.  +31 (0)317- 481407  Fax. +31 (0)317- 486801

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27. Astounding overseas systems thinking job available

Just fyi and yet again only for doctors — McGill University, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Management, Brain-to-Society Research Center for Physical and Mental Health and Well-Being has advertised a Research Chair in System Sciences

The Brain-to-Society Research Center for Physical and Mental Health and Well-Being (BtS) aims to pave the way toward a novel transdisciplinary science where biology and environment are seen as part of the same system guiding lifestyle choice and behavior.  The goal is to develop and synthesize through systems analysis, knowledge that will drive policy in health and economic domains and inspire social and business innovation that can help reach the balance of environmental opportunities and constraints that makes health the easiest and most sustainable option for individuals and society alike. Research will examine genetic, epigenetic, neural and psychological processes operating at the individual level in the broader context of decisions made by social and economic actors at all levels in society. BtS is the primary research anchor of the McGill World Platform for Health and Economic Convergence, the central hub of a worldwide knowledge-to-action community that will harness the world’s best minds and leading organizations in a series of interconnecting local and global networks that will use science, policy and action to address otherwise intractable issues that lie at the interface of health and economics.
 
Two Canada Research Chairs, one in decision neuroscience and the other in systems science, have been allocated to begin building research capacity, with a series of complementary endowed research chairs to be established. The present recruitment is for a research chair in systems science.

System sciences encompasses a wide range of methods and tools (e.g., system dynamics simulations, agent-based modeling, network analysis, Markov modeling, soft-system analysis, discrete-event modeling, geo-spatial analysis). The successful candidate will establish an innovative, pragmatic research agenda, and promote local and global capacity through mentoring and education in a highly innovative and supportive environment.

Qualifications include an MD, PhD, or equivalent experience in a range of
relevant fields including (but not limited to):
* System Dynamics/Industrial Engineering/Operations Research
* Simulation Modeling/Biomathematics
* Political Sciences
* Management and Marketing Science
* Mainstream, Behavioral and Health Economics
* Health Systems/Organizational Theory
* Mainstream and Medical Sociology
* Mainstream and Social Epidemiology
* Decision Science and Behavioral Decision Making
* Business and Medical Informatics
For more information please go to: http://www.mcgill.ca/management/
Submit Application by February 15th 2009 — sorry. Too late!

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