Healthy Families Rotorua is delving deeper into systems thinking to further enhance community health solutions.

Over the past few weeks, the team has been shining a spotlight on systems thinking principles, concepts, and tools. This strategic approach aims to reshape community engagement and problem-solving when addressing health challenges.

Manager, Jenny Kaka-Scott, shares insights on the team’s recent focus.

“Building greater capability in this field not only allows us to work smarter but helps us to teach others how to do the same. We’re also building a kete of core tools so that other innovators and system disruptors across our national team can access some of this mātauranga to use in their communities,” she says.

Jenny further explains that system tools help to improve systems thinking by helping to generate and organise information about ‘situations of interest’.

“Systems thinking is powerful. It enables us to predict the consequences of a potential change and offers us a better way of predicting future outcomes. This problem-solving method helps us to eliminate silos, see different viewpoints, and remain focused on the big picture,” says Jenny.

She further describes the core facets of this approach.

“Systems thinking is important for innovation. It encourages big preventative perspectives with a clearer view of the system’s interconnected parts.

“It sees problems as an opportunity – turning linear thinking on its head. Viewed in isolation, problems are just things to overcome. Seeing problems in context as part of a complex interconnected whole helps us to focus on the broader ecosystem rather than the problem itself.

“Systems thinking also conditions organisations for rapid adaption. Put simply, organisations are better equipped or prepared to make fast changes, when necessary,” she says.

Armed with new tools for a systems-focused approach, Jenny is confident Healthy Families Rotorua can effectively address health challenges and create meaningful change in the community.