Soft-systems thinking for community-development decision making: A participative, computer-based modeling methodology

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5193835

Cook, R J

The normative-rational models used to ensure logical decision processes do not capture the complex nature of planning situations, and alternative methodologies that can improve the collection and use of qualitative data are scarce. The intent of this thesis is to design and apply a methodology that may help planners incorporate such data into policy analysis. To guide the application and allow for its evaluation, criteria are gleaned from the literature on computer modeling, human cognition, and group process. From this, a series of individual and group ideation techniques along with two computer-modeling procedures are combined to aid participant understanding and provide computation capabilities. The methodology is applied in the form of a case study in Door County, Wisconsin. The process and its results were evaluated by workshop participants and by three planners who were intent on using this information to help update a county master plan. Based on established criteria, their evaluations indicate that the soft-systems methodology devised in this thesis has potential for improving the collection and use of qualitative data for public-policy purposes.

• Research Organization: Wisconsin Univ., Madison, WI (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5193835
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
COMMUNITIES
PLANNING
DECISION MAKING
COMPUTER-AIDED INSTRUCTION
FIELD TESTS
HUMAN FACTORS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
TESTING
TRAINING
290200* - Energy Planning & Policy- Economics & Sociology
990200 - Mathematics & Computers