Systems Tools for Complex Health Systems - A Guide to Creating Causal Loop Diagrams - Facilitator Manual

Oct 26, 2026

Upload by Muffet

Facilitator Manual course materials guide participants in strengthening health systems through systems thinking and the practical creation of causal loop diagrams (CLDs). It addresses the lack of rigorous evidence on implementation and “how” to scale evidence-based practices in dynamic, political, and resistant environments. The course structure leads facilitators and learners inductively through key sessions, from systems thinking and rich pictures to interrelationship digraphs and surfacing causal loops, supported by worksheets, templates, and guidance on Vensim.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages100

Reading Time4 h 12 min

AccessFree to download

Section One: About the Course

Introduction

Overall course aim

Target audience

Course overview

Pedagogical technique

Materials required

Facilitator experience

Time frames for running the course

Course pack

Section Two: Session Descriptions

Session 1: Introduction to systems thinking

Session 2: Developing a rich picture

Session 3: Creating interrelationship digraphs

Session 4: Surfacing causal loop diagrams

Session 5: Applying system thinking tools

Section Three: Course Handouts

Handouts 2.1–2.2

Handouts 3.1–3.2

Handouts 4.1–4.2

Session 5 supporting materials

Worksheet and guidance notes on Vensim

SYSTEMS TOOLS FOR COMPLEX HEALTH SYSTEMS: A GUIDE TO CREATING CAUSAL LOOP DIAGRAMS FACILITATOR MANUAL Course materials developed by: Helen de Pinho MBBCh, MBA, FCPH Anna M. Larsen BS, MPH Averting Maternal Death and Disability Program Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health Mailman School of Public Health Columbia University New York City February 2015 This work was coordinated by the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, the World Health Organization, with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada. SECTION ONE: ABOUT THE COURSE ..........................................................................................4 INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................5 OVERALL COURSE AIM ...................................................................................................5 TARGET AUDIENCE .........................................................................................................5 COURSE OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................6 PEDAGOGICAL TECHNIQUE............................................................................................7 MATERIALS REQUIRED ...................................................................................................7 FACILITATOR EXPERIENCE ..............................................................................................7 TIME FRAMES FOR RUNNING THE COURSE ...................................................................8 COURSE PACK .................................................................................................................9 SECTION TWO: SESSION DESCRIPTIONS .................................................................................. 10 SESSION 1: INTRODUCTION TO SYSTEMS THINKING ................................................... 11 SESSION 2: DEVELOPING A RICH PICTURE ...................................................................24 SESSION 3: CREATING INTERRELATIONSHIP DIGRAPHS ..............................................34 SESSION 4: SURFACING CAUSAL LOOP DIAGRAMS .....................................................41 SESSION 5: APPLYING SYSTEM THINKING TOOLS ........................................................57 SECTION THREE COURSE HANDOUTS ......................................................................................62 HANDOUT 2.1 SORTING LAUNDRY WORKSHEET.........................................................63 HANDOUT 2.2 PARTICIPANT-CASE STUDY SUMMARY...............................................64 HANDOUT 3.1 INTERRELATIONSHIP DIGRAPH TEMPLATE ..........................................65 HANDOUT 3.2 IRD DRIVERS AND OUTCOMES DETERMINATION ................................66 HANDOUT 4.1 CAUSAL LOOP DIAGRAM TEMPLATE....................................................67 HANDOUT 4.2 CLD FEEDBACK LOOP TEMPLATE .........................................................68 SESSION 5: APPLYING SYSTEMS THINKING TOOLS ............................................69 HANDOUT 5.1 PARTICIPANT - CASE BRIEF .........................................................69 FACILITATOR NOTE 5.1 – UNDERSTANDING THE SYSTEM DYNAMICS ........................74 WORKSHEET: DOWNLOADING AND INSTALLING VENSIM ..........................................80 GUIDANCE NOTE: HOW TO USE VENSIM TO CREATE CLDS.........................................82 INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................5 OVERALL COURSE AIM ...............................................................................................................5 TARGET AUDIENCE ...................................................................................................................

FAQs

What is the overall purpose of the course?

The course is structured to lead participants through developing causal loop diagrams in a way that supports systems thinking for understanding, researching, and intervening in complex health systems.

Why does the manual emphasize complexity in health systems?

It argues that failure to embrace health-system complexity and to equip practitioners with systems thinking skills leads to recurring “quick wins” and band-aid approaches for wicked public health problems.

What learning activities are included to develop CLDs?

Participants move through sessions covering systems thinking, rich pictures, interrelationship digraphs, surfacing causal loop diagrams, and applying system thinking tools, supported by worksheets, templates, and guidance for using Vensim.

Oct 26, 2026

Upload by Muffet