The complex and interconnected problems we face in public health necessitate a broad range of questions about what is happening, why it is happening, and how we might act. Systems Thinking methodologies provide structured ways to explore these kinds of challenges: not to solve them outright, but to understand them more deeply and work with them more effectively. Different systems methods illuminate different aspects of such questions: some focus on meaning and purpose, others on structure, feedback, or adaptation. Together, they encourage researchers and practitioners to engage with complexity reflectively, choosing approaches according to the context and the questions being explored rather than following a fixed sequence or hierarchy.

This two‑part webinar series focuses on Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH), a practical approach for examining and ‘unfolding’ boundaries, perspectives, assumptions and tensions within complex problematic situations.

Who are these sessions for?

• Researchers, students and practitioners interested in applying systems thinking to public health contexts.
• Public health professionals working in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Community partners and practitioners engaged in health-systems improvement.
• Anyone curious about using systems approaches to support reflective inquiry.

Session 2: Opportunities for Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH) in Public Health

What will we cover in this session?

In session 1, we introduced Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH) as an approach to exploring complex problematic situations. We explored the 12 questions of CSH and provided an example from our own practice.

Building on Session 1, this session demonstrates how CSH has been applied in fields outside public health and explores its potential value within public health practice. We will also examine how CSH can be used alongside other systems methods, such as Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), the Viable System Model (VSM), System Dynamics (SD) and systems mapping, to support a more holistic, reflective understanding of complex problematic situations.