Twelve leverage points: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 07:56, 1 August 2015

Revision as of 14:50, 15 April 2016

Line 1:

{{Primarysources|date=April 2011}}

{{about|leverage points related to System Dynamics||Center of gravity (military)}}

{{PrimarysourcesPrimary sources|date=April 2011}}

The '''twelve leverage points to intervene in a system''' were proposed by [[Donella Meadows]], a scientist and system analyst focused on environmental limits to economic growth. The leverage points, first published in 1997, were inspired by her attendance at a [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] (NAFTA) meeting in the early 1990s where she realized that a very large new system was being proposed but the mechanisms to manage it were ineffective.

Meadows, who worked in the field of [[systems analysis]], proposed a scale of places to intervene in a [[system]]. Awareness and manipulation of these levers is an aspect of [[self-organization]] and can lead to [[collective intelligence]].

Her observations are often cited in [[energy economics]], [[green economics]] and [[human development theory]].

Line 25 ⟶ 24:

==Leverage points to intervene in a system==

The following are in increasing order of effectiveness.

=== 12. Constants, parameters, numbers (such as subsidies, taxes, standards) ===

Line 49:

=== 9. Length of delays, relative to the rate of system changes ===

Information received too quickly or too late can cause over- or underreaction, even oscillations.

{{quote|For example, the city council is considering building the wastewater treatment plant. However, the plant will take 5 years to be built, and will last about 30 years. The first delay will prevent the water being cleaned up within the first 5 years, while the second delay will make it impossible to build a plant with exactly the right capacity.}}

Line 100:

=== 1. Power to transcend paradigms===

Transcending paradigms may go beyond challenging fundamental assumptions, into the realm of changing the values and priorities that lead to the assumptions, and being able to choose among value sets at will.

{{quote|Many today see Nature as a stock of resources to be converted to human purpose. Many Native Americans see Nature as a living god, to be loved, worshipped, and lived with. These views are incompatible, but perhaps another viewpoint could incorporate them both, along with others.}}

Line 111:

* [[Nature]]

* [[Stock and flow]]

*'' [[Systemantics]]'' — [[John Gall_Gall (author)|John Gall]]

* [[Theory of Constraints]],

Line 118:

*[http://www.donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system/ "Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System," Reproduced original work, archived at the Donella Meadows Institute]

*[http://www.developerdotstar.com/mag/articles/places_intervene_system.html "Places to Intervene in a System," by Donella Meadows, published in a software development context]

*Meadows, Donella H. 2008. ''Thinking in systems : a primer''. Chelsea Green Publishing, Vermont, p. 145-165

[[Category:Futurology]]