After a gripping
2 days of non-stop foreign aid open data discussions, software development and
unlimited coffee, ground work at IATI (International Aid Transparency
Initiative), IDRC and DFATD seemed to make a lot more sense. By the end, all
those involved in the hackathon had a fair insight into the challenges faced by
Canada’s foreign Aid.
The term hackathon has gained much publicity and media attention over the last few years.
The term refers to a successive collaboration of coders and experts from
varying disciplines to work on specific project ideas aiming to solve global
issues. A typical hackathon lasting from anywhere between a few hours to days brings
about a spectacular congregation for cross disciplinary research, idea
generation and social innovation. Most of the talk surrounding hackathons is
around programmers. Developing unique software solutions and web interfaces is
what is sort after in these rapid coding zones. However the inclusion of
personnel from other disciplines is what sets the real ground, transcending disciplines
and framing a new perspective on the project to be resolved.
It is this perspective
that finds its roots in Systems Thinking methodologies. Instead of scrutinizing
a problem by reductionism, systems thinking tries to establish a practical
understanding of the interdependent elements by developing a holistic model of
thinking. It also incorporates an operational thinking approach which deals
with chaos and complexity in a system. Another essential constituent system
thinking brings in is that of a social cultural view to the process of
analyzing a system. The teams working on such global platforms share individual
views during the process of decision making and critical thinking ultimately drawing
upon a suitable technology driven social acceptable solution. There is always
the question of assessing solutions lest they lead to unintended consequences
or risks. Lastly, the encompassing factor while aiming to incorporate systems
thinking methodology is having an interactive design which brings about all the
subsystems together to be studied as one whole system. Collaborative technology
upholding systems thinking principles are the trend setters for social
innovation.
Be it the area
of international development, community projects, social system problems, food
insecurity or inequality, systems thinking has something enriching to offer to
every kind of system. While there are no set rules that can be applied to
attain fool proof results, experimentation is key to finding the success sauce.
It is crucial for non-profit as well as government organizations to benefit
from the energy and solutions generated at such hackathons. Needless to say,
our social systems are quite in need of Systems Thinking.
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