Practitioners of IA are acutely aware of the pervasive presence of systems, ranging from ecological, social, political, and economic systems to cognitive, perceptual, value, and ethical systems. The challenge, however, lies not in naming systems, but in understanding, anticipating, and accounting for the complex web of tangible and intangible elements affected by a project or plan.
This interactive, one-day training course introduces systems thinking as a vital competency for professionals working in IA, particularly in today’s context of escalating complexity, information overload, and stakeholder fragmentation.
Participants will learn how to recognize, analyze, and respond to complexity caused by interconnections, feedback loops, and cross-sectoral dynamics that conventional IA methods often overlook. The course also addresses how systems thinking and participatory systems modeling can help counter misinformation, anticipate unintended consequences, identify cumulative effects, and improve the clarity and credibility of IA communication.
Through practical exercises, a semi-real case study, real-world examples, structured tools, and a cross-over activity with two other IAIA courses, participants will be equipped to move beyond linear cause-effect logic and toward adaptive, integrated, and communicable approaches to IA. The course builds capacity not only for technical analysis but also for strategic sense-making and stakeholder dialogue in complex planning and policy contexts.
Level: Advanced
Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of policymaking, planning, and some level of experience in working with IA (i.e., understanding the multitude of sectors that are included in an IA, whether it is an EIA, SEA, CEA, SIA, or other), as the course is about handling and communicating information and complexity. Exhibit openness and readiness to learn about a new methodology and tools for the application in their own work context.
Language: English
Duration: 1 day (18 May)
Min/Max: 7-25
Price: $285
Instructor: Johanna Gordon, Estonian Environment Institute (EKK) (Germany)
Johanna S. Gordon
Johanna S. Gordon, BSc in Environmental Science, MSc in Environmental Management and Physical Planning, Stockholm University, former Lecturer and Researcher at the Department of Natural Science, Design and Sustainable Development, Mid Sweden University, Östersund.
After working in the German media industry for many years, Johanna turned to environmental science where she discovered her passion for complex environmental systems and cumulative effects. Her main interest is the identification, analysis and communication of complex interrelationships and cumulative effects in environmental, social, and economic processes for the development of sustainable policies and decisions. During her several years as a consultant for WSP, Stockholm, Sweden, she developed the idea of applying systems thinking and qualitative modelling to complex environmental and social issues in the context of EIA and SEA. After a short stint back in the media world, where she applied systems thinking to the restructuring of a large media company in Leipzig, she took up her current position as a lecturer and researcher in sustainability and systems thinking at Mid Sweden University in Östersund. Since then, Johanna has been involved in several research projects, continuously exploring the application of dynamic systems models in various projects in different areas of planning, e.g., rail and road projects (Effective and Efficient Environmental Assessment in Transport Planning (Verkningsfull och effektiv miljöbedömning i transportplaneringen (VEM)) and wind energy (Ventos Terrae: Recognising conflict potential and resolution efficiency in wind power) as well as the EU project BioValue.