Browsing by Author "Hilton, Jeremy"

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    5 year public health impacts of an urban greenway, Belfast, Northern Ireland: Causal Loop Diagram (Abstract no diagram)
    (Oxford University Press, 2023-10-24) Hunter, R.; Garcia, L.; Clewley, Natalie; Hafezi, Mehdi; Hilton, Jeremy
    Background The development of large scale urban green space infrastructure, such as a new urban greenway, provokes a cascade of changes abating a series of public health impacts, in the realms of: health, society, economy and the environment. The relationships between these factors sustain reciprocal and dynamic influence with potential to generate a virtuous cycle. However, such long-term impacts and their inter-relationships are poorly understood. Methods We aimed to co-develop a shared understanding of the public health impacts of the Connswater Community Greenway with multi-sectoral stakeholders 5 years post-implementation. Objectives were to (a) build shared understanding of the complex system influencing the public health impact of the Connswater Community Greenway, and (b) identify and explore priorities, opportunities, and actions to improve future impacts. We undertook Group Model Building workshops with people representing relevant stakeholders involved in the development and/or maintenance of the Connswater Community Greenway, and local residents living on or along the greenway. Results 23 participants were involved in the workshop included local governmental agencies, local residents, advocacy groups, private sector, and researchers. Stakeholders produced a systems map detailing the public health impacts of the Connswater Community Greenway 5 years post-implementation. Key impacts included increased in mental wellbeing, sense of community pride, increased biodiversity, increased economic investment in the local area. Participants identified a range of priority actions that, in their view, could impact and help reshape the system and influence the future impacts of the greenway. Conclusions The CLD was reflective of the various stakeholders’ experience, knowledge, perceptions, and views about the factors, and the inter-relationships between these factors, of the public health impact of the Connswater Community Greenway at 5 years post-implementation. Key messages • Systems thinking approaches can help identify the public health impacts and plausible causal pathways of green space interventions. • 5 year impacts of an urban greenway included improvements in the realms of health, wellbeing, the environment, the economy and society.
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    Appraising the implementation of complexity approaches within the public health sector in Scotland. An assessment framework for pre-implementation policy evaluation
    (Frontiers, 2021-09-22) Zucca, Claudia; Long, Emily; Hilton, Jeremy; McCann, Mark
    Complexity approaches have gained international attention as potentially effective strategies to address population health challenges. In light of this, the Scottish government (Scot. Gov.) set the implementation of these approaches as the recommended practice for its public health sector organizations. This study evaluates the opportunity and feasibility of implementing complexity approaches in public health Scotland employees' everyday routine by employing a qualitative study that involves 20 stakeholders, representative of different organizations and roles. We made use of an assessment framework based on Soft Systems Methodology (SSm) and Normalization Process Theory (NPT) comprised of five phases: Phase One defines the boundaries, aims, and goals of the issue under study; Phase Two consists of data collection, drawing on the e-Health Implementation Toolkit (e-HIT); Phase Three involves short presentations and breakout group activities to provide information on the new policy; Phase Four employs system thinking tasks to structure debate and builds shared understanding among participants; Phase Five applies NPT to appraise the organizational position around complexity based on information from the preceding steps. We found two main obstacles to implementing complexity approaches: (1) a lack of a shared understanding of the key concepts in complexity and their practical implications; (2) stakeholders' fear of significant disruption to work routines and power relationships. We recommend addressing these issues with appropriate training and customization of goals and tools that may enable complexity approaches to succeed within the Scottish public health context. Our assessment framework allows the recognition of key mechanisms to support how Scotland's Public Health body can enhance the implementation of complexity approaches. The appraisal framework could be used to study early-stage policy implementation in other contexts.
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    The Boundaries of Flow: when the balance between a person’s challenges and capabilities becomes imbalanced, an empirical investigation of the relationship between subjective experience, capabilities and challenge.
    (2022-08) Forsyth, Tim; Hilton, Jeremy; Dodd, Lorraine
    The problematic situation this doctoral research project investigates concerns how the quality of a person’s lived subjective experience is affected by differing degrees of challenge: a product of pressures and demands that overwhelm a person’s knowledge, skills and experience (capability). The cost of stress and the ways stress make people vulnerable to illness is well documented. Therefore, the purpose of this doctoral research project is – to identify the thresholds (points) where the balance between challenges and capability moves to imbalance. This study uses Flow Theory and Complex Systems Theory as the foundation for this research. A literature review of flow theory pertaining to the research problem identified deficiencies in the models, methods and practices. As a result, the project is divided into two sections. The first section developed a new synthesised model of experience using an innovative suite of methods. The insights gained from this model were used to inform the second phase of the research project. The second phase utilises a novel multi-paradigmatic design strategy grounded in a realist philosophy of science. This approach facilitated the development of a quasi-experimental protocol and construct elicitation method to investigate the individual participant's subjective experience of varying degrees of challenge in the sensory and affective domains, respectively. This project contributes to the knowledge gap in two distinct yet complementary ways. Firstly, the research identified a relational link between challenge and subjective experience. Secondly, as experienced by the individual, challenge is incremental and cumulative. Moreover, this doctoral research project realises the overarching research objective by developing a codebook and a new synthesised model of experience. When the model and codebook are combined, they can identify when a person’s challenges and capabilities are aligned and misaligned through the various instances and absences of experiential states. This contribution represents a proof of concept. Future work is required to develop the method's applicability in organisational environments to support and enhance people’s lived experience of work.
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    Chapter 10: cyber security and knowledge management
    (Routledge, 2021-11-29) Darby, Roger; Dodd, Lorraine; Hilton, Jeremy
    This chapter discusses fundamental assumptions relating to concepts that are central to Cyber Defence as they need to be understood by organisations for purposes of cyber resilience and security. The ability to understand and anticipate your organisation’s part in an increasingly complex operating environment plays a key role in its continued survival. The chapter argues that the utility of the key asset of knowledge, and the management of this vital resource, plays a major role in the success or failure of this necessary objective. It is axiomatic that knowledge sharing has many comparable benefits for organisations and individuals. The chapter further argues that systemic risk and cyber threats challenge existing paradigms for managing data, information and knowledge and suggests that a more radical approach to gaining and sharing knowledge is a requirement to remaining organisationally agile in the fast-moving, technologically advanced wider defence and security sector. The defence sector now acknowledges data, information and knowledge as strategic assets, therefore it needs to be more organisationally aware and place Knowledge Management at the centre of its strategic management approach to cyber resilience, to be enhanced rather than compromised by powerful IT systems.
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    A framework for systems thinking practice
    (Cranfield University, 2022-09-15) Clewley, Natalie; Forsyth, Tim; Dodd, Lorraine; Hilton, Jeremy
    This paper provides a novel model/framework for OR practitioners to approach and engage in complex situations. Developed over many years by the Systems Thinking Practice team at Cranfield University, this framework builds upon and complements previous multi-methodology theory (Jackson, 2019; Mingers & Brocklesby, 1997) and draws from new methodological developments in philosophy of science (Blaikie & Priest, 2017). Reflective Practice lies at the heart of good systems intervention (Churchman, 1979; Dodd, 2018; Hoverstadt, 2022; Jackson, 2019). The proposed framework uses Reflective Practice as the conduit that coheres three interrelated and interdependent domains: the practitioner-academic interface; systems tools and methods; and philosophical perspectives. The intersection of these three domains highlights additional challenge areas that practitioners need to be aware of. At the intersection of Philosophy and Method is a new methodology that links the ‘whats’ and ‘hows’ (Checkland, 1999, p. 163). At the intersection of Practitioner and Method, the practitioner must balance the selection of methods in conjunction with their previous experience, skills and preference for individual tools, in such a way as to be mindful of any biases. The intersection between Practitioner and Philosophy is grounded in the lower levels of the Iceberg Model (Hall, 1976) where the practitioner should be mindful of (and potentially surface) any personal beliefs and values that may inhibit the appreciation of other perspectives. Currently, we apply this model/framework in research in Public Health, Defence and Security and Organisational Resilience; also, in teaching a new generation of systems thinking practitioners who will go on to be active members within the OR community. Going forward, our intention is to generate a set of principles to support practitioners engaging with complex situations within OR.
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    GroundsWell: Community-engaged and data-informed systems transformation of Urban Green and Blue Space for population health – a new initiative
    (Taylor and Francis, 2022-09-20) Hunter, Ruth F.; Rodgers, Sarah E.; Hilton, Jeremy
    Natural environments, such as parks, woodlands and lakes, have positive impacts on health and wellbeing. Urban Green and Blue Spaces (UGBS), and the activities that take place in them, can significantly influence the health outcomes of all communities, and reduce health inequalities. Improving access and quality of UGBS needs understanding of the range of systems (e.g. planning, transport, environment, community) in which UGBS are located. UGBS offers an ideal exemplar for testing systems innovations as it reflects place-based and whole society processes, with potential to reduce non-communicable disease (NCD) risk and associated social inequalities in health. UGBS can impact multiple behavioural and environmental aetiological pathways. However, the systems which desire, design, develop, and deliver UGBS are fragmented and siloed, with ineffective mechanisms for data generation, knowledge exchange and mobilisation. Further, UGBS need to be co-designed with and by those whose health could benefit most from them, so they are appropriate, accessible, valued and used well. This paper describes a major new prevention research programme and partnership, GroundsWell, which aims to transform UGBS-related systems by improving how we plan, design, evaluate and manage UGBS so that it benefits all communities, especially those who are in poorest health. We use a broad definition of health to include physical, mental, social wellbeing and quality of life. Our objectives are to transform systems so that UGBS are planned, developed, implemented, maintained and evaluated with our communities and data systems to enhance health and reduce inequalities. GroundsWell will use interdisciplinary, problem-solving approaches to accelerate and optimise community collaborations among citizens, users, implementers, policymakers and researchers to impact research, policy, practice and active citizenship. GroundsWell will be shaped and developed in three pioneer cities (Belfast, Edinburgh, Liverpool) and their regional contexts, with embedded translational mechanisms to ensure that outputs and impact have UK-wide and international application. Keywords
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    A multifaceted evaluation of the reference model of information assurance & security
    (Elsevier, 2016-11) Cherdantseva, Yulia; Hilton, Jeremy; Rana, Omer; Irvins, Wendy
    The evaluation of a conceptual model, which is an outcome of a qualitative research, is an arduous task due to the lack of a rigorous basis for evaluation. Overcoming this challenge, the paper at hand presents a detailed example of a multifaceted evaluation of a Reference Model of Information Assurance & Security (RMIAS), which summarises the knowledge acquired by the Information Assurance & Security community to date in one all-encompassing model. A combination of analytical and empirical evaluation methods is exploited to evaluate the RMIAS in a sustained way overcoming the limitations of separate methods. The RMIAS is analytically evaluated regarding the quality criteria of conceptual models and compared with existing models. Twenty-six semi-structured interviews with IAS experts are conducted to test the merit of the RMIAS. Three workshops and a case study are carried out to verify the practical value of the model. The paper discusses the evaluation methodology and evaluation results.
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    Relating the cultural iceberg to organisations and information warfare
    (International Command and Control (C2) Institute, 2021-10-28) Hilton, Jeremy
    The Iceberg as initially proposed by Schein is often used when considering organizational culture and to try to understand what leads to visible behaviors and actions through surfacing the assumptions, values and beliefs that led to the selection of strategies, goals etc. When considering C2 in a contested environment, decision-making should never take place without fully understanding the context within which the decisions are being made. From all that is observable, we select those aspects that interest us and interpret them in our personal context and give them meaning accordingly. We will draw conclusions having applied our existing assumptions, frequently without acknowledging them, and develop beliefs based on these conclusions. Finally, we take actions that seem right in our context. The actions we may take will be from our personal repertoire according to the means available to us, the strength of our drive (motivation), and any constraints or restraints imposed on us. However, we need to see the ‘other’ by standing in their shoes and seek to understand their beliefs, values, motivations, and drives. We need to understand the impact of their organizational structures and technology on their courses of action. However, we also need to recognize they are doing the same to us, so we also need to look within to assess as best as possible those actions being taken against us to influence our beliefs, values, motivations, structures, and technological enablers. Finally, we explore what the impact on organization and C2 approaches and the challenges that need to be addressed. This is the critical understanding we need to achieve success.