Wholesystems

Wholesystems is a term used in systems thinking to describe approaches that study or manage complex systems by focusing on the whole and the interactions among parts, rather than on components in isolation. It emphasizes boundaries, structure, and dynamics, including feedback loops, stocks and flows, and non-linear relationships. The concept draws on general systems theory and cybernetics and is applied across fields such as ecology, engineering, urban planning, public health, and organizational development. The central claim is that system behavior emerges from the network of interconnections and that boundary choices can shape outcomes as much as individual elements.

Key concepts in wholesystems thinking include defining system boundaries and scope, recognizing interdependencies, understanding feedback and delays, and examining adaptation and resilience. Practitioners often use modeling and visualization tools such as causal loop diagrams, stock-and-flow models, and agent-based simulations to represent how variables influence one another over time. Applications range from designing sustainable cities and integrated healthcare systems to environmental management and education programs that involve multiple stakeholders and sectors.

Benefits of the approach include a more comprehensive understanding of how actions propagate through a system, improved policy coherence, and interventions that account for indirect effects and emergent properties. Critics note that wholesystems approaches can be data-intensive, conceptually ambiguous, and challenging to implement due to complexity and the need to choose boundaries carefully. Proponents argue that the framework supports adaptive, participatory problem solving and helps align goals across diverse domains.

See also: systems thinking, general systems theory, holistic design.