Using systems thinking to better understand risks and protective factors at play for urban Indigenous peoples during COVID-19.

Systems thinking focuses on the dynamic interaction, synchronisation and integration of people, processes and technology to understand an issue. 

Its process is iterative, holistic and enables multiple stakeholder groups to come together to better understand strengths and gaps in a system-wide response.

This study uses systems thinking to explore urban Indigenous communities’ preparedness for COVID-19 in south-east Queensland.

Through workshops, this project will use participatory system dynamics (Community Based System Dynamics) and system thinking’s causal mapping tools to map the causal linkages and feedbacks showing urban indigenous communities engage with the social systems supporting their health and wellbeing.

This study aims to:

• Understand the interactions of urban indigenous individuals and communities with social systems, including housing, health, education and Indigenous cultural events
• Examine how these systems and interactions mitigate or protect the population during COVID-19 and other pandemics
• Identify where linkages and causal pathways exist within systems and interactions that can become leverage points for interventions meant to strengthen the system.

We will use the causal understandings and identified leverage points to synergise interventions and design better policy to address the vulnerabilities and protect the health of urban indigenous communities. Study findings will be reported widely to ensure other urban Indigenous communities’ benefit.

Funding

Paul Ramsay Foundation, through the APPRISE CRE Collaboration ($107,000).