[DSRP Evidence](https://dsrpevidence.org/)

# Systems Thinking for Project Management? Risky Not To

Ackermann F, 2023, Journal of Systems Thinking 3(1):1-13 — Business & Management

Patterns: [Relationships](https://dsrpevidence.org/pattern/relationships), [Perspectives](https://dsrpevidence.org/pattern/perspectives)

## In short

Argues that systems thinking can help projects avoid the cost and schedule overruns common around the world.

## What they found (results)

Successful risk management means capturing a wide array of risks, the interactions and dynamics between them, and the breadth of stakeholders — and the three impact one another, which is itself systemic.

## What they set out to do (purpose)

A chapter examining how systems thinking can reduce the overruns projects experience globally, illustrated with causal mapping.

## Abstract

Adopting system thinking concepts within the realm of project management may assist in avoiding or at least reducing the significant overruns being experienced by projects across the globe. This chapter examines this premise and considers this from three aspects. The first is actively incorporating the views of a range of project stakeholders. This inclusion not only ensures the capture of a wide array of risks but also enables ‘buy in’ and alignment of direction, thus attending to arguments that stakeholder management is a critical component of successful projects. In addition, the chapter considers how systems thinking can add significant value through attending to the capture of the interactive nature of risks and the dynamics of risk – the continuous changing of composition and salience over time.The chapter briefly notes the evolution of tools and techniques for assisting project managers in taking a systemic view focusing on one particular technique, causal mapping, to provide illustration. The chapter concludes with the view that not only is it important to capture i) a wide array of risks, ii) interactions between risks and iii) breadth of stakeholders but that each of these aspects impact one another adding a further systemic factor.

These researchers were not testing DSRP. The finding is theirs; the correspondence to DSRP is drawn by this site.

[Source](https://doi.org/10.54120/jost.0000017)