This article is written by Chris Thomson, Head of Clyde Mission at the Scottish Government

The problem: Mission thinking and systems thinking can dovetail together well Why it matters: Cross-theory thinking can unlock new ideas and opportunities The solution: Fellowships such as those offered by the Royal Academy of Engineering encourage people out of their silos

Having been working on a mission-oriented approach to place-based economic development for over a year now, I have developed an interest in the systems which underpin the economic structures in society, which the mission approach (as outlined by Professor Mariana Mazzucato in her publications on missions such as “The Entrepreneurial State” and “Mission Economy”) suggests we must engage with to make a real difference on the most difficult societal problems.

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I was alerted to the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Policy Fellowship by a colleague who had read an article about the programme and was aware that I was working on a mission-oriented approach. Whilst I saw the links between missions and systems, I didn’t immediately understand what engineering could offer me as a policy professional in a non-technical context.

However, after looking into this a little more, I learned more about the programme, which offers an intensive professional development programme to support better evidence-based policymaking through engineering perspectives and systems approaches. The Academy selects policymakers three times a year to become Policy Fellows and connect them with leaders in engineering to develop skills in areas such as systems thinking.

Unlocking new thinking

After applying to the programme by outlining the nature of my policy challenge (a mission-based approach to place-based economic rejuvenation, and with a personal focus on flood risk on the River Clyde), I was delighted to be accepted as a 2021 Policy Fellow, one of a cohort of six taken on in Spring 2021 from the Scottish Government, UK Research and Investment, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and Westminster City Council.

Over the last few months I’ve had the ability to connect with the other Policy Fellows, as well as previous cohorts – and have been inspired by their challenges, their insight and their approaches. Moreover, I’ve been able to tap into an amazing array of world-leading engineering and systems expertise through workshops and a series of bespoke one-to-one sessions with Royal Academy Fellows from around the world and across a range of disciplines.

The ability to spend time with these experts, and the networks which they have introduced me to, has helped me to understand some of my policy challenges from a systems perspective. Through intensive dialogue with academic and practical experts, and facilitated reflection sessions with the support group at the Royal Academy I was able to gain insights about the nature of disagreement and consensus (is the answer really different, or are we all considering the same question?), about the importance of shared narratives, and the requirement to take time to re-frame questions and gain a deeper understanding of problems before we start to design solutions and about the opportunities ideas such as “serious games” give to help people consider systems impacts. Some of these insights came gradually, and some were “lightbulb moments” in discussions where a new idea or approach suddenly became obvious to me as we spoke.

Systems thinking and missions methodology

Systems thinking fits neatly with the mission-based approach championed by Mariana Mazzucato, whose team at University College London we have worked closely throughout the development of Clyde Mission. Professor Mazzucato often talks about working across specialisms and sectors, and the systems approach will almost always lead across traditional disciplinary lines, across responsibilities, powers and resources.

Missions methodology is, in part, a way of utilising systems. It requires that you see and engage with the systems underlying the areas you want to direct change in. This programme has helped me not only to get a greater understanding of how systems work, but how to work with them, rather than against them. As systems thinking pioneer and author Donella Meadows said: we must discover how the system’s properties and our values can work together to do more than we could by our own will alone.

The programme has been hugely helpful for me. I’ve started to develop a systems-based approach to my work, and to think about how this can support the wider work of my team. As a starting point, we are going to use a systems mapping approach with partners on Clyde Mission to understand and re-frame traditionally tricky problems that we face, such as repurposing vacant and derelict land, engaging with communities to make better places and spaces, climate adaptation, our role in net zero – and how all of this can contribute to inclusive economic growth.

I’ve got more to do with the Royal Academy of Engineering, and I look forward to joining their alumni programme once my fellowship work is completed. I do reflect on how I might not have even started this work if it wasn’t for a colleague realising that there was an opportunity to learn from other disciplines, and would encourage other policy professionals to think outside the box for inspiration and ideas as they develop their own approach to difficult policy problems. – Chris Thomson

__The Royal Academy of Engineering are accepting applications for their next Policy Fellowship cohort until 5th July 2021. __

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