Application of a cybernetic methodology to the development of large-scale projects
pp. 273-277
in: Robert L. Flood, Michael C. Jackson, Paul Keys (eds), Systems prospects, Berlin, Springer, 1989Abstract
Emerging from the complexity of large-scale project development there is a series of problems. A few of these will be addressed in this paper, to demonstrate the use of a cybernetic methodology to analyse the development of a large-scale project. Firstly, there is the need to focus the input from various institutions and agencies with their own objectives and views on desirable project outcomes and individual knowledge and experience to contribute. The situation suggests that each viewpoint will only be able to capture part of the complexity implied by the development. Secondly, decision makers will have insufficient capacity to refer to both organisational problems and anticipated changes in the environment. Thirdly, once a project has been selected, there is a need to maintain compatibility of design and handle concurrency (Morris, 1986), that is, when implementation begins before design is complete.