July 29
This course invites participants to explore how individual stories can illuminate the inner workings of complex systems. Through a qualitative lens, participants will learn to collect rich narrative data and use journey mapping techniques to trace how people move through and interact with systems—whether in healthcare, education, public services, or community life.
Participants will engage story-based systems analysis with systems thinking as a framework for understanding how personal experiences reflect broader structural dynamics. By constructing visual maps of systems and overlaying them with direct quotes and story elements from individual narratives, participants will uncover patterns, barriers, and feedback loops that often remain hidden in traditional analysis. These visualizations become tools not only for insight but for advocacy and change.
The course emphasizes data collection methods such as interviewing and story elicitation, while also introducing strategies for analyzing, interpreting, and presenting findings. Participants will learn to diagnose system-level issues by identifying recurring themes and tensions within individual narratives, and to communicate their insights through compelling visual and narrative formats.
Using story-based systems analysis equips researchers to surface actionable insights, support structural transformation, and contribute meaningfully to research, policy, and practice.
