12-Day Intensive Programme for Working Participants | December 2026 – January 2027
Programme purpose
An intensive introduction to Systems Thinking, drawing on Peter Senge’s The Fifth Discipline and STRLDi’s established Systems Thinking curriculum.
The programme is designed to give participants a working understanding of Systems Thinking concepts, principles, tools and system archetypes. It will enable them to recognise systemic behaviour, understand recurring patterns and participate meaningfully in conversations about complex organisational, economic and societal challenges.
The 12 days will provide a foundation across the Systems Thinking toolkit. They will not, on their own, establish full practitioner competency. That develops through subsequent involvement in research, strategy development and the conduct of training.
Programme schedule
- Duration: 12 intensive training days
- Daily schedule: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Training commitment: 8 hours per day
- Total programme time: 96 hours
- Intended participants: Working adults, particularly professionals and individuals aged 50 and above.
- Delivery: Intensive, structured and application-oriented.
Course outline
| Day | Systems Thinking content |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to The Fifth Discipline; Detail versus Dynamic Complexity; Seeing Circles of Causality |
| 2 | The 11 Laws of Dynamic Complexity – understanding |
| 3 | The 11 Laws of Dynamic Complexity – understanding |
| 4 | The 11 Laws of Dynamic Complexity – understanding |
| 5 | The 11 Laws – recognising their operation in real situations |
| 6 | System Archetypes – introduction and identification |
| 7 | Success to the Successful; Limits to Success |
| 8 | Drifting Goals; Escalation |
| 9 | Fixes that Backfire; Growth and Underinvestment |
| 10 | Accidental Adversaries; Balancing Loop with Delays |
| 11 | Shifting the Burden; Tragedy of the Commons |
| 12 | Tragedy of the Commons; Integrated application using Systems Thinking tools to examine the Botswana unemployment study |
Financial contribution
P1,000 per four lessons.
Total for 12 lessons: P3,000 per participant.
