As part of the formal assessment for the programme you are required to submit an Understanding Systems assignment. Please refer to your Student Handbook for full details of the programme assessment scheme and general information on preparing and submitting assignments.

You are required show the word count on the front page

You will be penalised if you are significantly over this limit

Upon completion of this assignment learners will be able to:

1. Will be able to identify what a system is and how systems approach relates to

2. Will be able to differentiate the 'hard' and 'soft' systems approach to analysis and design.

3. Will be able to critically appraise the role of models in systemic analysis.

4. Able to produce and evaluate a systemic analysis. General Hospital is a public owned and administered hospital that provides hospital services for a population of 300,000 people. The Hospital reports to the Regional Health Authority, The Regional Health Authority reports to the Health Service Chief Executive and the Chief Executive reports to the Government Minister of Health. The general Hospital is managed by an executive board which has roles such as chief executive, finance director, medical director and nursing director, there are also two representatives of the community.

The hospital has eight wards each with twenty four beds. It operates an Accident and Emergency unit. It has an intensive care unit which has eight beds. The hospital has three operating theatres.

The hospital provides a full range of clinical specialities, out patients department and services such as physiotherapy.

1. Identify a possible system of interest from the General Hospital case study. For each system identified describe the system components - input/output, transformation, feedback, boundary, environment, hierarchy.

2. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your system definition.

3. For the system of interest identified in question 1 produce a CATWOE and a Root Definition.

4. Identify the possible stakeholders and stakeholder groups for the hospital. For each stakeholder/stakeholder group identify state their possible perspective.

5. Discuss the role models play in a systemic analysis, identifying their strengths and weaknesses.

6. To produce an effective analysis of a situation the use of soft systems approach is more effective than a hard systems approach. Discuss this statement.