From model results to implementation: the case of Mohair Value Chain Sustainability Project

The system dynamics approach is versatile enough to be applied in a variety of fields. Conventional fields include research, business and public administration (Brent, et al., 2017) – in topics including everything from agriculture to motivation. Depending on the type of project and stakeholders involved, project success and desired output can be defined in a plethora of ways by each different stakeholder type. Assuming a system dynamicist produces a high quality validated model, other expert modellers, as well as academic reviewers of journals would usually receive it well. A positive reception is seldom contingent on whether the real problem was captured or whether the model resulted in any implemented change. Instead of focussing on academic dissemination of the system dynamics model and structural insights gained, this objective is to demonstrate an exploratory stakeholder engagement process of moving from system dynamics model results to implementation in practice. The paper describes a case highlighting that the technical quality of a system dynamics model is not the only criteria defining the success of a system dynamics simulation project. The paper argues that literature on applied system dynamics should not exclusively focus on the structure of models developed but also incorporate how model results or ensuing insights should be implemented in practice.