16 / 40
14
WHOLE-OF-SYSTEMS APPROACH
Taking a whole-of-systems approach to our
work starts with our careful consideration
of the complexity of a situation or issue.
Challenges and issues in remote Australia are
a system that can be understood at a local
level. However, to develop solutions, we also
need to understand the issue within the wider
policy, economic, social and environmental
context of remote Australia.
Our experience in remote Australia has taught
us that a picture of a system is best built with
knowhow from different sources, reflecting
different experiences and knowledges, including:
•
local knowledge held by consumers
and citizens
•
evidence-based knowledge held
by researchers
•
policy and administrative knowledge held
by governments, service providers and
non-government organisations.
We believe in seeing the whole subject, not
just its component parts, and we do this by
building multidisciplinary teams.
At all stages of our work, we interact with
local communities.
Community input is central to the
quality of research and our research
translation outcomes.
Our approach is also based on an
understanding of Desert Syndrome,
which is integral to the social and physical
environments of remote Australia.