CATWOE & CATDOG(Z)
Consider the best practices when applying a framework, like the Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) toolkit. For this study, we look to CATWOE analysis to generate insights into the situation and underlying systems. Before committing to developing any solutions, we want the project team members to agree on the constraints regarding existing systems.
However, its application can vary from one situation to the next. Teams that interpret the components differently or have different experiences or views grounded in a cultural background will understand implementation differently. We can expect delayed or stalled projects with stakeholders on separate pages. Also, CATWOE is an amorphous acronym for:
Customer—Actor—Transformation—Worldview (Weltanschauung)—Owners—Environmental.
A best practice is for project members to explicitly define and interpret how to apply the tool, establishing agreement on definitions. CATWOE is a general model for purposeful systems.1For this study, we abstract CATWOE to CATDOG. We look to Domain (knowledge). This ‘D’ replaces worldview, ‘W’, as a finite list of topics giving a world view. The idea of Gestalt sits in place of Environmental constraints. This ‘G’ reflects environmental constraints factored as group goals. We also want to acknowledge the zeitgeist where applicable. This document explores the purpose of these revisions in the study context.
Footnotes
(Smyth and Checkland, 1976; cited in Checkland, 1989)↩︎