Model-Based Policy Making with System Dynamics

Complex policy problems—energy transition, digital transformation, supply-chain resilience, sustainability trade-offs—do not fail because of a lack of data. They fail because decisions are made without a coherent understanding of how systems behave over time. The SEMS System Dynamics Workshop 2026 is designed to address precisely this gap.

Organized by the SEMS Laboratory, this workshop focuses on System Dynamics (SD) as a policy design and decision-support discipline, not merely as a modeling technique. It is explicitly structured for engineers, analysts, and policy practitioners who want to use models to inform real decisions, rather than only learning software mechanics.

What This Workshop Is About

This workshop introduces Model-Based Policy Making (MBPM) using System Dynamics as its core analytical framework. Participants are guided through the full policy-modeling workflow, including:

  • Framing policy problems as dynamic systems

  • Translating qualitative insights into causal loop structures

  • Building and testing stock-and-flow models

  • Designing and comparing policy scenarios

  • Interpreting results for decision making and communication

The learning design combines:

  • Conceptual learning through structured online materials

  • Hands-on laboratory sessions (hybrid mode) focused on real modeling tasks

  • Quizzes and assignments to ensure conceptual mastery

  • A certificate of completion for participants who complete all required components

The workshop is offered free of charge, with limited enrollment (25 participants) to preserve learning quality and interaction.

Why This Workshop Is Different from Typical SD Workshops

Many System Dynamics workshops focus on how to build models. This workshop focuses on why models matter for policy and how they should be used responsibly. The differences are structural, not cosmetic.

1. Policy-First, Not Software-First

Most SD workshops begin with tools and equations. This workshop begins with policy questions, stakeholder perspectives, and decision contexts. Modeling choices are treated as consequences of policy needs, not the other way around.

Participants learn to ask:

  • What decision is this model supposed to inform?

  • Who will use the results, and how?

  • What behaviors and feedbacks matter most for policy leverage?

2. Emphasis on Dynamic Complexity and Policy Resistance

Rather than static optimization or single-objective analysis, the workshop emphasizes:

  • Feedback loops and nonlinear responses

  • Delays and accumulation effects

  • Unintended consequences and policy resistance

  • Trade-offs across economic, social, and environmental objectives

This perspective is essential for sustainability and energy-transition problems, where “best solutions” often fail once implemented.

3. Integrated View Across the System Life Cycle

The workshop explicitly links system life-cycle thinking with complexity. Participants explore how:

  • Early design and policy assumptions propagate over time

  • Requirements evolve and multiply

  • Performance metrics expand from efficiency to resilience and sustainability

This approach aligns System Dynamics with systems engineering and industrial engineering practice, rather than treating SD as an isolated method.

4. Group Model Building and Communication Skills

Unlike many technically focused workshops, this program introduces Group Model Building (GMB) principles:

  • Facilitating shared understanding among stakeholders

  • Using models as boundary objects for dialogue

  • Presenting results in ways that support policy deliberation

Participants learn not only how to build models, but how to explain, defend, and communicate them to non-technical audiences.

5. Designed for Decision Makers, Analysts, and Engineers

This workshop is not positioned as a generic SD training. It is tailored for:

  • Engineers involved in policy-relevant projects

  • Analysts working on complex socio-technical systems

  • Researchers and graduate students focusing on applied modeling

  • Public-sector professionals interested in evidence-based policy design

The focus is on transferable analytical thinking, not narrow tool proficiency.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Frame complex policy issues as dynamic systems

  • Identify key feedback structures driving system behavior

  • Develop and test policy scenarios using System Dynamics models

  • Interpret simulation results for policy insights, not just technical validation

  • Communicate model-based insights clearly and responsibly

A Workshop in Active Development

This workshop is part of an ongoing SEMS Lab educational development initiative. The January 2026 edition is a prototype implementation, designed to be refined and repeated in future offerings. Participants are not only learners, but contributors to the evolution of a rigorous, policy-oriented SD training program.

In Summary

The SEMS System Dynamics Workshop 2026 is different because it treats System Dynamics as a decision-support and policy-learning discipline, grounded in systems engineering thinking, stakeholder engagement, and real-world complexity. It is not about drawing better diagrams—it is about making better decisions in complex systems.

If you are looking for a workshop that connects modeling to policy relevance, engineering judgment, and sustainability challenges, this program is designed for you.

continue reading

Related Posts