Combining soft systems methodology and the process outcome model for the evaluation of location based services in South Africa
Wiid, Sean & Michael Barry
Aspects of soft systems method have been applied to evaluating cadastral systems in South Africa by the second author. This paper represents extensions of this work into the area of evaluating spatial information and positioning technology in uncertain situations. This theory in turn is contributing to a theoretical framework which is being developed to guiding the implementation of technological tools for land administration. The ever-increasing pervasiveness of Science and Technology (S&T) in society has led to questions concerning the contribution and value of S&T, and to what extent a particular innovation, invention, product, theory or technological development affects society. The attempt to answer these questions has led to the development of evaluation methodologies to provide a structured approach to this process of inquiry. In most cases, evaluation methodology can be classified as either fundamentally holistic or reductionist in its approach. In the context of evaluating Location Based Services (LBS) in South Africa, a conceptual framework was developed to combine the holistic, systems thinking approach of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) and the reductionist approach of quantitative and qualitative metrics embodied in the Process-Outcomes model. The conceptual framework allows for a model of evaluation to be constructed that draws on the desirable aspects of both methodologies. This paper discusses the pertinent aspects of SSM and the Process-Outcomes model, proposes theoretical connections between the methodologies and constructs a framework to combine them. Finally, the paper explains how the conceptual framework was used to evaluate LBS in South Africa, from the perspective of a network operator, in its technological, social, economic and organisational contexts.
Event: 5th FIG Regional Conference for Africa : Promoting Land Administration and Good Governance
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