Document: Applying systems thinking to Local Economic Development

In Local Economic Development (LED) calls are often made for a more systematic approach to the analysis of the locality. This call is usually accompanied by the plea to move from small, isolated projects to activities that involve large numbers of stakeholders in the analysis and development of interventions that could improve the locality. Thinking beyond projects to how economic systems work requires a basic understanding of systems thinking. This article will look at some of the principles of systems thinking and will consider how some of these may be applied in a LED context.