Group modelling for understanding

The involvement of stakeholder groups in organisational change efforts seems a fertile application area for GSS. In an action research study at the Amsterdam Municipal Police Force, we investigated the use of electronic meetings software and joint modelling facilities for the construction of models of the police force's current situation. The findings of this study explores and illustrates the potential of two particular GSSs, Group Systems V and Team Graphics, to facilitate organisational change both in terms of efficiency and in quality of the resulting models. As a result, the stakeholders involved in the group modelling activities agreed on a shared model of the organisation's current situation and on the issues that have to be dealt with in subsequent design efforts.