About SCiO

Group of participants in training What is SCiO?

SCiO (Systems and Complexity in Organisation) is a community of systems practitioners who believe that traditional approaches to running organisations are no longer capable of dealing with the complexity and turbulence faced by organisations today and are responsible for many of the problems we see today. We believe that systemic approaches to designing and running organisations offer radically new and better alternatives, regardless of whether those organisations are in industry, commerce, public service or the voluntary sector, or are associated with public institutions active in those social spheres.


SCiO has three main objectives:

  • Developing practice in applying systems ideas to a range of organisational issues
  • Disseminating the use of systems approaches in dealing with organisational issues
  • Supporting practitioners in their professional practice 

Many systems practitioners can feel isolated in their organisations. SCiO provides a way to talk to and get support from a wide range of like minded people and see how they are addressing similar challenges.

SCiO is a social enterprise and operates internationally. SCiO is identified by the UK Institute of Apprenticeships as the professional body for systems thinking practice.

Trainer teaching groupWhat does SCiO do?

SCiO provides opportunities for practitioners to learn and develop new practice, to build relationships and networks. We run a range of events and forums internationally.

We provide a professional accreditation scheme for systems practitioners.

Currently there are groups active in the UK, Netherlands, Belgium and DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and a group forming in the Middle east. Each group runs its own events and organises its own schedule - see the group pages or the events page for more details.

  • SCiO groups provide a mixture of presentations, site visits, workshops, discussions and networking. Currently these meetings are online where possible.
  • SCiO provides a programme of approach-specific courses and workshops, to embed principles and practice, open to members and non-members.
  • Common Interest Groups look at new practice or developing learning about a particular area of interest, e.g. systems interventions in the public sector, or systemic approaches to enterprise architecture.
  • A website with access to resources and a discussion forum

Benefits of Membership

Membership of SCiO offers a way to engage in developing new approaches to managing organisations. Becoming a full member of SCiO helps to support the community and its activities.
Membership provides access to a number of activities including:

  • Professional qualifications – SCiO operates a professional certification scheme for practitioners at all levels of experience that is tied into the competency framework, which you can use both to demonstrate your level of expertise and plan your future professional development.
  • A competency framework relevant to Systems Thinking practice, available for any practitioner to self-assess, that supports the UK’s England & Wales Masters’ level apprenticeship,
  • Development and discussion meetings where you can draw on the resources, skills, experience and knowledge of other members to help you on problem issues
  • Common Interest Groups where you can work with others to develop systemic approaches to your particular area of interest or practice
  • Reductions on Career development courses and workshops,
  • Access to members-only material in Resources on the website (particularly videos of Open Meetings)
  • The SCiO online discussion forum

SCiO Global board members

  • Chair - Patrick Hoverstadt (UK)
  • Secretary/Treasurer/Membership/Online - Steve Hales
  • Jan Beyen (Belgium)
  • Jan de Visch (Belgium)
  • Michael Frahm (DACH)
  • Carola Roll (DACH)
  • Namrata Arora (India)
  • Joan O'Donnell (Ireland)
  • Ed van der Winden (Netherlands)
  • Frans Leijse (Netherlands)
  • Miguel Pantaleon (Spain)
  • Mouza Almansouri (UAE)
  • Tony Korycki (UK)