From a Search for Intrinsic Value to Persistent Systems: The Deductive Development of TEQR

This presentation describes the deductive development of TEQR (Time–Energy–Quality–Risk), a structured framework for interrogating proposed change in persistent systems.  Rather than beginning as an attempt to develop a systems methodology, the work originated from an unrelated question in economics: Does intrinsic value exist, and if so, how might it be defined? Following this line of inquiry unexpectedly led to four recurring concepts—Time, Energy, Quality and Risk—which appeared consistently across diverse domains.  The presentation introduces the ontology underlying TEQR, including persistent systems, entities, populations, Quality–Risk Points (QRP) and Quality–Risk Envelopes (QRE), before demonstrating how the framework structures questioning around proposed change.  Three worked examples, drawn from ecology and engineering, illustrate how the same questioning framework can be applied consistently across very different persistent systems to expose assumptions, identify evidence gaps, reveal important interactions and highlight potential risks before discipline-specific analysis begins.  The presentation does not claim to provide definitive answers or replace existing systems methodologies. Instead, it offers TEQR as an evolving conceptual framework intended to support structured interrogation of change and stimulate discussion amongst systems practitioners.