Service Design for Resilience - A Multi-Contextual Modeling Perspective

At a Glance

Metadata	Details
Publication Date	2020-01-01
Journal	IEEE Access
Authors	Monica Drăgoicea, Leonard Walletzký, Luca Carrubbo, Nabil Georges Badr, Angeliki Maria Toli
Institutions	University of Salerno, Masaryk University
Citations	26
Analysis	Full AI Review Included

Executive Summary

Core Value Proposition: Introduction of a conceptual framework, the Four Diamonds-of-Context Model (4DocMod), designed to integrate resilience as a fundamental input requirement during the design phase of public services, particularly within Smart City ecosystems.
Systems Perspective: The methodology employs a Systems Thinking (ST) and Viable Systems Approach (VSA) lens to analyze complex service ecosystems, focusing on multi-contextual interactions among Actors (Agents).
4DocMod Functionality: The model consists of four design artifacts (See, Recognize, Organize, Do) used to analyze, decompose, and design services by accommodating various stakeholders’ perspectives and contexts.
Resilience Definition: Resilience is defined not merely as a request or a context, but as a system property (capacity to withstand, absorb, and adapt) that must be provisioned at the information service design level to ensure continuity of operations.
Practical Application: The framework’s utility is demonstrated through two case studies related to the COVID-19 pandemic: the Chi COVID Coach Information Service (CHCIS) and the South Korea COVID Information Services (SKCIS).
Key Finding: Achieving system resilience relies on understanding the connections between elements and contexts, enabling rapid reconfiguration and adaptation (bouncing forward) rather than simple restoration (bouncing back).

Technical Specifications

The paper is conceptual and focuses on service modeling; therefore, specifications relate to the model’s structure and function rather than physical material properties.

Parameter (Design Artefact)	Value (Purpose)	Unit (Role in System)	Context (Focus)
4DocMod	Multi-Contextual Service Model	Conceptual Framework	Public Service Design for Resilience
See Diamond	Describe situation in Actor’s view	Attention Focusing	Individual perception (Object, Operation, Rule)
Recognize Diamond	Understand multiple stakeholders’ views	Cognitive Elements	Merging item Manifestations across different Contexts
Organize Diamond	Analyze Agents’ behavior	Agent-Team Organization	Defining Goals, Actions, and Flows
Do Diamond	Understand service design in many contexts	Predictive Behavior	Finalizing Service design based on Requirement and Context
Resilience Input	Capacity to adapt under different configurations	Goal Breakdown Structure (GBS)	Requirement for Service Continuity
System Attribute	Continuity of Operations (PMEFs)	Performance Metric	Maintenance of essential functions (e.g., < 12 hours disruption)

Key Methodologies

The methodology is based on a multi-contextual design approach using the 4DocMod framework, interpreted through a Systems Thinking lens.

Conceptual Grounding: Service design is explored using Systems Thinking (ST) and the Viable Systems Approach (VSA) to provide a holistic view of service ecosystems and viability.
Contextual Decomposition: The service environment is broken down into multiple, interconnected Contexts, distinguishing the objective Environment (rules, laws) from the subjective Context (personal perceptions, interactions).
Stakeholder Perspective Mapping (See & Recognize Diamonds):
- The See diamond captures the individual Actor’s modeling of reality (Object, Category, Operation, Rule).
- The Recognize diamond merges these individual perspectives, identifying how the same Item manifests differently across various Contexts, crucial for reducing uncertainty.
Agent Behavior Analysis (Organize Diamond): Focus shifts to Agents (Actors/Organizations) to understand their motivation (Goal) and execution (Activity, Action, Flow) within the multi-contextual environment.
Service Design Finalization (Do Diamond): This step connects the Requirement (derived from the Goal) to the Service design, ensuring the system’s adaptability is based on the Context where the Requirement is defined.
Resilience Integration: Resilience is embedded by ensuring the model reflects the system’s ability to reconfigure (via R-edges connecting elements across contexts) and maintain stability in the face of disruptive events (externality).

Commercial Applications

This conceptual framework is highly relevant for systems engineering and management within the public sector and large organizations focused on continuity and adaptability.

Smart Cities and Urban Systems Management: Designing digital services (e.g., information dashboards, communication platforms) that are inherently resilient to large-scale societal shocks (biological, environmental).
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness: Developing contingency plans and Primary Mission Essential Functions (PMEFs) that leverage multi-contextual data integration for rapid, adaptive response.
E-Governance and Digital Transformation: Structuring new digital public services (like the CHCIS or SKCIS examples) to ensure high reliability, data accuracy, and continuity, even with voluntary user input.
Organizational Strategic Agility: Providing a modeling tool for organizations to reinvent business models and organizational strategies by analyzing how Agents’ Goals and Activities change across different operational contexts.
Knowledge Co-production Frameworks: Establishing systematic methods for gathering, contextualizing, and utilizing tacit knowledge and experience from various Actors (citizens, specialists, public administration) to inform resilient service design.

View Original Abstract

This paper introduces a conceptual framework aiming to broaden the discussion on resilience for the design of public services. From a theoretical point of view, the paper explores service design with a Systems Thinking lens. A multi-contextual perspective aiming to analyze, decompose, and design smart cities services where resilience is an input at the service design level is described and the four diamonds-of-context model for service design (4DocMod) is introduced. This service model accommodates various actors’ contexts in public service design and consists of four design artefacts, the diamonds ( $\boldsymbol {S}$ ee, $\boldsymbol {R}$ ecognize, $\boldsymbol {O}$ rganize, $\boldsymbol {D}\text{o}$ ). From a practical point of view, guidelines for the application of the 4DocMod service model extension for resilience are described along with two case studies addressing the recent COVID-19 pandemic that illustrates a clear situation of resilience with insights in multiple contexts. According to the findings of this paper, it is obvious that resilience is not “just” a request. Instead, it plays a higher role within the service system. It is not “just” another Context, either. Instead, it goes through many contexts with different circumstances. In this manner, it is possible to address the qualities through which actors can become resilient, at the service design stage, to ensure continuity of the public services in times of emergency. As our approach using the 4DocMod is proposing, resilience may be is achieved when specific properties are provisioned at information service design level.

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Original Source

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2020.3029320

References

2020 - How companies can respond to the coronavirus
2020 - Public service resilience post COVID-19
2020 - (Co-)Producing knowledge out of the academic box. A service-based view of citizen science
2019 - Exploring the Concept of ‘Tiers-Lieu’ for information services: The value of conceptual modeling