Part 7: Phase Five and Six
Strand 2: Conceptualising a Whole Systems Approach
Video
Learning Objectives
After watching this section, you should be able to:
- Describe the purpose of Phase Five and how a systems network can be structured to suit different contexts
- Explain the importance of Phase Six in sustaining and refreshing a whole systems approach over time
- Recognise that a whole systems approach is an ongoing, adaptive process rather than a one-off project
Key Points
- Phase Five involves managing the systems network — the stakeholders who, alongside the core team, are the main contributors to implementing the approach locally
- Networks can be structured differently depending on the size and geography of the area: some bring all stakeholders together regularly, others work in geographical subgroups while guarding against siloed working
- Phase Six is about regularly reflecting on how the approach is working and refreshing it as the system changes over time
- Monitoring and evaluating actions, and maintaining momentum through shared learning, are central to Phase Six
- The whole systems approach is a living process — it must be revisited and updated as context and evidence evolve
Further Reading
- Whole systems approach to obesity: a guide to support local approaches (Public Health England / Leeds Beckett, 2019) — the PHE guide covering Phases Five and Six: monitoring and evaluating the system, and sustaining the approach over the long term
- NIHR PHIRST: Getting RREAL about implementation of a WSA to obesity prevention in Northern Ireland — an example of how the evaluation principles in Phase Five and Six have been applied in practice in Northern Ireland, including the RREAL tracker tool for documenting progress
- Human Learning Systems — resources on building organisations that can learn, adapt, and sustain change over time; directly relevant to the sustainability and continuous improvement focus of the final WSA phases
Knowledge Check
Complete the questions below before moving on.
What is the purpose of Phase Six in the whole systems approach?
The correct answer is To regularly reflect on how the approach is working and refresh the process as the system changes over time. Phase Six is described as being about “reflecting and refreshing”. Because a system changes over time, it is important to regularly review how the whole systems approach is working and update the process accordingly. This ongoing reflection — rather than a single end-point evaluation — is what distinguishes a living systems approach from a one-off project.
- False — finalising the action plan is associated with Phase Four, not Phase Six.
- False — Phase Six emphasises continuous, ongoing reflection rather than a single one-off evaluation.
- True
- False — recruiting stakeholders is part of managing the systems network in Phase Five, not the purpose of Phase Six.