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AbstractThis paper is a reflection on the influence of Bela H. Banathy's scholarship and leadership in the field of social systems design. In particular, the focus of this paper is on the development of a model of systems design inquiry and a model of systems design communication. The seminal ideas for the models were first explored at the annual Asilomar Conversations hosted by the International Systems Institute (ISI), a non‐profit organization founded by Prof. Banathy. The models are representative of the legacy of an ongoing design conversation with Prof. Banathy concerning the integration of human values into a systems science approach to the challenge of securing improvement in the human condition. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

AbstractThis paper is an overview of a framework for social systems assessment based on my study and work with C. West Churchman. The framework is an outgrowth of the systems categories developed by Churchman as part of his definition of teleological systems. It is an expansion of the methodologies used for socio‐economic impact assessments that has evolved out of the value distribution assessment process first used in my graduate studies of the impact of geothermal energy development on rural communities in northern California. This social systems assessment framework is inclusive of social systems analysis, social systems intervention and social systems redesign and provides an organizing structure for relating the diverse theories, methods and experiences of systems scholars and practitioners. This framework is part of the rich legacy of systems approaches that continue to be developed from the seminal work of C. West Churchman. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.