Advancing Systems Analysis Program (ASA)

ASA Program aims to discover, develop, and deploy new, more effective, and efficient ways of infusing systems science into policy and decision making for sustainable development.

© Vladgrin | Dreamstime

© Vladgrin | Dreamstime

Despite numerous success stories, many policies and decisions that currently aim to deal with global change are not sufficiently informed by cutting-edge science. Among the major barriers that prevent the effective input of science into policy are perceived shortfalls in agility, realism, and relevance of the current generation of methods and models from the standpoint of end users. To address these barriers, ASA strives to advance agile, realistic, and relevant systems analytical tools and methods, and facilitate a shared understanding of the capabilities and limits of these tools and methods with end users. Consequently, ASA’s efforts span the full range, from advancing research methods and tools of systems analysis to innovating at the interface between policy- and decision making, as well as with society at large. 

ASA Program’s major objectives are:

  1. To innovate approaches and tools to analyze increasingly systemic, social-ecological risks and support decisions aimed at enhancing resilience and facilitating sustainability transitions and transformations.
  2. To further the capacity of agile, on-demand systems analysis underpinned by a suite of modeling frameworks of appropriate complexity.
  3. To mobilize multiple sources of data and the power of data science to diagnose and identify solutions to reduce vulnerabilities and risks. 
  4. To advance feasible and effective ways of engagement with policymakers, the private sector, and citizens. 
  5. To enhance trust and shared understanding of systems analysis methods and tools, in particular, through open science.

ASA research is organized into four research groups:

Cooperation and Transformative Governance (CAT)

Cooperation and Transformative Governance (CAT) aims to analyze governance systems addressing sustainability at different scales and to generate cooperative solutions. More

Exploratory Modeling of Human-natural Systems (EM)

Exploratory Modeling of Human-natural Systems (EM) focuses on the development of integrative models of different complexity to better understand complex feedbacks in human-natural systems. More

Novel Data Ecosystems for Sustainability (NODES)

Novel Data Ecosystems for Sustainability (NODES) strives to harness the potential of big data combined with citizen science and machine learning. More

Systemic Risk and Resilience (SYRR)

Systemic Risk and Resilience (SYRR) aims to assess and support management of systemic anthropogenic and environmental risks. More



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Last edited: 25 March 2021

CONTACT DETAILS

Elena Rovenskaya

Program Director and Principal Research Scholar Advancing Systems Analysis Program

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Schlossplatz 1, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
Phone: (+43 2236) 807 0 Fax:(+43 2236) 71 313