[APDIO] Call for Participants ICORD Workshop

["A. Ismael F. Vaz" <aivaz@dps.uminho.pt>]

 

Call for Participants

International Federation of Operational Research Societies

ICORD Workshop

Tunisia, October 12-13, 2012

Theme : Problem Structuring Methods

 

Background

Since 1992, IFORS has organized a series of International Conferences on OR for Development (ICORD), approximately every three years.  It has now been decided to hold ICORD conferences on a regular basis in conjunction with the IFORS Triennial Conference.

 

In addition, and in order to enhance continuity and interest in the field, IFORS is now launching an additional program to conduct workshops in non-IFORS Conference years, to be held across IFORS’ different regions. The hope and intention is that representatives from these workshops will make presentations at the subsequent ICORD Conference.

 

The aims of the new structure are to achieve:

• a greater momentum for the OR in Development programme through greater frequency and visibility of actions;
• an improved focus for OR in Development activities on selected problem-oriented themes.

 

2012 ICORD Workshop

The 2012 ICORD Workshop will be held on Djerba island, Tunisia. Located south of Tunisia, Djerba is famous for its excellent white sandy beaches, blue sea, dramatic sunsets, and rural Mediterranean farms. The island is surrounded by many small islands where the only inhabitants are birds and is a popular tourist destination.

 

Program

The Workshop is designed to follow on from the ROAD Conference on October 11^th (http://road2012.logiq-giad.org/). Separate registration is required, and places on the Workshop are limited. Some of the sessions will be open to ROAD participants. The language of the workshop is English.

 

The program will be limited to 30 participants. Acceptance onto the program will be based on applicants’ previous, current or intended involvement in the area of OR for development. The purpose of the workshop is to help participants in strengthening their capacity to work effectively on development-related problems

 

 

The workshop is designed to introduce workshop members to Problem Structuring Methods, and give guidance on how they can be applied to problems with a development context. Tuition will be by a mixture of exposition and case exercises. Participants will be asked to contribute an example of a development issue or problem relevant to their own country and situation, which may be chosen for discussion at the workshop.

 

Participants will be introduced to methods that help deal with problems arising from the nature of under-development, and of the development process. The limitations of more traditional OR methods in this context will be discussed.

The Problem Structuring Methods to be covered in some depth are Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA) and Soft Systems Methodology (SSM). In addition there will be some coverage of the Strategic Choice Approach, and Robustness Analysis.

 

Participants will find it useful to obtain Rosenhead and Mingers (eds) Rational Analysis for a Problematic World Revisited, Wiley, Chichester UK. Other reading will be supplied during the workshop.

 

Program Leaders

The principal tutors for the Workshop are  Mike Cushman and Professor Jonathan Rosenhead of the London School of Economics, and Professor Leroy White of the University of Bristol.

 

Applications

Please submit your curriculum vitae together with a letter explaining how you feel that the workshop could be useful to your teaching and/or practice no later than July 7, 2012 to:

 

Youssef Masmoudi

youssef.masmoudi@gmail.com

                

Link:    http://ifors.org/web/icord-workshop/ 

 

Registration fees:       200 USD