On May 12, 2014 Scott
Workinger led a panel discussion on ‘Complexity and the Energy-Water Nexus’,
implications from a Systems Engineering and Regional Water Policy.
The panel discussion was held at the Colorado School of Mines’
Arthur Lakes Library in the Butcher Community Room under the auspices of the
Front Range Chapter of INCOSE.
The moderators were:
Dr. William Good (INCOSE Colorado Front Range Chapter
President)
Dr. Scott Workinger (INCOSE Complex Systems Team Lead)
Panelists
Neil Snyder (Director of SE and Program Integration, NREL)
Dr. Tzahi Cath (Professor Aqwatec, Director, Colorado School
of Mines)
Dr. Ron Saga (VP Energy & Environment, SCU Research
Foundation)
Dr. David Olson (Professor Emeritus, Colorado School of
Mines)
The discussion brought to light the synergies between the
limited resources of energy and water, how each are currently being used, and
how each are in demand across several domains. The discussions raised an
awareness of these limited resources and the implications to the sustainment of
human life. What is at the root of the problem, how are politics, social
cultures, living standards, and the technology being used to deliver ‘quality
consumable water’ to consumers universally set at an affordable cost. Questions raised during the panel discussion
included; what can SE do to address this wicked problem, or is the solution
based on thinking beyond standard SE processes, into a transformational
thinking approach?
The results from this panel have ignited not only debates on
attempting to ‘address’ the problem but on an implementation to apply a
selected solution on a pilot program. As
the Front Range Chapter moves forward addressing this complex issue, the
Systems Engineering Transformation Caucus supports their efforts. Initially, the caucus is contributing to a
paper for an upcoming conference that discusses the nature of the energy and water
policy issues and why the development of effective policy in this area
constitutes a "wicked problem."
By Scott Workinger, Ph.D.
INCOSE SFBAC Past-President
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