5. Feedback Loops

Lens: Identify reinforcing and balancing feedbacks that shape system behavior.

• Reinforcing loops: Dynamics that amplify change (e.g., successes building political support; digital adoption → more data → better services → more adoption).
• Balancing loops: Stabilizing mechanisms that resist change (professional norms, budget caps, regulatory processes, political backlash).
• Policy feedback: How existing policies create constituencies and expectations that shape future policy options.
• Learning loops: Data and evaluation feeding back into policy and practice; speed and quality of these loops.