(Updated September 2008)

srihani@liverpool.ac.uk

srihani@globalcomplexity.org

The Curate's Egg

I decided to publish this website for the purpose described on the home page. The aim is to seek views from others, supportive or critical, in order to take my thoughts another step forward. 

Complexity, like the curate's egg, is good in parts. It is a new field that is full of promise as well as pitfalls. I have read many excellent publications on the subject. But sadly I have also read a lot of trash. At worst complexity could be the latest fad. At best it could be the basis for a new approach in the way social, political, and economic events are observed and studied. In the circumstances, exchange of views, laced with a measure of cautious cynicism, are of paramount importance at this stage of the game.

For my part, I strongly believe that complex systems offer a promising avenue to explore. Certainly the results that have emerged so far from the natural and life sciences give grounds for optimism. But I also accept that too many people have jumped on the bandwagon in recent years; some more convincing than others. For this reason I thought that a few words about myself might be helpful.

Eclectic Past

Origins

I was born in Baghdad. At eighteen I came to Britain to attend university, returned to the Middle East to work for several years, and then came back to settle in Britain. My contacts with the Middle East were never severed, however, and in practice I consider both the Middle East and Britain as 'home'. It is necessary to underline this point as it has enabled me, I believe, to take the baggage that comes with both backgrounds with a pinch of salt. 

Qualifications

My eclectic past extends to my academic and professional qualifications and experience. I am a chartered civil engineer, a transportation planner, a chartered marketing specialist and, later in life, I was awarded a doctorate in development studies.

A False Beginning

After obtaining my first postgraduate degree from the University of Liverpool, I worked for three years in the Middle East as a development engineer, university lecturer, and consultant. 

I returned to England in 1967 and started another period in planning and development, exclusively in local government. Use of computerised transportation models was in vogue at the time. Planners dreamt up ideas for the future and the modellers came back with a precise picture of what would happen twenty-five years later if the wish list were turned into action. It was unheard of, and practically impossible, to challenge the printouts; they were taken as gospel. I encountered the same faith in the power of science as I steadily mounted the ladder of seniority. The aura of order, predictability, and control over long-term events was intoxicating. Development was seen as a finite and tidy process that obeyed known universal laws. Some countries are already 'developed', and others are still 'developing'. The traditional concept of development is as simple as that!

A Change of Course

Needless to say, events hardly ever kept faith with forecasts. This little difficulty does not trouble the 'experts' normally. They move on after a few years and start the same process all over again somewhere else. However, I remained in the same area and soon concluded that there was something seriously amiss in the way planning and development were pursued. When the opportunity arose in 1977 to work in the real world of passenger transport I jumped at the chance.

I occupied the position of Director of Service Planning and Co-ordination at the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive until 1986. That organisation controlled directly and indirectly the entire passenger transport system in Liverpool and its sub-region; including buses, trains, and ferries. 

The nature of the work in passenger transport was in sharp contrast to that involved in my previous employment. Planning changed from being a theoretical exercise to a practical activity that had immediate and measurable consequences. Changes to services and fare levels had to be agreed with the operators, negotiated with trade unions, debated in committees and public meetings and then implemented and promoted. I was supposedly still involved in planning but everything else was different. The inadequacy of the methods and assumptions I took for granted in the past was exposed. Certainty had to be jettisoned in favour of probability and risk assessment. Rigid large-scale planning was out and experimentation and evolutionary change were in. Continuous monitoring coupled with flexibility and fine-tuning were the only sensible styles of management under these conditions. 

My work changed and my methods and assumptions changed with it, but I was not yet aware of why things were radically different. Because revenues and passenger numbers were easily measurable, the consequences of planning were readily obvious. To survive in the new environment I had to adopt a new stance and fast. Although I felt a sense of unease previously, I doubt if I would have altered course without these powerful incentives. Appreciation that the systems we were dealing with were nonlinear came about years later. 

Another Step on the Way

In 1986 I took another step away from order and predictability when I became the chief executive for the newly created Merseyside Tourism Board. MTB was set up ostensibly to promote Liverpool and its sub-region as a visitor destination, but the ultimate aim was to attract economic investment to the area. Social, political and economic issues came to the fore and, inevitably, assumptions about certainty and predictability had to be revised downwards yet again. Giving up was not an option. The task had to be managed but the way forward clearly demanded a high degree of variety and flexibility backed by good monitoring systems and a willingness to change course and to try something new. Above all else, it was obvious that management by dictates from the centre would be counterproductive. Best results were achieved when hundreds of local players; hoteliers, shop owners, companies, travel agents, etc. were allowed to innovate and interact within a clear overall policy and funding framework that commanded general acceptance.

The Final Shift in Perspective

The authorities on Merseyside made a number of positive changes in 1992 to the way the area was to be promoted. MTB as an ad-hoc private-public partnership lost much of its purpose as a result. I decided to move on with two aims in mind: to concentrate on international human and economic development and to take stock of the experiences I have accumulated up to that point to gain a better understanding of the factors that shape social, political and economic events.

I embarked on research into systems theories taking development as my main topic for analysis. In time the research came to absorb most of my time but the rewards were more than adequate. I discovered the rich field of complex systems and my work on development was recognised by the University of Liverpool when I was awarded a PhD in 1999. I was also invited to be a Senior Research Fellow at the School of Politics, University of Liverpool for several years.

The insights that I gained into the behaviour of complex systems have helped me to better understand processes and activities in other fields in addition to international development. That certainly was the case in relation to my work on the Board of the Liverpool Women's Hospital where I served as a non-executive from 1994 to the end of 2001. I am now a non-executive director on the Board of the South Liverpool PCT (Primary Care Trust). The PCT was created as part of the radical restructuring of the National Health Service in Britain. The focus of PCTs is on local action and leadership by frontline staff.  

Current Activity

National and international development remains my main occupation. 

I have written a book on Complex Systems Theory and Development Practice that was published by Zed Books in September 2002. A glimpse of what the book is about could be gleaned from rihani, rihani2 and book.

I am still actively engaged on work associated with the National Health Service and I value my links with the University of Liverpool, where I lecture on the International Political Economy and on Development, and with the Liverpool John Moores University, where I give a few lectures on healthcare and complexity. As described below, I take part in national and international events.    

n     Bachelor of Engineering (Honours),
Civil Engineering, University of Liverpool.

n     Master of Engineering,
Transportation, University of Liverpool.

n     Doctor of Philosophy,
Economic and Human Development,
University of Liverpool.

n     November1963---February 1964  
Consultant,  
G. Shankland Associates, Architects and Planners, London.

n     March 1964---August 1965  
Engineer,                             
Municipality of Baghdad, Iraq.

n     September 1965---February 1967  
Lecturer.                           
Department of Architecture and Town Planning,
Baghdad University, Iraq.

n     September 1965---February 1967                          
Consultant,
Yawer and Associates, Architects and Engineers, Iraq.

n     February 1967---March1972
Group Leader,
City Planning Department, Liverpool City Council, UK.

n     March 1972---January 1974
Head, Transportation Section,
City Planning Department, City Council, Liverpool, UK.

n     February 1974---February 1977                            
Director, Joint Transportation Unit (JTU),          
Merseyside County Council, Liverpool, UK.

n     March 1977---September 1986                            
Director of Service Planning and Co-ordination,
Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive (MPTE), UK.

n     October 1986---November 1992                           
Chief Executive and member of the Board,
Merseyside Tourism Board (MTB), Liverpool, UK.

n     December 1992---Present
Managing Director,
EPHOR Consultants Ltd, Liverpool, UK.

n     October 1994---December 2001
Non-Executive Director,             
Liverpool Women's Hospital NHS Trust, Liverpool, UK.
Also Chairman of Audit Committee.

n     February 2002---September 2006
Non-Executive Director, South Liverpool Primary Care Trust (NHS), UK.
Deputy Chairman, Chairman of Audit Committee and Chairman of Joint Risk Management Committee.

n     October 2006- Present
Non-Executive Director, Liverpool Primary Care Trust (NHS), UK.
Chairman of Integrated Governance Committee.

n     2002-2005
Incidental lectures on health management
Centre for Public Health, Liverpool John Moore’s University.

n     November 2000---Present
Research Fellow,
Lectures on human and economic development and International Political Economy to third year and postgraduate students.
School of Politics and Communication,
University of Liverpool.

My primary focus is on practical work within the area of public services; education, health, transport, etc., and the domestic and international factors that shape policies and actions in these fields.

Within the above general area, I have particular interest in developing countries with specific experience in Middle eastern affairs.

I have maintained close contacts with the University of Liverpool from the 1960s to the present, and, to a lesser extent, with other universities abroad (such as Baghdad University, and the American University of Beirut).

I have published a book on Complex Systems Theory and Development Practice, and published papers in professional journals on development and other related topics.

I have also taken part in many national and international conferences; on planning and development in the early years and also on politics, complex systems, the international political economy, and healthcare management in more recent years.


MAIN ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

November 1963:  MSc Thesis, Studies of Traffic Stream Characteristics, University of Liverpool.

March 1974: Lecture: Operational Planning in Developing Countries, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture; American University of Beirut, Lebanon.

April 1975: Paper to International Conference: Public Transport and People, New approaches to the Planning Process, Paris.

July 1975: Paper to PTRC Annual Conference: The implementation of the TPP (Transport Policies and Programmes) system in a Metropolitan County, University of Warwick, Britain.

February 1976: Lecture: Transportation Planning and Programming in Merseyside through the1960s and 1970s, Bradford University, Britain

March 1976: Lecture: Operational and Developmental Planning and Resource Allocation: the New Grants System, Meeting of Scottish Regional Authorities, Edinburgh, Britain.

March 1977: Paper: The Transport Policies and Programmes (TPP) System as an Aspect of Resource Planning in Merseyside, Association of Metropolitan Authorities (AMA) Transportation Conference, Liverpool, Britain.

May 1977: Paper to Institution of Civil Engineers Conference: Value for Money in the Allocation of Resources Between Competing Demands, Gwent, Britain.

November 1977: Lecture: ‘The Future of Transport Planning’; Public Transport Society University of Liverpool, Britain.

November 1977: Lecture: Land Use Planning in the Context of Public Transport Planning, Chartered Institute of Transport, Preston, Britain.

January 1979: Lecture: Policies into Practice, Chartered Institute of Transport, Birmingham, Britain.

February 1979: Lecture: The Rationalisation, Management and Control of Public Transport Services in Britain, overseas students of the Birmingham Institute of Local Government Studies, Britain.

April 1979: Lecture: Merseyrail - Operational Planning and Implementation, Chartered Institute of Transport, Leeds, Britain.

June 1979: Report: Scope for Railway Development in Urban Areas: Merseyside a Case Study, Conference Europeanne Des Ministres Des Transports -Round Table No. 47, Hamburg, Germany.

February 1981: Inner City in Context, Review Symposium at the University of Liverpool, Britain.

March 1981: Paper: Marketing Public Transport, Conference at Newcastle University, Britain.

September 1981: Lecture: Planning a New Public Transport Network, British Transport Staff College, Woking, Britain.

October 1981: Visit to USA to research transport for disabled persons; visit financed by an award from the Leverhulme Foundation in Britain.

September 1982:  Paper: Future of Local Rail Systems - Results of Merseyside's Railway Developments, Association of Metropolitan Authorities (AMA) Transportation Conference, Manchester, Britain.

November 1982: Paper: Merseyrail Impact Study, Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL) Symposium, Glasgow, Britain.

December 1982: Lecture: The Liveable City, Consultation discussion at the University of Liverpool.

February 1984: Paper: Cost Benefit Analysis and its Applications, Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Seminar, London, Britain.

March 1984: Lecture: Public Transport in Metropolitan Areas, School of Advanced Urban Studies, Bristol University, Britain.

March 1984: Lecture: Provision of Transport for Disabled Persons on Merseyside, ADAPT, Manchester, Britain.

April 1984: Panel Discussion: Integration and Co-ordination of Services for Disabled Persons, National Conference of Community Transport Operators, Newcastle, Britain.

April 1985: Paper: The 1985 Transport Bill and its implications to Metropolitan Areas, North-West Bus and Coach Council Conference, Manchester, Britain.

September 1987: Lecture: Tourism: A Flagship for Merseyside, Civic Design Department, University of Liverpool, Britain.

March 1989: Paper: Merseyside Tourism Board- A New Breed of Tourism Organisation, Scottish Association of Tourist Officers, Dunblane, Britain.

June 1989: Paper: The Role of Leisure and Tourism in the Process of Revitalisation, 7th European Leisure and Recreation Association (ELRA) Congress, Rotterdam, Holland.

June 1989:  Paper: Enterprise in the North West- Marketing an Urban Destination, Planning and Transport Research Company (PTRC) Conference, Manchester, Britain.

December 1989: Lecture: Tourism: A Catalyst in Economic Regeneration, Civic Design Department, University of Liverpool, Britain.

April 1991: Lecture: Tourism and Transport- Partners in Success, Chartered Institute of Transport, Liverpool, Britain.

May 1992: Lecture: Tourism and Economic Development, The Tourism Society (Consultants' Group), Liverpool, Britain.

January 1993: Lecture: Economic Development and the Future of Jobs, English Speaking Union, Liverpool, Britain.

September 1993: Lecture: Economic Development in the World Today, University of the Third Age- Wirral Group

From May 1993 to May 1994 I wrote a monthly column on a wide range of political and economic topics in Business Post, published each month by the Liverpool Daily Post.

April 1998: Lecture: From Chaos to Complexity, Research students' seminar, Department of Civic Design, University of Liverpool, Britain.

June 1999: PhD Thesis: Complexity in the Development Process, University of Liverpool.

April 2000: Paper: Complexity Theory and the Fundamental Challenges to Democracy in the 21^st Century, Political Science Association Conference, London School of Economics. (Joint paper with Dr Robert Geyer, University of Liverpool).

March 2001: Paper: Complexity: An Appropriate Framework for Development? Progress in Development Studies Volume 1, Number 3, 2001. (Joint paper with Dr Robert Geyer, University of Liverpool).

March 2002: Paper: Implications of Adopting a Complexity Framework for Development. Progress in Development Studies Volume 2, Number 2, 2002.

August 2002: Complex Systems Theory and Development Practice, book published by Zed Books.

February 2003 (2004 and 2005): Lectures: Complex System Theory and Health, Centre for Public Health, Liverpool John Moores University.

April 2003: Paper: Development as a Complex Adaptive System, World Conference on Dialogue Among Civilisations, the Polish Asia Pacific Council Association and the Polish National Commission for UNESCO, Warsaw, Poland.

August 2003: Invited ‘specialist’ to Feasta (Dublin based foundation for the economics of sustainability) 2003 Summer course in association with the Worldwide Democracy Network, on the topic of "Exploring a whole systems approach to sustainability". 

October 2003: Roskilde University, Denmark, seminar on complexity for PhD students.

October 2004: Paper: What Can Complexity Thinking Tell Us in the NHS?, Salford Primary Care Trust and NHS University, The Lowry, Manchester.  

September 2005: Paper: Complexity and Politics, Complexity and Science International Conference, University of Liverpool.  

September 2005: Paper: NHS: Anarchy or Perfection?, Complexity and Science International Conference, University of Liverpool.

June 2006: Paper: English National Health Service, 3^rd International Conference on Complexity and Healthcare Management, Basque Foundation for Health Innovation and Research, Bilbao, Spain. 

February 2007: Presentation: Mission in Their Madness, Seminar at Lancaster University.

JULY 2008: Paper: A Complex Systems View of America's 'Misadventure' in Iraq, Third Conference, International association of Contemporary Iraqi Studies, School of African and Oriental Studies, London University.