E5. Systemic Goals

Setting systemic goals is fundamentally different from setting conventional goals. A systemic goal addresses the performance of the entire system, not just individual components. It considers impacts across all ELSI categories, at multiple scales, and over both short and long time horizons.

Good systemic goals are measurable through the SiD indicator hierarchy. They should be expressed in terms that can be tracked at the system level (using RAH indicators), the network level (using network parameters), and the object level (using ELSI-based indicators). This multi-level approach ensures that progress toward the goal is visible and actionable.

SiD recommends starting with a broad systemic goal, then developing specific indicators for each SNO level. For example, a goal to 'increase the sustainability of a city's food system' would be broken down into: system-level RAH targets (resilience of food supply, autonomy from imports, harmony of access), network parameters (diversity of supply chains, transparency of sourcing), and object-level ELSI indicators (energy use, ecosystem impact, economic accessibility, health outcomes).