NEXUS+ Course

This course explores the Water-Energy-Land-Food (WELF)-Health, Education, and Governance Nexus (Nexus+). It presents a flexible, adaptive system-based methodology and associated guidelines to address the dynamics of the Nexus+ and inform District Development Plans (DDPs)at the community level in Uganda. The course explores how to use system dynamics tools to analyze the uncertainty and complexity inherent in global projects where the Nexus+ unfolds. At the end of this course, the participants should be able to:

• Have the ability to identify the multiple dimensions of community projects;
• Be aware of the role non-technical issues may play in their technical decision-making.
• Appreciate the multi-cultural, social, and economic dimensions of practicing engineering;
• Understand the interconnectedness of issues at different scales and why a systems approach can complement a more traditional linear approach;
• Formulate problems and their solutions in a more systemic and integrated way;
• Be able to approach a wide range of simple, complicated, and complex problems often characterized by different levels of uncertainty; and
• Be familiar with a range of decision-making tools.