Principles and practices of designing for resilient performance: An assessment framework

Abstract

Although resilient performance is intrinsic to socio-technical systems it might be supported by design, an idea known as Design for Resilient Performance (DfRP). Considering that such design is usually a re-design, learning from existing systems is crucial. This article introduces a framework for assessing the extent to which a system uses practices and principles of DfRP. The framework allows for the assessment of 24 attributes of the principles, the analysis of their relationships (a model was devised based on a survey with experts), and the investigation of practices that operationalize the principles. A scoring system sheds light on the effectiveness of using the principles. The framework application is exemplified based on the study of an emergency department in which daily huddles stood out as a practice of DfRP. This study involved interviews, observations, and documentary analysis. Based on this, a knowledge structure of DfRP is presented, comprised of concepts, principles, and practices. Six propositions to guide the framework application are set out, addressing themes such as the need for cost-effective DfRP, short control cycles, and customized designs that meet preferences of designers. The study contributes to DfRP theory and offers a new approach for resilience assessment.