Abstract for: It takes a village (to build a system dynamics model) - A reflection on 5 years of participatory model building

Drawing on out mandate to provide timely and evidence-based decision-support to health policy makers, and our desire to engage stakeholders in the process, 5 years ago the Sax Institute turned to participatory System Dynamics modelling as a tool to support health decision makers across the Australia. We reflect on the early lessons-learned that helped form and refine the standardized participatory approach we use today. We then explore how different participatory archetypes have shaped the different types of projects we have worked on in the past, and discuss how developing an early understanding of the constraints and assets of the participatory archetype that you are working with can improve the likelihood of success for your participatory process.