Public health systems have suffered infrastructure losses worldwide. Strengthening public health systems requires not only good policies and programs, but also development of new research methodologies to support public health systems renewal. Our research team considers public health systems to be complex adaptive systems and as such new methods are necessary to generate knowledge about the process of implementing public health programs and services. Within our program of research, we have employed situational analysis as a method for studying complex adaptive systems in four distinct research studies on public health program implementation. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the use of situational analysis as a method for studying complex systems and highlight the need for further methodological development. ; We have developed our understanding of applying Situational Analysis to public health research through three additional studies under the Core Public Health Functions Research Initiative. The Knowledge to Action (KTA – Funding Reference Number 86793) study focused on the implementation of the Food Safety Core Program and the Unintentional Injuries Prevention Core Program. Renewal of Public Health Systems (RePHS – Funding Reference Number 92255) study compared the process of public health renewal within and between BC and Ontario, and the Equity Lens in Public Health (ELPH - Funding Reference Number 116688) study used Situational Analysis to understand health equity priorities and strategies across provincial health authorities. Funding for these studies, including Food Gone Foul (Application Number 204458), is from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Additional funding was provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. ; Faculty ; Reviewed