defriten
TRAINING (2.4.1)
defriten

Das Webportal bietet Zugang zu Methoden und Werkzeugen für die Zusammenarbeit zwischen ExpertInnen und Betroffenen aus Wissenschaft und Praxis, um realweltliche, kontextspezifische gesellschaftliche Herausforderungen wissenschaftlich zu bearbeiten.mehr

Bild: td-netmehr

NetMap tool

Net-Map is an interview-based mapping tool that helps people understand, visualize, discuss, and improve situations in which many different actors influence outcomes.

Strength of the method:

  • Determining linkages, levels of influence, and goals allows users of the tool to be more strategic about how they act in complex situations (e.g. conflict over resources).
  • Visualisations and ‘game elements’ help to induce discussions and make it fun.

To be considered:

  • This method was developed in the context of community-based projects and is connected with intentions to do (policy) network analysis
  • You may opt for this tool when you want to focus on actors (whereas the constellation analysis also involves natural, elements, technical elements, and signs/symbols), and when the proposed community-based procedure of NetMap is more suitable than a positioning exercise with the core team of researchers (see actor constellation).
  • Please consider that at the time when the tool description was written, sensitivity due to debates on decolonialisation was at a different level than nowadays.

Read about the rationale of the brief factsheets (in comparison to method profiles of the td-net toolbox) here:

Goal:
  • Individuals and groups can identify actors, how they are linked, how influential they are and what their goals are.
  • Individuals and groups can clarify their own view of a situation, foster discussion, and develop a strategic approach to their networking activities.

Location in td process phases:

In the beginning of a td process to better understand the actors interacting in the research area, in ongoing td activities to clarify the linkages between and influence of different actors

Bridging thought styles:

The tool helps to induce discussions on different viewpoints between participants and on different ways of having and using power. By making viewpoints and power relations explicit, it makes them a topic for a group discussion. That way, it also fosters the sense of ownership of the network analysis amongst the group members.

Time required to implement the method:

Several days

Preparation required:

  • Decide who to interview (individually or in groups)
  • Prepare the interview guideline
  • Prepare the material to sketch the network
  • Decide when and with whom the sketches are discussed and validated (we encourage group discussions)

Expertise required:

Group facilitation skills

Convener & participants:

Convener: Facilitator/researcher

Participants: Stakeholders, researchers

For a detailed description of the method (online, open access), please visit:

Resource compilation in which it appears:

Provided by:

Eva Schiffer

Recommended by:

td-net
Language(s):EN / PT