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IFPRI ForumHow do different stakeholders reach consensus? How can coalitions achieve common goals? How do research findings flow through policy networks and influence decisionmaking? How are network structures linked to the efficiency of a governance system?
These are just some of the questions that researchers, development practitioners, policymakers, and community members alike can explore with the help of an innovative new tool called Net-Map.
Designed by IFPRI postdoctoral fellow Eva Schiffer, Net-Map uses board-game-like figures to represent the different actors involved in a given project or process. Linkages between these actors are drawn using different colors to represent the various types of connections existing between them, such as funding sources, decisionmaking authority, or information flow. After identifying who is involved and how they are linked, each actor's level of influence is determined and is indicated through the use of "influence towers." Finally, users map the goals of each actor, so that all the objectives—complimentary or competing—become clear.
"Net-Map is an influence-mapping tool that can enhance how people work together," says Schiffer. "By being asked to visualize the collaborative process, users are able to identify who is involved in a given activity, how they are linked, and how much influence they carry."
In addition to facilitating learning processes, Net-Map can also be used to collect complex data about social networks and actor attributes that can be analyzed both quantitatively with the help of social network analysis programs and in more qualitative-visual ways.
A Net-Map field toolbox will be available next year. In the meantime, users can learn how to use the tool by downloading the Net-Map manual at http://netmap.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/net-map-manual.doc, and can create their own actor pieces and influence towers.