Discussion Report 24 Eva Schiffer- Net-Map method

In the group discussion we clarified how Net Map works and, using one concrete example, went through the method step by step:

1. Define question (e.g. “Who can influence the success of our project?”) 2. Define links (e.g. giving money, disturbing someone, giving support, giving command) and assign different colors to the links (i.e. giving money = red link) 3. Define goals (e.g. environmental orientation and development orientation or pro and contra peace building) 4. Decide who should be involved in interviews / discussion 5. Ask: “Who is involved in this process?” Write names on actor cards and distribute on empty NetMap sheet 6. Ask: “Who is linked to whom?” Go through the links one by one (e.g. “Who gives money to whom? Who disturbs whom?”) Draw arrows between actor cards according to interviewees directions. If two actors exchange something (e.g. information) draw double headed arrows. If actors exchange more than one thing, add differently colored arrow heads to existing links. 7. Ask: “How strongly can actors influence xy?” Explain / agree on a definition of influence with your interviewee, clarify that this is about influence on xy and not influence in the world at large. Ask interviewee to assign influence towers to actors: The higher the influence on the issue at stake, the higher the tower. Towers of different actors can be of the same height. Actors with no influence can be put on ground level. Towers can be as high as interviewees want. • Place influence towers next to actor cards • Verbalize set-up and give group members the chance to adjust towers before noting height of tower on the NetMap (important for documentation purpose) 8. Discuss, what this means for the future, for planning, for problems solving etc.