Collaborative System Mapping

We offer a variety of visual methods and approaches to help change agents co-create a shared understanding of their situation of interest or concern. Visualizing a situation and its interrelationships and influences helps build shared understanding of the current situation or a future desired situation. We gain a better understanding of the big picture while also understanding the details. We can understand systems much better by mapping them out and creating models of these systems of interest. This enables us to visualize the dynamics of a system and the many interrelationships and inter-dependencies.

It is often very useful to diagram how we understand a situation and the process of doing this as a team can create powerful insights. At AdaptivePurpose, we usually use various diagramming and other visual mapping techniques to take teams through a process of discovery, exploration and consensus building as they delve deeply into their own system of interest and explore its dynamics as well as their own paradigms. By visually depicting a situation, it is easier to see the many interrelationships between the parts of the system and consequently where it is best to intervene. What participants find is that the process of developing their system maps is as important if not more important as the final product. It is because the discussions that take place during the process are important for surfacing and clarifying viewpoints and different perspectives.

We offer facilitation to help you co-create many types of diagrams and system maps including but not limited to:

• Rich Pictures

• Spray diagrams

• Influence Diagrams

• Multiple Cause Diagram

• System maps

• Causal loop diagrams

• Actor mapping and participatory network analysis