What does your network look like?
There is alot of buzz (some deserved and some not) about the potential of web 2.0 to revolutionize how we reach out to supporters and mobilize them around certain issues. As great as all that is it helps to understand how social networks - live, breath, eat, grow - and you cannot always see that with a web-based tool.
The folks with Net-Map have put together a great, resource rich, website to help folks understand and use Net-Map: Net-Map is an interview-based mapping tool that helps people understand, visualize, discuss, and improve situations in which many different actors influence outcomes. Relying on pens, paper, colored tags, stackable pieces you can create sophisticated network maps which help you better understand the network you are trying to influence.
Highly adaptable and easy to use by both folks with limited formal education who may be illiterate AND experienced, well educated policy makers the process depends on a good facilitator to help participants build, read, understand and then plan on how to take action on the information they pull together in their maps.
I used a similar tool several years ago developed by the folks at Tactical Tech and loved the reaction I got. I was tasked with teaching a group of Kosovar college students how to build a campaign - either business or social - and each team had to develop a map to gain a better understanding of what they needed for that campaign.
I wish Net-Map has existed back in 2003 as I would have been a much better facilitator!
May 19th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
I’ve seen references to ‘Web 2.0′ in a couple of posts now and have surmised that it must refer to a specific concept or idea. Can you unpack this a bit for me? Sorry to be so behind the times :O
May 19th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Thanks for introducing Net-Map here. I would love to work more closely with policy advocates to see how this tool can be used to help making change happen (instead of just analyzing change). Keep up your good work!