Strategic mapping for scaling impact

How can we visualize complex, large-scale issue systems like global finance, peacebuilding, trade and sustainable development, and multi-stakeholder corporate reporting initiatives? The question is important both for effective strategic action aiming to affect these systems, and for measuring impact of those strategies. Effective strategic action depends upon a comprehensive understanding of what organizations are active in an issue arena, their relationships, the key roles that various organizations are playing and the diverse perspectives and framing of players in a system. And an important way to measure the impact of actions is to see how these all change over time.

iScale has a range of mapping methodologies to support this type of strategic development and impact measurement. By mapping, iScale means a visual representation in a diagram on a page of paper or slide that describes the relationship between ideas, words, organizations, individuals or roles. Although a written description can accompany the diagrams, a visual representation is core to iScale's mapping approach. iScale emphasizes this element because it helps people to see relationships quickly and easily, in ways that can greatly simplify complex and large-scale systems. Moreover, it helps move beyond language limitations of word-based analysis.

Usually the diagrams include arrows between individuals, organizations or roles that are connected, and descriptions of various aspects of the relationships. However, there are other visual techniques such as issue clouds and organization-concept mapping.

Read the full document: Strategic Mapping and Visual Diagnostics for Scaling Change.