WWP systems map animated tutorial

This systems map contains text and circles, also described as blobs. In this description the term “label” refers to text in the diagram, and the term “phrase” refers to text in the audio description or transcript. 

Page	Transcript	Description	
Page 1	In drawing a systems map you need to choose what to focus upon. This represents your first ‘boundary judgement’. I’ve chosen to look at the South African Working for Water Programme as our main bounded system of interest.

I could have chosen to focus down or up a level from the programme. For example, to focus down a level, suppose that I identify two sub-systems; one that focuses on the projects and the other on the co-ordinating structures necessary to implement the programme, such as the steering committee, an executive council, a government liaison officer and so on.

Looking at this initial system, you could choose to focus down on the geographic project areas. This could be sub-divided into more than 240 individual projects associated with the programme! It might then be useful to focus on one particular project as your system of interest. This will trigger thoughts on what component parts are relevant to your enquiry. You might wish to go down a further level to explore who the stakeholders are. A systems map is a particularly useful device for making a first pass at stakeholder analysis. It prompts important questions, such as which groups of stakeholders are actually involved with the programme? Which might be relevant but not actually involved in the programme design and implementation and therefore are placed in the environment?
	A large circle appears with the label “Working for Water Programme (WWP)” inside. This label is highlighted at the phrase “Working for Water Programme”, and the circle is highlighted at the phrase “bounded system of interest”.

At the phrase “For example, to focus down a level” two small, shaded circles with labels inside appear within the largest circle. These are labelled “geographic project areas” and “co-ordinating structures” respectively.

At the phrase “choose to focus down on the geographic project areas”, the circle labelled “geographic project areas” grows in size to take the place of the largest circle. It also becomes unshaded and the label “geographic project areas” disappears.

At the phrase “more than 240 individual projects”, a large number of small shaded circles appear inside the largest circle.
At the phrase “It might then be useful to focus on one” all the smaller circles except one fade away and a small circle labelled “WWP Project A” grows in size to take the place of the largest circle. Inside this new large circle two smaller shaded circles appear, labelled “stakeholders” and “resources”. 

At the phrase “You might wish to go down a further level”, the shaded circle labelled “stakeholders” is highlighted and grows in size to take the place of the larger circle. 
At the phrase ”A systems map is a particularly useful device” three shaded circles appear labelled “government decision makers”, “experts” and “intended beneficiaries” inside the new largest circle. Another shaded circle appears outside the largest circle, labelled “those that are affected by, but not involved with, WWP”.

After the phrase “which groups of stakeholders are actually involved with the programme, all the smaller shaded circles inside the largest circle are highlighted. 
At the phrase “Which might be relevant but not actually involved in the programme…” the shaded circle outside the largest circle is highlighted.	
Page 2	Alternatively, it might be more useful to focus up at a higher level of analysis, to which WWP might contribute. For example, the programme might be considered as a constituent part of a system of interest drawn at national level, such as the ‘South African national water strategy’.	All parts of the previous diagram disappear, leaving only the largest circle. Inside this circle the label “South African Working for Water Programme (WWP)“ appears. The largest circle shrinks to form a smaller circle around this label. Another large circle appears around the smaller circle.

At the phrase “a system of interest drawn at national level” the label “South African national water strategy” appears in the largest circle along with three other smaller circles, labelled: “national water – related Acts of Parliament”, “national water – related Policies” and “other water- related programmes and projects”. All the smaller circles are shaded.	
Page 3	However, you could choose to focus on WWP as a component part of an even wider international system of interest centred on water conflicts. Using the limited information available from the case study summary, I had decided to focus on WWP as my primary system of interest, so let’s return to our original system boundary.

How do I identify relevant component parts to this system of interest? It’s possible to immediately identify key general component parts that appear obvious. However, there are two more thoughtful and considered approaches.	The previous contents of the largest circle disappear.

A label “addressing conflicts over water” appears with smaller shaded circles labelled “UN conventions on water and biodiversity” “global conflicts over water” and “relevant in-country programmes”.  Inside the shaded circle labelled “relevant in-country programmes” are two further circles labelled “other country programmes” and “South African WWP”.
At the phrase “I have decided to focus on WWP as my primary system”, the small circle labelled “South African WWP” grows in size to take the place of the largest circle. 
At the phrase “key general component parts that appear obvious”, two shaded circles labelled “geographic project areas” and “co-ordinating structures” appear.	
Page 4	One is to first brainstorm everything that come to mind as being relevant to the system of interest. This can be done on separate pieces of scrap paper or on a collection of small sticky labels. It might then be possible to work on grouping related factors together. Things affected by the programme or which have an effect on it, but aren’t component parts, ought to be put in the environment. Returning to the main system of interest, I can then construct sub-systems and possibly further sub-sub-systems.	The previous contents of the largest circle disappear.

A new title “Working for Water Programme (WWP)” and drawings of pieces of scrap paper with the letters A to J written on them appear.
At the phrase “it might then be possible to work on grouping”, the scrap paper drawings move position. F and I are positioned individually. B D E form one small group and A G C forming another. H and J move outside the largest circle.	
Page 5	A second approach to identifying relevant factors is by asking particular questions of the main system of interest, which in turn prompts answers that identify relevant factors. For example, questioning the sources of motivation, control and expert support associated with the programme.

Very often people use a mixture of the two approaches. In constructing my systems map, I mainly used the second approach of asking key questions relevant to the programme. For example, in drawing the boundary around WWP, the first question I asked is who and/or what is it serving? In other words, what is its purpose or source of motivation?	The previous contents of the largest circle disappear.

The title “Working for Water Programme (WWP)” and the three shaded circles labelled “motivation?” “control?” and “expert support?” appear in the circle. 

At the phrase “questioning the sources of motivation, control and expert support”, the shaded circles are highlighted.
At the phrase “asking key questions relevant to the programme” the question marks of each label are highlighted.
At the phrase “Who and/or what is it serving” the shaded circle labelled “motivation?” is highlighted and grows in size to take the place of the largest circle. 	
Page 6	To answer this I listed down a number of possible stakeholder groups being served by the WWP and a number of goals or targets associated with it. Clearly there’s overlap between many of these components (for example between ‘low unemployed’ and ‘unemployed black South Africans’). To distinguish the components more clearly, I grouped them into two subsystems, one named ‘intended beneficiaries’ and one named ‘measures of success’.	Under the title “motivation?”, a number of smaller labelled circles appear inside the largest circle. 
At the phrase “for example between ‘low unemployed’ and ‘unemployed black South Africans’”, these respective labels are highlighted.
At the phrase “grouped them into two subsystems”, two larger shaded circles (subsystems) labelled “intended beneficiaries” and “measures of success” appear and the smaller circles move inside these. Inside the subsystem circle labelled “intended beneficiaries” are the labels “’ecosystems’”, “water consumers” and “unemployed black South Africans”. Inside the subsystem circle labelled “measures of success” are the labels “public awareness”, “high water quality/quantity”, “improved health/sanitation”, “low unemployment”, “240+ projects”, “integrated policy design”, “political stability” and “ecosystem sustainability”. 	
Page 7	Having addressed important key issues of purpose, there remained questions regarding who the key actors are in securing the success of WWP? What types of action are helping secure success?

To answer these questions, I identified two more sub-systems relating to control and expertise:

Firstly, a group of key agencies or decision-makers in command of resources necessary for the programme’s success, such as; human, social, financial and infrastructural.

Secondly, a sub-system of expert practices or ‘know-how’, being promoted to help provide some guarantee of success.	 The largest circle and the title disappear, leaving the two shaded circles “intended beneficiaries” and “measures of success” and their contents. 

At the phrase “there remained questions regarding who the key actors are”, a new large circle appears around the two shaded circles, with the title “Working for Water Programme (WWP)”.

At the phrase “two more sub-systems relating to control and expertise”, two more shaded subsystem circles, labelled “’know how’ support” and “decision making” appear inside the largest circle.	
Page 8	In each of the two sub-systems a number of key components were identified. You can perhaps think of other components that should be included.	Inside the new subsystem circles smaller circles with labels appear. 
In the subsystem circle “’know how’ support” the labels “land-use”, “citizen participation”, “interdisciplinary expertise”, “intersectoral practice” and “skills training” appear. 
In the subsystem circle “decision making” the labels “local government”, “NGOs”, “resources”, “SA national government”, “Programme personnel” and “donor agencies” appear.	
Page 9	Finally, I began to question factors I’d identified in the environment, which may affect or be affected by the programme, but are essentially outside its immediate sphere of action. These could have a significant impact on whether the programme is a success or failure. Are there other factors you think might be relevant but are not component to WWP?	Shaded circles appear outside the largest circle, labelled “traditional sector-based practices”, “demand for non-invasive species”, “international conventions”, “South African economy” and “South African policy domain”.	
Page 10	Reviewing the map later, I decided to remove ‘projects’ from the ‘measures of success’ sub-system as I thought that their number was more of an indicator, which didn’t actually measure the transformative nature of the programme.

Similarly, I removed ‘skills training’ and ‘land-use’ from the ‘know-how’ sub-system as they could come under ‘intersectoral practice’ and ‘interdisciplinary expertise’.

I also felt it necessary to include ‘land-owners’ as a possibly important constituent of ‘decision making’ as these are people in command of resources, though not necessarily the water itself, which enable the programme to succeed.

Finally, for ease of reference, I decided to group local and national South African government agencies together in the ‘decision making’ sub-system. Whilst this reduces the congestion of factors in the map, it might inadvertently lead to misinterpreting local and national government decision making as being the same thing!	At the phrase “I decided to remove ‘projects’…” the small circle labelled “240+ projects” under the sub-system “measures of success” is highlighted and disappears.
At the phrase “Similarly, I removed ‘skills training’”, the small circles labelled “skills training” and “land-use’ under the sub-system “’know-how’ support” are highlighted and disappear.

At the phrase “I also felt it necessary to include “land-owners”, a small circle labelled “land-owners” appears on the edge of the sub-system circle “decision making”. 

At the phrase “Finally, for ease of reference”, the small circles labelled “local government” and “SA national government” under the sub-system circle “decision making” are highlighted and move together to form a new small circle labelled “SA local and national government”.	
Page 11	Your own system maps for the WWP might be very different from mine. What differences, doubts, or questions occurred to you as the map developed? Remember, there is no right answer to systems mapping. In using systems mapping you are primarily engaged with the skill of making and defending boundary judgements.	The entire diagram is displayed. 

At the phrase “making and defending boundary judgements” the larger circle and the four subsystem circles are highlighted. 	
Summary	Choose an appropriate level of interest to focus on and name your system of interest (SoI).

Draw a large central blob entitled with the name of your SoI.

Identify a number of sub-system components key to the success of your chosen SoI and represent them as labelled blobs within the main SoI.

Explore how some components might be grouped together into larger subsystems or alternatively further divided into sub-sub-systems.

Think of elements outside the SoI that may have an impact on the SoI and/or be affected by the SoI, and present these as environmental elements to your SoI.