FEATURES
VISION OF SUCCESS
& OPPORTUNITIES
…Â
What to Analyse?
Issues and situations are affected by the interplay of local, national, regional and international dynamics, so we need to think about ‘systems’. Lasting change requires system change. This means engaging with a multitude of influencing factors, interacting, pushing and pulling in different directions. System change is always contested: there are many actors with stakes in both the status quo as well as in changing it, and who have different interests and perspectives. Their positions and relationships are characterised and conditioned by power and possibly gender inequalities.
Setting Boundaries
It can be difficult to set boundaries for a situation analysis. You may be tempted to throw the net too wide or to go on for too long. How deep the analysis needs to be depends on your purpose. Therefore, ask yourself what you want to get out of it, and what questions you want answered. So make your situation analysis purposeful and focused.
Dimensions
A situation analysis generally consists of the following:
Picture / description of the current situation
What are the relevant geographical or social characteristics? Climatic conditions? Main forms of land use? Environmental problems or risks? Infrastructure characteristics? Key infrastructure issues?
/ institutional
analysis
problems andÂ
opportunities
&Â other influential
actors
analysis
Stakeholder / other influential actors analysis
Who are they? Who is affected? Who is influential? What are their resources? How are they interrelated? What are the power relations? What are their interests? What is their (joint) potential?
Context / Institutional analysis
What are the relevant contextual factors (influential organisations, rules and regulations, mechanisms, policies, social norms and values, behavioural patterns, etc.)?
problems andÂ
opportunities
Analysis of problems and opportunities
The nature and extent of the main issue that you address; causes and contributing factors; consequences.
Questions to ask
Tools
Inquiry &
Appreciative Storytelling
Context / Institutional Analysis
Definition
Picture / Description
of the Current Situation
Change
Stakeholder Analysis
Analysis of Issues / Problems and Visions / Opportunities
An often used tool to describe/illustrate the current situation is ‘Rich Picturing’. A rich picture is a drawing of a situation that illustrates the main elements and relationships that need to be considered in trying to intervene to create improvement of a certain situation. It consists of pictures, text, symbols and icons that should all be used to graphically illustrate the situation. It is called a rich picture because it illustrates the richness and complexity of a situation.
A rich picture is a way of thinking holistically. It helps us to see relationships and connections that we may otherwise miss. It is considered as ‘a picture tells a thousand words’. Developing a rich picture is a good exercise to do with several stakeholders as everyone can add to it and use it to explain their particular interests or perspectives. Besides, a rich picture can also be a non-threatening and humorous way of illustrating different perspectives and conflicts.
Macro Environment
Brainstorming, grouping and ranking exercise can be used in prioritising key problems. You can brainstorm up to eight key problems for example that those benefitting are facing and write each problem on a post-it. This would help to explore and map out issues easily. Stick up the post-its on the wall and sort them into similar groups. Then rank the top issues.
To help clarify and frame the problem you are working, five questions are asked:
– What is the key issue you are trying to address and why is it important?
– Who is it a problem for?
– What social or cultural factors shape this problem? Â
– What evidence do you have that this is worth the investment? Â
– Can you think of this problem in a different way? Can you reframe it? * Multi-Stakeholder Processes Knowledge Co-Creation Portal on problem definition.
– Generally, what visions, hopes or dreams do different stakeholders have and are there implications for the project/programme?
– What opportunities do stakeholders see for realizing their visions?
– Is there recognition of the need for change? By whom?
– Are there different perspectives or alternatives for the dominant view in society? By whom are these held or promoted?
– What or who are drivers of change in the system? Where are opportunities for change?
– What gender-differentiated or gender-related opportunities are present?
A ‘framing’ is a lens or a perspective through which you (or others) view the situation or an intervention. Using different framings can help expand fixed mind-sets. There is no right or wrong about perspectives, they are equally valid. However, if too rigid, then the options for change and strategic prioritisation can be limited to what people know and which might not be the best options.
How would someone look at this situation that is in a different position and has a different perspective on the desired change; on the relationships between actors; on the strategic options; on how change will become visible; or on the timeframe of the change process?
Ask yourselves:
– What framings might help in describing the current situation?
– What are the perspectives of different groups of stakeholders: how do they view the situation, and what do they think is needed and how it can be achieved?
& Appreciative Storytelling
More information
Rich Picturing
* Oakden, J. (2014). If a picture paints a thousand words: The use of rich pictures in evaluation. Kinnect Group. Available here.
* Multi-Stakeholder Processes Knowledge Co-Creation Portal on rich picture.
* ‘Rich pictures’ at The Open University.
Analysis of The External Macro Environment
* Strategic Management Insight on PEST analysis.
SWOT Analysis
* What is a SWOT analysis? Tools to help improve your business.
* Community Toolbox on SWOT analysis.
Problem Definition
* Multi-Stakeholder Processes Knowledge Co-Creation Portal on problem definition.
Framings
* Community Tool Box on Framing.
Appreciative Inquiry & Appreciative Storytelling
* Appreciative Inquiry Commons of Case Western Reserve University.
* E.H. Kessler, The Appreciative Inquiry Model.
* Wikipedia on Appreciative Inquiry.
* Multi-Stakeholder Processes Knowledge Co-Creation Portal on Appreciative Story Telling.
More About Situation Analysis
Situation Analysis: Its Relationship with Other ToC Design Steps
- Vision of Success: The situational analysis forms the point of departure (“where are we at now”?) for defining your vision of success. It shows the problems to address. Your vision of success describes the desired future situation (“where do we want to be”), and shows how life is different when solving the identified problems. Hence, the situational analysis and the vision of success are each other’s counterparts.
- Scope: The scope defines the stakeholders taken into account in your analyses. Hence, you’ll add a stakeholder analysis on the page dedicated to the Scope of your ToC.
- Context: As part of this step you define the most important influential contextual factors.
- Opportunities and Threats: You can describe developing situational trends, relevant to your ToC, as part of the Strategy Narrative.
Expert Lenses
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