Hi! We’re a team that’s been working on using social systems mapping to create a map of the SCENE network:
- Min Ma, MXM Research Group, and president of the Greater Boston Evaluation Network (GBEN, an AEA affiliate),
- Haylea Hubacz, Ph.D. Candidate in Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics, and Assessment at Boston College, and
- Maya Komakhidze, Ph.D. Student in Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics, and Assessment at Boston College,
Using SumApp and Kumu, we’ve developed a map of and for New England-based evaluators. This map is a tool for evaluators to find peers and connect around topics of interest, challenges they are facing, and common geography. We want the map to be a place for folks to connect when they are at a standstill and are looking for guidance from others with a particular area of expertise.
Rad Resources:
We used sumApp as the primary survey tool to gather map data. Its focus on emergence and adaptation is aligned with our convening principles and has been critical for us throughout the mapping process (see Lessons Learned #1 below). SumApp not only provides us with the tools to build out and distribute our survey, it also integrates directly with Kumu, which makes the mapping easy for us! SumApp has a robust community of practice that convenes regularly and provides thought partnership around the conditions and tools needed to generate transformation. SumApp has a peer invite feature that simplifies the process of spreading the word among community members and growing the network beyond the initial group of mapped participants.
For creating our map, we used Kumu.io, an online platform that allows you to create maps of systems, people, and more. We used them to create our systems map, but it is also a tool for stakeholder mapping, social network mapping, community asset mapping, and concept mapping. Using this platform we’ve been able to customize the design and features of the map.
Lessons Learned:
It’s ok not to be 100% sure how the map will be used at the start! We took an interactive approach to creating our map, starting with a small group of enthusiastic participants and using their feedback to broaden the map’s features and invite peers onto the map. It’s also important to know that what is useful at one point might not be as useful at another. As we developed the map, we knew that the questions we asked and the ways people connect with the map may change over time. The SumApp + Kumu integration allows such an iterative process without compromising data that has already been collected.
Initial sample does not have to be large to start the mapping process. As long as the goal of the mapping is sufficiently resonant to community members, they will become valuable collaborators in spreading the word and helping the online community grow.
Data privacy should be a priority even in public maps. Online tools allow complete automation of the mapping process but cartographers can still manage what type of data to display on the public map and which survey responses to keep private. Make sure to get participants’ consent on the publication of their data.
We welcome feedback on how we can make the map more useful to evaluators and are also always interested to hear about how it is being used!
Hot Tip:
Folks in the New England region are invited to add themselves to the map by clicking through this opt-in page.
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