How to develop jointly solutions Cognitive Mapping and Group Model Building
NeWater Train-the-Trainer Workshop (session 3 and 4)
12/13 September, TIIM, Tashkent
Sophie Rotter & Karina Rasche
Seecon Germany
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Agenda
09:00
10:15
11:30
12:15
13:15
15:30
16:00
Overview on the two methods and
Introduction to Cognitive Mapping
Exercise on Cognitive Mapping
Introduction to Group Model Building
Lunch Break
Group Model Building Exercise
Summary and Evaluation
End
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Overview on this first presentation
• Recapitulate content of yesterday‘s session
• Introduction to the techniques of cognitive mapping
and group model building and their relation to
building stakeholder commitment and their relation to
the adaptive management cycle
• Introduction to cognitive mapping
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Recapitulate yesterday‘s session
• Adaptive integrated water resources management as
a way to deal with current challenges (complexity,
uncertainties etc.)
• Involving stakeholders in planning in order to bring
their knowledge and views into the planning process
and build commitment for the implementation (and
maintenance) of measures
• A variety of participatory methods
• the importance of stakeholder analysis,
• a clear process design and transparency for the
stakeholders as to what their role in the process is.
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Building blocks to stakeholder commitment
Two important building blocks to commitment are:
• People need to understand the system in which the
project is to be implemented:
– What its purpose is and what the different factors/interests
are that need to be taken into account.
• People need to be able to give their own views and
see how their input was taken up.
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Method types for knowledge elicitation
• Direct
– interviews
– questionnaires
• Natural
– observations
• Contrived
– card sorting (sort concepts on cards according to different
criteria) / hexagon method (write concepts on hexagons,
cluster them and draw causal relationships)
– cognitive mapping
– game playing
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Introduction to cognitive mapping
and group model building
•
to allow people to draw up a model of their view of the system,
the factors and the relationships that they consider as important
as related to a specific question.
• When done individually, we speak of cognitive mapping
represent the cognitive map / the mental model of an individual
• In groups, we speak of group model building create and
represent a group view on a system
• Participatory modelling techniques
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Types of models
Model: A simplified representation of a specific part of reality.
It serves a specific purpose.
Mental
model
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
The model
• The relationships within a complex system are represented in a
very concise way.
• Can help individuals to structure their thoughts
• can be used as a means for communication: to explain and
learn about other person‘s views
• can be used as a basis for further discussion, analysis and
decision making
– new knowledge on important elements: what do we have to take
into account?
– new knowledge about relevant actors: who should be involved
– new knowledge about existing relationships
– make gaps visible, create new ideas for win-win solutions
• can be integrated into further existing models used for
management
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
How do these methods support the building
of commitment?
• Understanding of the issue and the diverse effects
• Overview about the knowledge and perspective also of other
stakeholders
• See where their perspective is included.
• The developed group model can serve as a commonly accepted
basis for further analysis, discussion and decision-making.
• In order to create commitment, however, these methods need to be
embedded in a participatory process with a fair choice of participants
and enough information for them.
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Cognitive mapping
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
What is it?
– Using cards and arrows to individually build up a model of
the important factors related to a specific question
– Interview technique:
• helps to understand the viewpoint of another person and the
reasons behind it,
• structure the thoughts,
• show inconsistencies
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
An example of a cognitive map
natural
soil quality
natural
precipitation
ground water
salt content
variation of
crops
irrigation
water demand of
other water users
fertile soil
enough water
When do plants
grow well?
appropriate
temperature
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Share your experience
Do you have any experience with the cognitive mapping
approach?
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Practical example of application
• The NeWater Wupper case study:
– cognitive mapping as part of the stakeholder- and issue
analysis
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Application of the problem and solution tree in
the Wupper
• Structuring interviews with individual stakeholders:
– what is the main problem from their point of view? Where do they
perceive linkages?
– Making gaps explicit: Where is a problem without a solution being
mentioned yet?
• Creating comparable and quickly accessible results
• Integrating the views of members of one organisation into a
common problem and solution tree, building up a common view
on the system and internal agreement on the relevant issues
• as a basis for communicating the scope (issues that are covered)
of the workshop to other stakeholders
• as a basis for the stakeholder analysis
• diverse cognitive map as basis for common workshop (GMB or
other methodology)
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Embedding cognitive mapping and group model
building in a participatory process
Example...
Stakeholder- and IssueAnalysis
Cognitive mapping with
individual stakeholders
Workshop planning
Group model building
workshop(s)
There are many other
ways.. see also Hare
Seecon Training
Tashkent 12/13 September
2007
andCourse
Pahl-Wostl,
2003
Decision makers
Questions so far?
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Causal modelling: Vennix
•
•
•
•
Start from a goal,
add 1st order causes,
then second and
finally feedbacks.
cause 2
+
cause 1 +
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
goal
Task: Work in pairs
• Split up in pairs. Persons with experience in this,
please find someone without.
• Distribute roles: interviewee, interviewer (and vice
versa afterwards)
• 20 minutes each.
• Task: represent the interviewees mental model
relating to the following question written on the board.
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Task description
• Write down, on individual cards, causes that are
important to you and that are directly linked to the
goal card (1st order causes)
• Please try to keep the text on cards short and specific
• Only one thought per card
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Task description
• For each card:
– explain it to the interviewer
– add it to your model
– draw in the relationship (please use a pencil)
• Write down causes that influence those already in the
model, i.e. 2nd order causes
• Go through the model and identify whether more
relationships (arrows) need to be added. Pay
particularly attention to feedback relationships. Add
only the most important ones. The model does not
need to be complete.
• Give your model a name and sign it.
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
During the break
• Have a look at the models
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Collect experiences
• What were your experiences with the exercise?
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Group model building
• Now we are moving from working with individuals to working
with groups.
– Chance: Bringing together knowledge and views from
different people / organisations / sectors
– Challenge: Integrate diverse viewpoints (common result) or
make differences explicit
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
What is it good for?
– support communication
• by explaining one person‘s model to another person or
• by building up the model together
– deal with complex systems
• despite the limited processing capacity of the human mind
(acknowlege interdepencies and feedbacks)
– Show views and knowledge of different stakeholders
• On what do we agree? Where do our views differ or
complement each other? (underlying assumptions)
– serve as a group memory
• on one sheet of paper !
– generate a model that can later be worked with
• to support decisions to be taken later or
• to serve as a basis for more elaborated models, for example ABM
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Three basic approaches to GMB
• Classic
− Moderated group building of a single group model
− Then used for group discussion
• Nominal I
− Individuals first create own cognitive map
− Moderated group building of a single group model
− Then used for group discussion
• Nominal II
− Individuals first create own cognitive map
− Research team / responsible agency build single group
model
− Then used for group discussion
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Long term multi-stakeholder planning
• Goal:create common vision of best strategies for river
basin flood management
Workshop:
group discussion
on problems and causes
group model building
-> shared system model
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Long term multi-stakeholder planning
Workshops: group discussion of
management scenario simulations
-> strategy recommendations
(See also Newig et al., 2007; Pahl-Wostl & Hare, 2004 )
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Group model building exercise
• Split up into smaller groups
• Each group should have a rapporteur
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Group model building exercise
First phase: Individual reflection
• Consider the question / goal in the centre of the
group model and your cognitive map: What are your
most important points?
Second phase: Getting to know the different
perspectives
• One by one shortly present your cognitive map to the
group. The others can ask questions of
understanding. There should be no discussion at this
point in time. People can state their view without
being challenged.
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Group model building exercise
• Third phase: Build a common group model
• Write an important cause (either from your own cognitive map or
a new one) that you would like to be included in the group model
on a card.
• Then one by one
• o
present one card,
• o
add it to the board
• o
and link it to other elements of the model (use a pencil to
draw the arrows).
• Other members may ask questions and discuss:
• Not all cards from the cognitive maps need to be put into the
group model.
• When all have added their important cards, the group considers
whether anything is missing in the model (add cards).
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Group model building exercise
• Fourth phase: Use the model / Generate new information
• As a group, identify in the model causes (cards) that may
support successful water management. Mark them in red.
• In respect to these causes, find out which persons/organisations
are (a) affected by them (positively or negatively) or (b) can help
to implement the improvement. List them in the table.
• Fifth phase: Present the model
• Appoint one person from the group who will present the model
to the plenary group (5 minutes presentation).
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Debriefing
• Presentations & experiences
• Who sees his/her view reflected in the group model?
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Moderation
•
•
•
•
Stand at the front and and invite people to talk
See that the group works towards the goal
Keep track of the time
Ask back if something that is being said may not be
clear to the whole group
• Trigger discussions
• Address people if they seem not to follow or disagree
with the discussion
• Make sure that results are written on the board
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Embedding group model building into a participatory
process – relevance of the question asked
• For problem definition (e.g. „What are the current problems in
the river xy?“ „What constitutes successful management of the
river xy?“)
• For collecting information on factors and their relationships /
system understanding (What are the causes and effects of this
problem?)
• For idenfication of relevant stakeholders (Who is influenced by
this project? Who can support or impede its implementation?)
• For the idenfication of potentials (What are possible solutions to
this problem? Which factors influence the implementation of
these solutions?)
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Normativity
• Depending on the question that is being asked, the
method yields to a different degree normative views
and interests of the participants or objective
knowledge about the system and the problem at
stake.
Influence on the degree of participation:
• Collecting knowledge Æ those participate more that
have got more knowledge
• Normative question Æ important task to include all
views
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Purpose of model building - Degree of
complexity – Relevance of question asked
• Name all influence factors and their relationships Æ
as a basis for modelling, detailed policy analysis
• Name only the most important factors and the most
important relationships (or: only those that all
participants can agree upon): Understandable basis
for further discussion and communication to others
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Summing up:
Cognitive mapping and Group Model Building
• Cognitive mapping and Group Model Building are participatory
modeling techniques.
• They are about making knowledge/beliefs explicit, visualise
• related to a specific question
• individually or in groups
• They support the collection and integration of knowledge from
diverse sources.
• In a participatory process they can support the exchange among
stakeholders and the building of commitment.
• The model can serve as a commonly accepted basis for further
discussion and analysis, e.g. search for further relevant
stakeholders and potential win-win solutions.
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Linking it back to participation/commitment and
AM/IWRM
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Setting up a training workshop
• What are the topics that you think it would be worth carrying out
training on in the Amudarya river basin?
• Who would be the participants of such a training course?
Preparation of a training workshop
- Decide on date (and duration: half a day? two days?)
- Location
- Target group: interests and prior knowledge?
- Invitations
- Training material: Handouts etc. Æ to be translated to Usbek?
- Interactive methods: Time for asking questions, discussions and
exercises
- Understandable presentations with practical examples
- Evaluation: Learn from the experience!
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Thank you for your attention.
Are there any further questions?
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
We would now like to ask you to fill in the
evaluation questionnaires.
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
Coming back to your expectations...
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007
... have a good trip home!
• Please contact us for any further questions or need
for literature and support with carrying out further
activities (training or application of taught methods).
Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007