5. Creating an Actor Map

Quick Overview

Creating an actor map involves identifying three key dimensions: the actors themselves, the network of relationships connecting them, and the hierarchy of influence or relevance each actor holds relative to the specific change initiative being considered.

Key Points: The three key dimensions illustrated in an actor map are the actors (e.g., friends, students, parents), the relationships between them (lines and arrows), and the hierarchy of influence (immediate, secondary, tertiary factors). Prioritizing actors must always be done in relation to the specific change initiative because representations are based on what the user is trying to achieve, not necessarily an objective view of the system. Understanding relationships involves social network analysis, determining how things flow, such as finance, information, physical resources, or institutional structures. Determining relevance involves assessing who is being directly affected versus indirectly affected, such as using the example of introducing a mine where farmers are primarily affected, and national supermarket chains are tertiary actors. The process starts with creating a list of actors and stakeholders, followed by mapping the relationships between them, and finally determining their level of engagement or influence. The speaker notes that representations are based on achieving a specific goal, stating, "our representations here are representations based upon what we're trying to achieve what we're trying to do."

Context: Module five focuses on building an actor map, which serves as a crucial tool in Systems Innovation for understanding how to change a system. The speaker references a previously shown example map concerning students, depression, and suicide in India to illustrate the core components of this mapping technique.

Detailed Analysis

The video details the construction of an actor map, emphasizing three core dimensions necessary for system analysis related to change initiatives. First, one must identify the actors and relevant parties in the system. Second, one must map the network of relationships between these actors, recognizing that these connections can manifest in various forms, including financial, informational, or structural flows, which falls under social network analysis. Third, one must determine the relevance or level of influence each actor possesses, often structured hierarchically (immediate, secondary, tertiary factors) relative to the change initiative. The speaker stresses that prioritization is goal-dependent; for instance, when analyzing a mine introduction in a rural farming community, farmers are primary stakeholders, while national supermarket chains or local transport authorities are tertiary actors with limited influence on the core issue, such as water quality.