Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007 How to develop jointly solutions - Cognitive Mapping and Group Model Building NeWater Train-the-Trainer

Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007

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


Agenda

09:00 Overview on the two methods and Introduction to Cognitive Mapping

10:15 Exercise on Cognitive Mapping

11:30 Introduction to Group Model Building

12:15 Lunch Break

13:15 Group Model Building Exercise

15:30 Summary and Evaluation

16:00 End


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


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.


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.


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


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


Types of models

Mentalmodel

Model: A simplified representation of a specific part of reality.

It serves a specific purpose.


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


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.


Cognitive mapping


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


An example of a cognitive map

variation of crops

When do plants grow well?

enough water

appropriatetemperature

fertile soil

water demand ofother water users

natural soil quality

naturalprecipitation

irrigation

ground watersalt content


Share your experience

Do you have any experience with the cognitive mapping approach?


Practical example of application

• The NeWater Wupper case study:– cognitive mapping as part of the stakeholder- and issue

analysis


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)


Stakeholder- and Issue-Analysis

Embedding cognitive mapping and group model building in a participatory process

Example...

Cognitive mapping with individual stakeholders

Group model buildingworkshop(s)

Workshop planning

Decision makers

There are many other ways.. see also Hare and Pahl-Wostl, 2003


Questions so far?


Causal modelling: Vennix

• Start from a goal, • add 1st order causes, • then second and• finally feedbacks.

cause 1 goalcause 2 +

+

-


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.


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


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.


During the break

• Have a look at the models


Collect experiences

• What were your experiences with the exercise?


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


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


Three basic approaches to GMB

• ClassicModerated group building of a single group modelThen used for group discussion

• Nominal I Individuals first create own cognitive mapModerated group building of a single group modelThen used for group discussion

• Nominal II Individuals first create own cognitive mapResearch team / responsible agency build single

group modelThen used for group discussion


Long term multi-stakeholder planning

Workshop:group discussionon problems and causesgroup model building

-> shared system model

• Goal:create common vision of best strategies for river basin flood management


Long term multi-stakeholder planning

Workshops: group discussion of management scenario simulations -> strategy recommendations

(See also Newig et al., 2007; Pahl-Wostl & Hare, 2004 )


Group model building exercise

• Split up into smaller groups• Each group should have a rapporteur



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.



• 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).



• 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).


Debriefing

• Presentations & experiences

• Who sees his/her view reflected in the group model?


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


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?)


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 those participate more that

have got more knowledge• Normative question important task to include all

views


Purpose of model building - Degree of complexity – Relevance of question asked

• Name all influence factors and their relationships 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


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.


Linking it back to participation/commitment and AM/IWRM


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. to be translated to Usbek?- Interactive methods: Time for asking questions, discussions and

exercises- Understandable presentations with practical examples- Evaluation: Learn from the experience!


Thank you for your attention.

Are there any further questions?


We would now like to ask you to fill in the evaluation questionnaires.


Coming back to your expectations...


... 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).

Documents

Seecon Training Course Tashkent 12/13 September 2007 How to develop jointly solutions - Cognitive Mapping and Group Model Building NeWater Train-the-Trainer