A Tool for Team Building and Process Optimization
It helps diverse groups gain perspective on an operation, quickly visualize how things work and relationships between groups.
What Village Mapping does
- It helps the group see the big picture on both intellectual and emotional levels
- Creates an environment that can lead to breakthrough visions
- Sets the stage for change
Use Village Mapping
- To look at TODAY’S PROCESS: When you want to work through problems in your environment – Symbols allow you and others to put issues in perspective
- When you want to BUILD A SENSE OF COMMUNITY: Village Mapping’s low risk environment promotes frank discussion of relationships, understanding and openness to change
- TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE – Quickly agree a shared vision
Building Village Maps
A Village map shows structure, activities and flows. Buildings are the basic unit of a village. They represent places where activities take place and decisions are made. Roads represent the quality of relationships between the buildings and form the base of the communication system. Messages or materials are represented by envelopes and other symbols. They typically move along roads.
Other symbols are used to show problems or qualities in the village’s functions, communication system and environment.
Step 1: Show stakeholders
Step 2: Show relationships and communications quality by choice of road symbol
Step 3: Show problems or benefits
Step 4: Summarize the map’s key points in a narrative
Video of building a Village Map
Example Village Map
This shows a current state map with key entities and relationships.
