WRI’s Global Restoration Initiative hosts a webinar on the Institute’s first guidebook, Mapping Social Landscapes: A Guide to Identifying the Networks, Priorities, and Values of Restoration Actors. Participants explore how mapping your social landscape can help build stronger local environmental movements.

1. MAPPING SOCIAL
LANDSCAPES
Part 1, Introduction
Kathleen Buckingham
Sabin Ray
Bernadette Arakwiye
Ana Gabriela Morales
Ruchika Singh
Dow Maneerattana
Satrio Wicaksono
Hanny Chrysolite
Aaron Minnick
Lisa Johnston

2. SOCIAL LANDSCAPES AGENDA
Why Social Landscapes?
How to Map Connectivity?
How to Map Priorities and Values?
How to Visualize Social Landscapes?
How to Analyze Social Landscapes?
CASE STUDY: India’s Sidhi District
A Plan of Action
Natasha Ferrari, WRI
1
3
4
5
6
2
7

3. Aaron Minnick, WRI
THREE KEY COMPONENTS TO GOVERNANCE:
ACTORS, RULES, AND PRACTICES

4. WHAT IS SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS?
SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS:
A methodology to investigate
social structures through
the use of networks
and graph theory.
an actor / node
a flow / connection

5. FROM NATIONAL SECURITY…
Valdis Krebs. “Mapping Networks of Terrorist Cells.” 2002. CONNECTIONS 24 (3): 43-52.
How do we stop the
next terrorist attack?

6. …TO PUBLIC HEALTH.
Meyers, Lauren, et al. “Network theory and SARS: Predicting Outbreak Diversity”. January 2005.
Journal of Theoretical Biology 232 (1): 71-81.
How do we stop the
spread of infectious
diseases?

7. HOW TO USE NETWORKS FOR POSITIVE IMPACT?
1
2
3
Encourage Trust
and Efficacy
Capitalize on
Existing Roles
Use Social
Capital to Scale
How can the local restoration movement be
more aligned with the priorities and values
of its stakeholders?
How can existing roles in the network be
leveraged to increase impact?
What social capital (e.g., central actors) in
the network can be mobilized to scale
restoration efforts?

8. GLOBAL EXAMPLES: COLLABORATION
Svendsen, Erika et al. 2016. Stewardship Mapping And Assessment Project: A
Framework For Understanding Community-Based Environmental Stewardship.
Civic-civic Stewardship Networks in New York
INSIGHTS
• Larger organizations tend to be
clustered in the center of the
network
• Innovation located on the
periphery with few ways to
access the larger organizations

9. GLOBAL EXAMPLES: RESILIENCE
Ricciardi, V. 2015. “Social Seed Networks: Identifying Central Farmers for Equitable
Seed Access.” Agricultural Systems 139: 110–121.
INSIGHTS
• Shows that a few individuals
—men of high wealth—control
the seed network
• Expanding the network to
include women with low wealth
can increase resilience
Social Seed Network in Northern Ghana

10. Aaron Minnick, WRI
QUICK TIPS: Ensuring Inclusive Engagement
 Include diverse identities and viewpoints
on the facilitation team.
 Ensure confidentiality and practice
informed consent.
 Triangulate and disaggregate results.
Photo: Aaron Minnick, WRI

11. INSIGHTS FROM BRAZIL
Women tended to cite secondary
sources of information such as
elders, children, the church, and
community leaders, whereas men
tended to identify organizations that
provided direct sources of
information.

12. AARON MINNICK, WRI
HOW TO MAP
CONNECTIVITY?
Part 2

13. WHAT IS CONNECTIVITY?
Kathleen Buckingham, WRI
CONNECTIVITY
.
CONNECTIVITY: the degree to which individuals and
organizations are connected to each other

14. CONNECTIVITY WITH A RESTORATION FOCUS
OBJECTIVES OF FIVE FLOWS
INFORMATION  To improve communication and information flows of restoration knowledge
RESOURCES  To understand strategies for seed access, including who are the main seed sources and the
resulting implications for network efficiency and equity
FINANCE  To understand what funds are available, and where and who they are channeled through
AUTHORITY  To understand who makes land-management decisions and can block or unlock opportunities
CONFLICT  To understand conflict dynamics that can affect or be exacerbated by restoration interventions
CONNECTIVITY

15. 2 METHODS TO MAP CONNECTIVITY
Aaron Minnick, WRI
1 2Participatory Social
Network Analysis
Social Network
Analysis Questionnaire
CONNECTIVITY

16. Aaron Minnick, WRI
CONNECTIVITY
PARTICIPATORY SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS

17. PARTICIPATORY SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS
CONNECTIVITY
QUICK TIPS: Note Taker
Designate a note taker in the group who can
be responsible for capturing the insights from
discussions.

18. CONNECTIVITY
PARTICIPATORY SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS
INFORMATION
NET-MAP Who influences restoration information in x region?
NET-MAP LITE Who provides information on restoration?

19. 1. DEFINE THE QUESTION
CONNECTIVITY
Who influences…?
Where?
What?

20. CONNECTIVITY
Who influences…?
Which actors?
NET-MAP LITE
skip category coding
2. IDENTIFY ACTORS

21. 2. IDENTIFY ACTORS
CONNECTIVITY
 IMPACT: Who is affected by the decisions made by each
of the actors listed?
 FORMALITY: Are there any informal actors involved who
are not listed?
 SPECIFICITY: Are there any institutions listed that could
be broken down to better represent their different needs
and concerns?
QUICK TIPS: Identifying Actors

22. 3. ALLOCATE LINKS
CONNECTIVITY
formal link
informal link
Which links?

23. 4. ASSIGN INTEREST
CONNECTIVITY
positive interest
negative interest
neutral
NET-MAP LITE
skip this step

24. 5. ASSIGN INFLUENCE
CONNECTIVITY
significantly influential
most influential
limited influence
NET-MAP LITE
modify this step

25. 6. DISCUSS DATA
CONNECTIVITY
DOES YOUR MAP LOOK LIKE THIS?

26. 6. DISCUSS DATA
Aaron Minnick, WRI; Ruchika Singh, WRI
CONNECTIVITY
 SURPRISES: What do you find most surprising about the map?
 MISSING ACTORS: Does the map include all actors necessary to
ensure restoration in the landscape? Who from the landscape is
left out of the map, and why?
 CENTRAL ACTORS: Who are the central actors in the map? Are
they adequately positioned to lead or participate in the restoration
process? Why or why not?
 ACTORS ACROSS SCALES: Which actors operate across
scales? What are the reasons for these actors to operate within
multiple networks and scales? Do they share common attributes?

27. Aaron Minnick, WRI
QUESTIONS ON PARTICIPATORY SOCIAL
NETWORK ANALYSIS?

28. Aaron Minnick, WRI
CONNECTIVITY
SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS QUESTIONNAIRE

29. CONNECTIVITY
SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS QUESTIONNAIRE
1. INFORMATION FLOW
How often do you share information with [partners of a network or
other groups of organizations or individuals]?*
*Information sharing does not need to be directly related to
restoration but could affect restoration or land-use management

30. CONNECTIVITY
SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS QUESTIONNAIRE
2. PARTNERSHIP FLOW
Does your organization belong to any coalitions, partnerships or
working groups that share information, plan strategy, or coordinate
activities?
 Yes
 No
If yes, please list the coalition(s) your organization is involved in.

31. CONNECTIVITY
SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS QUESTIONNAIRE
3. FUNDING FLOW
Who funds restoration activities?*
*Funding can be of any amount but does not include in-kind
activities. [If needed, the question can be phrased to include a
scale (for example, over $100,000 a year.]

32. AARON MINNICK, WRI
Part 3
HOW TO MAP PRIORITIES AND
VALUES?

33. PRIORITIES & VALUES
QUICK TIPS: Addressing Scale Dynamics
Photo: Aaron Minnick, WRI;
Figure: Adapted from Mills et al. 2014.

34. PRIORITIES & VALUES
MAPPING PRIORITIES AND VALUES
1 Priorities Questionnaire
To identify common goals
among stakeholders that can
help shape partnerships or
funding proposals
 Restoration goals
 Restoration interventions
 Restoration activities
2 Values Questionnaire
To improve restoration land-use
planning and to understand how
the community values its
environment
 Resource availability and
extraction
 Preferences for resources,
connectivity, and access

35. PRIORITIES & VALUES
MAPPING PRIORITIES AND VALUES
1 Priorities Questionnaire
To identify common goals
among stakeholders that can
help shape partnerships or
funding proposals
 Restoration goals
 Restoration interventions
 Restoration activities

36. PRIORITIES & VALUES
PRIORITIES QUESTIONNAIRE
1. RESTORATION GOALS—WHY?
Identify priorities for
your organization.

37. PRIORITIES & VALUES
PRIORITIES QUESTIONNAIRE
2. RESTORATION INTERVENTION—WHAT?
Identify the vegetation intervention priorities for your organization

38. PRIORITIES & VALUES
PRIORITIES QUESTIONNAIRE
3. RESTORATION ACTIVITY FOCUS—HOW?
Identify the focus of restoration activities for your organization.

39. PRIORITIES & VALUES
PRIORITIES IN RWANDA: WHY?
• Soil conservation, a national
mandate of a key governmental
organization, was important at
all scales.
• The district leadership can act
as a broker for communicating
and acting on the priorities of
different scales.

40. PRIORITIES & VALUES
• The municipal government did
not share the 1st or 2nd priority
in the Carmen municipality’s
proposed policy programs.
• Opposing visions may lead to
potential conflict and impede
long-term success.
PRIORITIES IN MEXICO: WHAT?

41. PRIORITIES & VALUES
QUICK TIPS: Creating a Survey
Test the survey to assure that:
1. the questions and answers are clearly worded;
2. the answers are mutually exclusive; and
3. the answers address the key aim of the study.
Photo: Aaron Minnick, WRI

42. PRIORITIES & VALUES
MAPPING PRIORITIES AND VALUES
2 Values Questionnaire
To improve restoration land-
use planning and to
understand how the
community values its
environment
 Resource availability and
extraction
 Preferences for resources,
connectivity, and access

43. Figure: Adapted from Brown et al. 2015; Pocewicz et al. 2012.
PRIORITIES & VALUES
VALUES QUESTIONNAIRE

44. PRIORITIES & VALUES
VALUES IN RWANDA

45. Aaron Minnick, WRI
QUESTIONS ON MAPPING PRIORITIES?

46. Part 4
HOW TO VISUALIZE SOCIAL
LANDSCAPES?

47. VISUALIZATION
SOFTWARE VISUALIZATIONS
NodeXL
Gephi
UCINETKumu
Datamuse

48. Notes: a. Based on commonly available software in early 2018.
b. All social network analysis figures in the guide are made with Kumu.
VISUALIZATION
QUICK GUIDE TO THE SOFTWARE

49. QUICK TERMINOLOGY
a node / element
a flow / connection
VISUALIZATION

50. SABIN RAY, WRI
HOW TO ANALYZE SOCIAL
LANDSCAPES?Part 5

51. ANALYZING SOCIAL LANDSCAPES
https://docs.kumu.io/
ANALYSIS

52. NETWORK CENTRALITY
ANALYSIS
 The Connectors
Degree Centrality
 The Spreaders
Closeness Centrality
 The Gatekeepers
Betweenness Centrality
 The Change Champions
Eigenvector Centrality
Who has the most connections?
Who spreads information easily?
Who are the bridges?
Who is the most connected to central actors?

53. NETWORK SHAPE
ANALYSIS
 Size
 Density
 Core
 Periphery
 Clusters
Cliques
Is the network large enough to contain all actors but
still small enough to allow for cohesion?
How many actors are operating in the same space?
In what ways are peripheral actors being heard and involved?
What spheres of influence do actors have within their network
and beyond to drive the agenda?
Are core actors effectively using their central position?

54. NETWORK ATTRIBUTES
ANALYSIS
 Diversity
 Dissemination
Is there a diversity of voices driving the agenda?
Are current discussions reaching new communities?

55. NETWORK ATTRIBUTES
ANALYSIS

56. STRATEGY FOR CHANGE
ANALYSIS

57. ANALYSIS
DIVERSE: The information network is dense with mixed
messages.
RELIABLE: NGOs regularly provide quality information to the
farmer.
ALTERNATIVES: The district would be well positioned to
ensure quality information flows even after NGOs projects
have ended.
TWO STRATEGIC CHANGES:
1. Increase sharing of curated knowledge and measure
its uptake
2. Understand the underlying drivers for lack of
collaboration
INSIGHTS FROM RWANDA
The Information Network of a Rwandan Farmer

58. NATASHA FERRARI, WRI
CASE STUDY:
SIDHI, MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA
Part 6

59. SIDHI, MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA
Sandip Chowdhury (L) and Sumit Anand (R), WRI

60. PARTICIPATORY WORKSHOPS
Karismha Shelar (L), WRI; Girija Godbole (R)

61. Although the Sidhi
district’s network size is
large, the network still
lacks a diversity of
actors.
Tapping into peripheral
actors may help break
the business-as-usual
scenario.
INSIGHTS FROM SIDHI

62. At the state level,
there is a diversity
of actors, especially
NGOs.
Mapping showed the
need to tap networks
and champions that
interact across
scales.
INSIGHTS FROM MADHYA PRADESH

63. DANIEL HUNTER, WRI
A PLAN OF ACTION
Conclusion

64. 1. MAKE a commitment to map your social landscapes
around a specific goal or activity.
2. ANALYZE the social landscape maps to determine
what works and what could be improved.
3. WORK with groups within the social landscape to
identify, agree upon, and implement changes.
4. REPEAT, or make a commitment to evaluate changes
in the social landscape periodically.
A PLAN OF ACTION

65. Aaron Minnick, WRI
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