FSG Systems Thinking Toolkit
Toolkit with Actor Mapping, Ecocycle Mapping, Timeline Mapping, Trend Mapping, and World Cafe for systemic analysis.
PURPOSE
The FSG Systems Thinking Toolkit helps teams and organizations systemically analyze complex societal or organizational challenges and identify effective intervention points. It overcomes the limitations of linear problem analysis that falls short for complex interconnections. The toolkit is particularly valuable for actors in the area of Collective Impact and Social Change.
HOW TO USE
The toolkit's methods are combined in workshops or analysis processes as needed. Actor Mapping visualizes the actors in the system and their relationships, Ecocycle Mapping assesses the maturity of initiatives, and Timeline Mapping analyzes historical patterns. Trend Mapping identifies relevant trends and World Cafe enables collective sense-making. Results from individual methods are integrated into a systemic overall picture.
WHAT IT IS
The FSG Systems Thinking Toolkit is a methods collection developed by FSG for systemic analysis. It contains the tools Actor Mapping, Ecocycle Mapping, Timeline Mapping, Trend Mapping, and World Cafe. The methods are designed to make the dynamics of complex systems visible and identify leverage points for change.
EXAMPLE
Example: As a consultant, you analyze the causes of homelessness in a major city and realize that simple cause-and-effect chains don't apply. With the FSG Systems Thinking Toolkit, you create Ecocycle Mappings of existing support services, Trend Mappings of rent price development, and Actor Mappings of all involved institutions.