The Three Essential Planning Tasks: Making the Map; Minding the Gap; and Building the App.
Together, these tasks form the scaffolding upon which the three approaches—direct, indirect, group—are carried out. Making the Map consists of locating trapped energy in a system and the channels through which this energy flows. The changemaker focuses on negative energy and on systems that find themselves in an unproductive or unjust state. Minding the Gap consists of assessing the strength of the unproductive equilibrium and the viability of the relevant channels within the system. Building the App consists of the various steps the changemaker needs to turn the trapped energy and the relevant channels into something positive. Building the App lines up precisely with the third key variable, leverage. Social entrepreneurs, social service providers and social activists, Social psychologists, Changemakers,
The three planning phases of changemaking are “making the map,” “minding the gap,” and “building the app.” These phases are fleshed out and annotated in the Changemaker’s Instructional Manual,” a checklist of activities to guide the changemaker through the preparations needed to take positive and effective action.
Making the Map is the process of getting our bearings by locating environmental (“situational”), group and individual channels—both open and clogged—within the five nested domains. This involves the following tasks:
Minding the Gaps is the process of uncovering trapped energy through evaluating the vitality (or lack of it) of the channels that have been identified as problematic. This involves the following tasks:
Building the App is the process of designing the platform upon which the change maker can take action—including a vision statement, the approach, the channels, the catalytic agents (a team), the message (“sticky”) and intended measurable results. It focuses on applying leverage along selected channels to release trapped energy. This involves these, and more, tasks:
In brief, it sets up changemakers to take action. This is where the art of change making comes into play, best articulated by what Bill Drayton, the founder of Ashoka, calls “feeling their way to solutions.”
The three planning tasks ( drawing on the three essential variables) leads to a new approach — a combination of direct, indirect and group
Together, these tasks form the scaffolding upon which the three approaches—direct, indirect, group—are carried out. Making the Map consists of locating trapped energy in a system and the channels through which this energy flows. The changemaker focuses on negative energy and on systems that find themselves in an unproductive or unjust state. Minding the Gap consists of assessing the strength of the unproductive equilibrium and the viability of the relevant channels within the system. Building the App consists of the various steps the changemaker needs to turn the trapped energy and the relevant channels into something positive. Building the App lines up precisely with the third key variable, leverage. Social entrepreneurs, social service providers and social activists, Social psychologists, Changemakers,
The three planning phases of changemaking are “making the map,” “minding the gap,” and “building the app.” These phases are fleshed out and annotated in the Changemaker’s Instructional Manual,” a checklist of activities to guide the changemaker through the preparations needed to take positive and effective action.
Making the Map is the process of getting our bearings by locating environmental (“situational”), group and individual channels—both open and clogged—within the five nested domains. This involves the following tasks:
- Scan the environmental domains (tool needed)
- Identify environmental domains that are underperforming
- Identify groups that inhibit kids (tool needed for formal, informal and invisible)
- Identify unproductive mindsets, values and social belonging.
Minding the Gaps is the process of uncovering trapped energy through evaluating the vitality (or lack of it) of the channels that have been identified as problematic. This involves the following tasks:
- Describe the clogged channels (how intentions are prevented from becoming results)
- Identify the nature and strength of the barriers in these channels
- Analyze how these channels got that way (situations, groups and individuals)
- Rank order the channels as to degree of difficulty
Building the App is the process of designing the platform upon which the change maker can take action—including a vision statement, the approach, the channels, the catalytic agents (a team), the message (“sticky”) and intended measurable results. It focuses on applying leverage along selected channels to release trapped energy. This involves these, and more, tasks:
- Decide on one or more of the “three approaches” (or entry points)—direct, group or indirect—enlisting the channel or channels that have the greatest potential.
- Determine how much force to exert as leverage (drawing on what is learned from how systems break down) in order to release trapped energy (potential)
- Then build in all the other components of the app, which include designing the platform upon which to lower costs and add value, forming a team, articulating a vision, creating a “sticky”message and system of accountability that can measure intended results.
In brief, it sets up changemakers to take action. This is where the art of change making comes into play, best articulated by what Bill Drayton, the founder of Ashoka, calls “feeling their way to solutions.”
The three planning tasks ( drawing on the three essential variables) leads to a new approach — a combination of direct, indirect and group