For researchers in transdisciplinary projects, communication with and between different stakeholders is crucial for the success of the project. They have to discuss critical topics, motivate stakeholders to participation and create inclusive working environments for different stakeholder groups. Net-Map is a tool to conduct participatory social network analysis using a combination of in-depth interviews and participatory network mapping. During the interviews, the interviewee draws the network of relevant actors, notes down their motivations and evaluates and displays the actors’ influence and benefits by building towers using any kind of stacks. The tool not only allows to gather data to conduct social network analysis but also to communicate different perceptions and enhance learning.
The tool has been used in different fields of application such as studies to analyse the institutional design of governance networks for environmental management. In these studies, the method has proven its suitability as a very flexible, low-cost, low-tech, and participatory method where interviewees are engaged to visualize their individual perception of the governance network in which they are involved themselves. The results of such studies are deemed useful to improve the understanding of how the governance networks work and how they can be strengthened to improve environmental management.
In this research I reflect on experiences of the application of the tool for ecosystem management in Latin America, more concrete in case studies in Costa Rica and Colombia. I will demonstrate how the tool helps to create transparency and a common understanding through visualizing the network structure, as well a comfortable atmosphere that keeps the participants involved. Learning effects through the reflection of the mapping results and often lead to a motivation to take action because it enhances the understanding of the network and roles of individuals/groups that must be improved in order to achieve a better performance.
