Ripple Effects Mapping
Ripple Effects Mapping is a participatory evaluation method that engages program participants, as well as or community stakeholders, in an exercise that builds visible mind maps reflecting changes that have resulted from an intervention, program or initiative. Besides discovering outcomes -- both anticipated and unanticipated -- Ripple Effects Mapping is a tool that builds local momentum for community projects, highlights the public value that programs and initiatives bring to communities, and provides a forum in which communities can celebrate success. Primarily deployed for evaluation of community development programming, it emerged as an extension of the Community Capitals Framework[1] . Through the Ripple Effect Mapping process, community stakeholders map the chain of effects that would not have happened, but for a program or collaboration. These effects are described retrospectively and visually. [2]
Origins[edit]
Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) emerged in the mid 2000s when Extension and other community development programs sought to evaluate the Horizons Program, an 18-month long initiative to strengthen rural community leadership and address rural poverty (2008, Washington State University, University of Idaho, and North Dakota State). REM was piloted in Washington, Idaho, and North Dakota communities that had gone through the Horizons program. Creators designed the process to uncover program outcomes within complex, real-life settings where there was a need for a process that is relatively straightforward, cost-effective, and provides the added benefit of generating local energy and enthusiasm to further the goals and initiatives of a group, organization or community. After using participatory process to map stories, facilitators "digitized the data in mind-mapping software, exported it to a spreadsheet, and coded it" to the community capitals identified in the Community Capitals Framework.[3]
Core Components[edit]
Ripple Effects Mapping taps four approaches and community development models, integrating them into one comprehensive evaluation model. (1) appreciative inquiry, (2) participatory evaluation, (3) interactive group interviews and reflection, and (4) "radiant thinking" (also known as mind mapping.)
Appreciative Inquiry uses a series of questions to help organizations and communities explore, and build upon, their best attributes. The Ripple Effects Mapping process begins with appreciative inquiry questions that are agreed upon in dialogue between evaluaters and the program or community leaders. For example:
- What is a highlight, achievement, or success you had based on your involvement with these efforts? What did this achievement lead to?
- What new or deepened connections with others (individuals, community organizations, government, philanthropic) have you made as a result of these efforts? What did these connections lead to?
- What unexpected things have happened as a result of your involvement in these efforts?
Participatory evaluation strategies [4] [5] [6] involve program participants and stakeholders in program evaluation strategies in order to assure that the findings of the evaluation are useful to key stakeholders. In Ripple Effects Mapping, participatory evaluation strategies help participants reflect, celebrate, and motivate their further involvement in an initiative.
Information for Ripple Effects Mapping evaluations is gathered using an interactive group interview and reflection exercise. "...(B)ecause participants use their own words to describe their experiences without the facilitator making a priori assumption, in-depth knowledge is gained about the participants' backgrounds and programmatic experiences -- information that can be missed from close-ended or quantitative methods."
Mind mapping is used within the REM process to create a picture that depicts the chain of effects that has resulted from a program.[3] The process of diagramming and representing connections among a hierarchy of ideas helps participants visualize the types of outcomes that have taken place in their program or initiative. Because the fundamental concept behind mind mapping is radiant thinking, the use of mind mapping allows participants within groups to create links from one memory or observation to another among persons in the group.
The Ripple Effect Mapping Process[edit]
There are variations of the process used to create ripple effects maps. Step-by-step processes for each are provided in the Field Guide to Ripple Effects Mapping. In the Web Mapping variation, the Community Capitals Framework is tapped heavily. After interviews between paired participants, a facilitated group session moves from a discussion of short-term outcomes, to medium-term outcomes, to longer-term outcomes. In the In-depth Rippling Approach, frequently used for community leadership education programs, the appreciative inquiry exercise is followed by a process that asks participants to share stories. From these stories, a narrative is formed. In the Theming and Rippling approach, participants are asked to report two or three of the most significant effects they heard during the Appreciative Inquiry interviews. Reported items are transferred directly into mind-mapping software such as XMind and displayed as topics that are converged and sorted later.
REM in Practice[edit]
Ripple Effects Mapping evaluations are used in many types of community-based programs and initiatives, including tribal college programs, rural community marketing initiatives, children and family programs, poverty initiatives, arts groups, community gardening programs, community health initiatives, child care quality initiatives and tourism programming.
Resources[edit]
A Field Guide to Ripple Effects Mapping
Ripple effect mapping makes waves in the world of evaluation
University of Minnesota Ripple Effects Mapping
References[edit]
- ↑ Emery, M. (2006). "Spiraling-up: Mapping community transformation with community capitals framework". Journal of the Community Development Society. 37(1): 19–35.
- ↑ Baker, Calvert, Emery, Enfield, & Williams (2010). "Mapping the impact of youth on community development: What are we learning?" (PDF). ncrcrd.msu.edu. Retrieved 30 October 2017.CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chazdon, Emery, Hansen, Higgins and Sero (2017). A Field Guide to Ripple Effects Mapping. St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing.CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link) Search this book on
- ↑ Cousins and Chouinard (2012). Participatory evaluation up close: An integration of research-based knowledge. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing. Search this book on
- ↑ Cousins & Whitemore (1998). "Framing participatory evaluation". New Directions for Evaluation. 80: 5–23.
- ↑ Zukoski & Luluquisen (2002). "Participatory evaluation: What is it? Why do it? What are the challenges?". Community-based Public Health Policy & Practice. 5: 1–6.
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