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Mapping your starting point icon

Mapping your starting point

Mapping your starting point’ is a simple set of questions that you can work through as a group to help start your systems change work or project. It is there to help make sure that everyone in the team/ group has a shared understanding of the problems you’re trying to address and what you’re hoping to achieve from the work.

We suggest working through these questions as group or team in a workshop setting and you leave with a clear ‘starting question’ that you’re looking to answer.

Mapping your starting point - Template

Mapping your starting point template
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How to use this tool

Step 1

Based on the early question or problem you are looking to address, bring together a cross-discipline, cross-team group of people into a workshop.

Consider whose voices might be missing and find ways to meaningfully include these people or groups in your work. Map your starting point, making sure to have a diverse range of experiences, knowledge and wisdom in the group.

Step 2

Allow the group a couple of hours to work through the questions included on this template.

You may want to consider bringing in other tools or frameworks to help you answer some of the questions. For example using a systems mapping approach to better understand your problem or challenge.

Step 3

Once you’ve worked through all of the questions, try to end on a single question that you are trying to answer or explore further. You will use this to revisit throughout your work.

 

Step 4

Capture any actions or gaps that come from your discussions.

Where you have gaps in knowledge, insight or wisdom, think about how you will address them, and what your plan for the work will look like.

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