A step-by-step Miro tool, designed for individual use, that will help you to surface a dominant ‘system regime’ by identifying actors, materials/resources and rules across five dimensions:
- Science and technology
- Policy and governance
- Culture
- Users and markets
- Business and industry
It can help us to visualise the patterns producing a societal challenge, and to build a picture of the ingredients in a system that maintain its stability and functionality over time. It may also help to surface hidden dynamics and interconnected system characteristics that affect policies and strategies.
Two versions are available for download:
- The first been designed for use by an individual as a reflective exercise and does not require facilitation.
- The second is intended to be used by small groups in an online workshop setting. Facilitators should take a copy of the board for each group and encourage participants to work through the step-by-step instructions in relation to a partner system. Facilitators can develop the board further to tailor it to use in a particular context.
Acknowledgements
Inspired by: tools in the EIT Climate KIC Visual toolbox for System Innovation by Cristian Matti and Javier de Vicente (including the socio-technical systems tool, pentagonal problem and actor tree) and the application of these tools by TIPC members and partners at the 2019 Transformative Innovation Learning Journey, led by Sarah Schepers; along with the work of the Latin American and Caribbean HUB for TIP.
Citation
Ghosh, B., Shaw, V., Steinmueller, E. and Zinkstock, E. (2022) Pentagonal map for system analysis.TIP Resource Lab. Available at: https://tipresourcelab.net/resource/tool-pentagonal-map-for-system-analysis-individual-version/
Facilitators Instructions
Important: Duplicating the tool
This resource is a Master version of the tool. To use it, you will need to duplicate it to your own Miro account.
How to duplicate the Board
- First, make sure you have your own Miro account. Researchers may be able to access a free educational plan for staff at educational institutions
- Click on the ‘download’ link to access the Lab master board
- Then click on the title
- Click ‘duplicate’ – this will open another board with ‘Copy’ in the title
- Rename the tool and save the URL
You will need to complete this process for each board. If you are using a tool with multiple groups, you can either: (a) create a different board for each group or (b) copy the tool multiple times on the same board. We recommend (b) to avoid confusion over board links.
If you are new to Miro, there is a short intro here.
If you accidentally change the Resource Lab Master, don’t worry! – please leave a message in the feedback section below and the Lab team will be able to update it.
I believe this is a good simple tool that allows people to understand which is the system in which they are working on. I would include instead of materials, I would add materials/resources to make it more conscient as well on the environmental challenges we are facing globally. Moreover, even when it is a simple tool, it still requires the facilitation of people who have knowledge of systems and the understanding of why thinking in systems is relevant.