Steps

0. Define the problem owner who wants to intervene (more effectively)

0. Formulate the (sub-) question that you want to answer by making the environmental scan. Suitable aims of scanning are:

  • To make plans to develop your environment (identify compliant factors, and plan interventions)
  • To make/adapt operational plans (identify threats and make responsive plans)
  • To prepare strategic choices (on which opportunities and threats to gear your actions to)

0. Define the field of analysis

· Define the sector or (project-) organisation

· Define the geographical area

· Decide whether you depict the current, expected (when?) or desired situation:

· Clearly distinguish desired from current and/or expected

· Analyse the desired situation only after the current and/or forecasted situation

1. List all external factors influencing your field of analysis on white cards (to draw out information do this in a brainstorm session, where you do not discuss whether all points people put forward are correct and relevant. Sifting can come later). Think of:

  • Political
  • Physical
  • Infrastructure
  • Technological
  • Psycho-social
  • Socio-cultural
  • Economic

2. Assess the impact of the factor. Write positive factors (opportunities) on yellow and negative factors (threats) on blue cards (If you scan a sector programme, write strengths of the sector on green and weaknesses on red cards).

Note if there is insufficient information about certain facts, this can be noted for further research. 'Being uninformed' is in itself also a weakness or threat

Note: Do not have lengthy debate about whether a fact is an opportunity or a threat (a strength or a weakness). In case of uncertainty or disagreement:

  • Check whether the judgement is based on the basic question. If the basic question seems pointless or vague, refine the question
  • Split the facts that have both a positive and negative (this is why you judge in the first place: to be more clear about what effects you in what way)
  • Make duplicate cards: Judge the fact both positive (yellow or green) and negative (blue or red), or leave it neutral (white)

3. Assess your influence over the factor, distinguish:

Appreciation: You (as problem owner) have no influence over this factor (you will place such factors far from the centre, outside the influence square or circle)

  • Influence: You have no control over the factor, but your can influence it (you will place such factors closer to the centre, inside the influence square or circle)
  • Control/command: The factor is internal and under your command, yielding strengths and weaknesses (rather than opportunities and threats):
  • If you scan the environment around a single organisation (or even a part of it) you make the control circle a blackbox and just write the organisation name on it. In other words: You discard internal factors
  • If you scan a sector or (local) government environment, you make the control circle larger. You place factors in it that relate to actors under the control/command of the problem owner, whom you represent with a final closed circle or box in the centre (e.g. Ministry or unit in a Ministry)

Note: Check whether facts are truly external. If not:

  • Remember them as strengths and weaknesses for the internal organisational analysis, and/or
  • Identify the related external factor (e.g. 'Good PR' is an internal strength, but 'Good image among donors' an external opportunity)

Note: You can make a second, complementary environmental scan of the same situation by assessing the influence factors have over you (rather than you over them). In that case you do not draw the 'influence square', put simply place factors with the largest impact on your performance nearest to the centre, and factors that influence you less correspondingly further away

4. Categorise the factors according to a relevant classification. Generally categorise into (note that the local government example uses an extended classification):

  • Policy/regulation (on top)
  • Supply/resource base/input (to the left)
  • Demand/output (to the right)
  • Competition/collaboration (below)

5. Place factors in the diagram

  • Factors that you can influence inside, others outside the square of influence
  • Each factor under its own category

6. Optional: Complement and complete your inventory by repeating steps 1-5, especially if certain categories contain very few (positive) factors. In this way you investigate whether you had a blind spot for this field, or whether in truth you face limited opportunities and threats in this area

7. Analyse the scan

  • Where are the major positive and negative factors?
  • Are demand and supply in balance (opportunities in supply are meaningless, unless matched with opportunities in demand)?
  • What should be done to influence relevant factors that can influenced?
  • Which are factors you want to strategize upon?