Process

An institutiogramme can be made on an individual basis (e.g. by an adviser, who afterwards verifies his/her understanding by asking feedback) or in a group (not more than 20 people) on a participatory basis. It is also a useful tool for presentation purposes, to show the position of an organisation in its environment or for discussing the relations between organisations in a network. Making an institutiogramme takes around one and a half hour.

Follow up

Following the institutiogramme a coverage matrix, or environmental scan could be applied to complete the institutional analysis.

Requirements and limitations

Making an institutiogramme is one of the most useful things to do both to draw out facts and to provoke discussions on formal, informal, actual and desired situations. It is important to focus on what is relevant given the basic questions - if you are too inclusive the institutiogramme will become a bowl of spaghetti that does not give obvious insights.

Application of the institutiogramme requires good knowledge of the existing actors and their relations. The qualification of the relations (adequacy, intensity) may be subjective. The tool itself does not guarantee that all relevant actors and relations are depicted. It shows only the basic nature of relationship (hierarchy, service etc.); it is not very specific on the relations. Often more concrete instruments (e.g. coverage matrix) will have to provide additional information.

Finally, an institutiogramme (like coverage matrix and many others, but unlike an environmental scan) provides a snapshot. It does not show the development of relations over time (it can be worthwhile to depict a current and future situation next to each other and compare them).

Practical references

• MDF Syllabus "Institutional setting" 2004.
• Norman Uphoff: Local Institutional Development: an analytical sourcebook with cases (1986)
• Wayne C. Baker: Networking Smart. How to develop relationships for personal and organisational success (1994)
• Paul G.K. Engel et al: Facilitating Innovation for Development, a RAAKS Resource Book (1995)