Local Connections Map

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Produce a visible network map of local entities and their working relationships to locate resources and disconnected areas.

Use it when: Use during community planning, coalition building, or project kickoff to clarify which groups interact and where partnerships are missing.

Skip it when: Skip when the focus is internal team dynamics or when participants lack knowledge of the local community landscape.

Group arrangement: Small groups of 4 to 5 working on separate posters, or one plenary group working on a shared wall. For counts that do not divide into 4 or 5: for 6 people, form two groups of 3 or one group of 6; for 7, form one group of 3 and one group of 4; for 11, form two groups of 4 and one group of 3.

Timing: Source specifies 90 to 120 minutes. Planned here for a standard 90-minute workshop session.

Materials and tools

• 1 roll of butcher paper or large whiteboard per 5 participants
• 1 pack of 3x3 inch sticky notes per participant
• Fine-tip black marker pens for writing actor labels
• Colored markers (red, green, blue, black) for relationship lines
• Thicker chisel-tip markers for accessibility needs
• 1 sheet of star or dot stickers per group for flagging priorities
• 1 flip chart easel and pad with markers for recording action commitments
• 1 roll of wall-safe painter tape
• 1 printable Legend Sheet per group

Before participants arrive

1. Tape a large sheet of butcher paper (at least 4x6 feet) to the wall or clear a large whiteboard space.
2. Set up a flip chart easel with blank paper beside the main mapping area for action notes.
3. Post the Relationship Legend Sheet showing all line types, arrow directions, and dashed lines.
4. Set out sticky notes, writing markers, line markers, chisel-tip markers, and star stickers at each table.

Say this to open

Today we are mapping the network of actors in our community. We will write key groups, institutions, and people on notes, post them, and draw lines showing how they actually interact. Our goal is to spot strong hubs, weak links, and missing partnerships so we can act strategically.

How to run it

1. Introduce purpose and demonstrate legend 10 minutes

   Explain the mapping goal and walk through the relationship legend. For example, explain that a library and a community center exchanging event space gets a green line for resource exchange, while an alliance running a joint project gets a red line. Dashed lines indicate fragile ties, and arrows show the direction of flow.

2. Brainstorm and post local actors 15 minutes

   Participants silently write relevant individuals, organizations, public bodies, and community groups on sticky notes, one actor per note. Participants post notes on the large paper, clustering similar sectors together and removing duplicate actor cards.

3. Draw relationship lines 25 minutes

   Participants draw lines between connected actors. In small groups, members draw simultaneously. In plenary, multiple pairs work concurrently on different sectors. Use green for resource exchange, blue for communication, red for formal collaboration, dashed lines for fragile ties, and arrows for directional flow as defined on the legend.

4. Analyze network patterns and gaps 15 minutes

   Stand back and examine the map together. Groups inspect which nodes hold many connections, which are isolated, and where expected ties are missing. Groups mark up to three priority gaps using star stickers directly on the paper.

5. Define next steps and debrief 25 minutes

   Gather the room around the map. Collect outreach ideas from four or five volunteers to address starred gaps. Conduct a quick hand vote to agree on two or three top priority actions, noting commitments on the flip chart easel. Pose the debrief questions to the room, taking two distinct responses per question, and photograph the finished board.

Debrief questions

• Which actors serve as the main hubs in this network, and what risk does relying on them present?
• Where are the most critical gaps between groups that ought to be working together?
• What is one immediate connection our group can initiate next month to bridge an isolated node?

Finished output: A documented visual network diagram displaying local actors, relationship types, identified network gaps, and a flip chart list of agreed outreach actions.

Remote

Use an online canvas like Miro or Mural. Prepare a board with pre-made sticky note templates and colored line connector tools. Participants add actor cards in parallel during Step 2, connect nodes using designated arrow colors in Step 3, and add comment pins on gaps during Step 4.

Hybrid

Pair each remote participant with an in-person buddy. The remote participant views a live camera on the wall map or an aligned digital canvas. The in-person partner places sticky notes and draws lines on behalf of the remote participant upon verbal instruction.

Access and participation choices

• Provide seated mapping options by placing butcher paper on large horizontal tables rather than walls.
• Allow participants to contribute names verbally or pass on drawing lines without explaining personal network ties.
• Offer thicker chisel-tip markers for participants with grip or visual adjustments.

If the session gets stuck

The map becomes an unreadable tangle of overlapping lines.

Pause line drawing. Have participants physically cluster related nodes into sector islands before continuing with inter-group links.

Disagreement arises over whether a relationship actually exists between two actors.

Draw a dashed line to indicate informal, occasional, or disputed contact, and write a brief note above the line.

Terms used here

• Actor: An individual, organization, government office, business, or informal collective operating in the community.
• Hub: A central actor connected to many other entities in the network.