Resource mapping helps you to collaboratively identify and locate the distribution of strengths, assets and resources that are available in your community.  This might include material resources, physical spaces, people, relationships, cultural traditions and services. It also helps you to identify what is missing or needed so that you can advocate for inclusive access and management of human and natural resources.

 

Community Asset Mapping: Community asset mapping is a powerful tool to collectively identify the existing strengths and positive aspects within a community by finding out all the places, people, programs and institutions that are available for safety, healing, connection, growth and empowerment. This allows individuals to increase their awareness, build stronger relationships and access the support and resources they need for improved health, safety and well-being. Through learning walks, photographs and face-to-face interviews, participants act as community researchers to create a visual inventory of the cultural, health and economic resources, as well as other opportunities that are available within their community.  By identifying the positive assets, a community can also highlight what is lacking and/or the barriers that exist to accessing them. By engaging community members in a process of identifying existing resources, they gain knowledge of the overall status of their community and can make an effective case for policies, resources and actions that are still needed. 

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 Oral Herstories: Oral history is a process of collecting and documenting the first-hand stories and experiences of community members through conversations, interviews and other methods. Oral history allows us to learn about and highlight the perspectives of individuals who might not otherwise appear in the official history or cultural narrative. This Toolkit provides some oral history tools and resources to recognize and highlight the value, contributions and wisdom of women in your community. They may be teachers, artists, mothers, business owners, healers, mentors, chiefs or any role model who you admire and respect. We hope that you will use these tools to document, listen, exhibit and rewrite the social narrative to center and celebrate the power of women!

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Engaging the Political Process: Governments and politicians are key in processes of shifting laws, policies and regulations. Government and political structures are often complex and sometimes it may be difficult to engage with the bodies due to restrictions put in place. 

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Spectrum of Allies:  A strategy tool to examine the range of social forces, people and groups who are most affected by your issue and locate those groups along a spectrum, from active opposition to active allies. This will help you to plan your advocacy campaign to mobilize more power and alliances in support of your issue. ​

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  Source: Training for Change

 

Stakeholder Empathy Mapping: a collaborative tool groups can use to gain a deeper insight into the different stakeholders around an issue. It helps to  develop an understanding of people you want to influence by getting into their shoes and understanding their motivations, beliefs, concerns, needs and interests. Once you have cultivated empathy, you will be better equipped to know how to communicate with them, address their concerns, develop key messages and mobilize their support.​

 

 

Source: Think Visual

 

 SWOT: a strategic planning tool that helps people and groups to identify their strengths and weaknesses, as well as any opportunities and threats that may exist in a specific situation.

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Source: Let Girls Lead Advocacy Planning Manual

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4 Quadrants: a tool from Integral Theory, developed by Ken Wilber, to identify resources or changes needed in four dimensions of the human experience: Psychology/Mindset; Behavior/Skills; Culture/Relationships: Systems/Structures.  This tool can be helpful in identifying goals and/or capacities needed to achieve your goals.