1. RIPPLE EFFECT MAPPING (REM)
February 11, 2015
Scott Chazdon, PhD, University of Minnesota
Alyssa Chiumento, University of Minnesota
Gretchen Nicolls, Twin Cities LISC

2. Twin Cities: Building Sustainable Communities Target Areas
Evaluating Impact: Qualitative / Quantitative
Moving Beyond the Gap: An Assessment of Neighborhood Health (Quantitative)
Ripple Effect Mapping: Creating a Narrative of Change (Hybrid)
BSC Evaluation: Overall and Site Specific Reports (Qualitative)
Gretchen Nicholls, Twin Cities LISC

3. Today’s speakers Scott Chazdon, PhD Evaluation and Research Specialist
Center for Community Vitality
University of Minnesota Extension
Alyssa Chiumento
Community-Based Research Assistant
The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs
University of Minnesota
Gretchen Nicholls
Program Officer
Twin Cities LISC

4. Webinar Overview What is Ripple Effect Mapping? Why REM?
How does it work?
Examples from Twin Cities LISC
What does it offer as an assessment tool?
Slide: Scott

5. Why Ripple Effect Mapping?
The challenge of capturing impact
Limitations of traditional evaluation methods
Slide: Scott
The challenge of capturing impact
Socially complex interventions
Requiring collaboration among stakeholders or sectors
Highly emergent/evolving contexts
Limitations of traditional evaluation methods

6. Why Ripple Effect Mapping?
Purpose: To better understand intended and unintended results
Post-program as part of impact evaluation
Part of developmental evaluation
Slide: Scott
Purpose – to better understand intended and unintended results of a program, intervention or collaborative for individuals, groups, communities and regions.
Completed post-program as part of impact evaluation
May also be completed during program as part of developmental evaluation

7. Direct vs. Indirect Impacts
Unrecognized social capital
People do not act in isolation
Unforeseen impacts
Slide: Scott
Collaboratives and high engagement programs often build social capital, but don’t take credit for it
People do not act in isolation -- strengthened social capital is a necessary pre-condition for other impacts
Other impacts may occur that were not foreseen in program theory

8. Mind Mapping and Radiant Thinking
Pictorial Method
Note taking
Brainstorming
Organizing
Problem solving
Evaluation
Slide: Scott
For more on mind mapping, see Buzan, T. (2003). The mind map book. London: BBC Books.
Image: Mindmap, Graham Burnett,

9. How Does it Work? Identify the intervention
Schedule the event and invite participants
Group mapping session held
Follow-up interviews
Cleaning, coding, analysis
Slide: Scott

10. Identify the Intervention
Not all interventions are right for REM.
Are there likely both intended and unintended effects?
Is the intervention something people can attribute influence to, or at least identify contributions made?
Do people already talk about the “ripples” from the intervention?
Slide: Scott

11. Identify the Intervention
Community leadership development
Business Retention & Expansion program
Tourism Assessment program
Engaged scholars program
Ramsey County Master Gardeners
LISC’s Building Sustainable Communities (BSC)
Slide: Scott
Examples of contexts where REM
made sense
Community leadership development
Business Retention & Expansion program
Tourism Assessment program
Engaged scholars program
Ramsey County Master Gardeners
LISC’s BSC

12. Appreciative Inquiry Conducted among pairs of participants
Examples of questions:
Tell me a story about how you have used the information from the program?
Is there anything that resulting from the program that you are proud to share?
List an achievement or a success you had based on what you learned.
“Floating Topics”
Slide: Scott
Conducted among pairs of participants
Participants matched with non- participants
Examples of questions:
Tell me a story about how you have used the information from the program?
Is there anything that resulting from the program that you are proud to share?
List an achievement or a success you had based on what you learned.
Responses mapped as “Floating Topics”

13. Theming and Rippling Theming Rippling
Group identifies which items are closely related
Group generates initial theme names
Floating topics moved and organized
Rippling
Group cross-validation
Potential for probing using the Community Capitals Framework
Slide: Scott

14. Twin Cities LISC’s Ripple Effect Mapping
Slide: Alyssa

15. Examples from BSC Blake Road Corridor Collaborative
Native American Community
Development Institute
Slide: Alyssa

16. The Blake Road Corridor Collaborative
Slide: Alyssa

17. Slide: Alyssa

18. A Major Theme: Reducing Crime
Slide: Alyssa

19. Native American Community Development Institute
Slide: Alyssa

20. Slide: Alyssa

21. A Major Theme: Building Power in the Community & in Individuals
Slide: Alyssa

22. Cleaning, Coding, Analysis
Organize map
Follow-up interviews
Excel/Google Drive Sheets
Thematic framework and type of outcome
Something learned
Action taken
Change in system
Slide: Alyssa
Organize map to better identify pathways or combine pathways
Follow-up interviews if more clarity is needed
Download data to Excel/Google Drive for coding
Code using relevant thematic framework and type of outcome
KASA = something learned
Behavior change = action taken
Impact = change in system

23. Improvement of structures, (e. g. housing, retail, etc
Improvement of structures, (e.g. housing, retail, etc.) and infrastructures that contribute to the well-being of organizations, individuals, and communities.
Increased private and public wealth that is invested in the well-being of organizations, individuals and households, and communities.
Strengthened ability of organizations or communities to protect landscape, air, water, soil, and biodiversity of both plants and animals.
Increased ability of organizations or communities to mobilize public engagement or influence the distribution of public resources.
Slide: Alyssa
Strengthened ability of organizations or communities to support diverse worldviews and to transmit knowledge of spiritual, cultural heritage, artistic expression, and traditions to future generations; recognize and build on cultural strengths; systems accepting that there may be different frames.
Strengthened or expanded trust or connections among people, groups, and organizations and their resources.
Change in knowledge, attitudes, or skills among organization or community members; leadership.

24. Coding Example: FRAN
Slide: Alyssa

25. The Blake Road Corridor Collaborative
Category of Effects
Count of Reported Effects
(96 total)
Percent of Reported Effects
Examples
Human 28
29.2%
Changed engagement strategy to reach more people.
Social 31
32.3%
Initiated or revitalized Cops and Kids Fishing and Cops and Kids Shopping Programs.
Civic 26
27.1%
Expanded National Night Out events; instituted Joint Community Police Partnership (JCPP).
Financial 19
19.8%
Facilitated improvements, i.e. regional storm water management.
Built
Influenced siting and design issues regarding Blake Station Park and Ride and Operation and Maintenance facility.
Health* 10
10.4%
Given Allina funding for gatherings at the garden related to healthy eating and active living.
Cultural
Held PTO meetings at Westside Village, where many Somali families live.
Natural Environment 4
4.2%
Environmental remediation of brownfield sites was conducted.
Slide: Alyssa
Facilitated improvements, i.e. regional storm water management, and facilitated additional future development because of cost savings for potential developers.
Held PTO meetings at Westside Village, where many Somali families live; use of pool at Blake School restricted at certain times for women only.
* Improvements in the physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being of community residents.

26. Percent of Reported Effects
Native American Community Development Institute
Category
of Effects
Count of Reported Effects
(65 total)
Percent of Reported Effects
Examples
Human 23
35.4%
Community engagement sessions in gallery generated hundreds of ideas about what is wanted for the community and for the city.
Social 28
43.1%
It is a safe, inviting place; when people need a place to go, they know to go to NACDI.
Civic
During the Make Voting a Tradition Campaign, we trained leaders in the community about getting out the vote.
Financial 4
6.2%
NACDI is pulling in more financial support for all sorts of projects. It is a contact list for the community and a pipeline to resources outside of it.
Built 5
7.7%
Influenced re-siting of the 21st Street Station by leveraging our prior work and our credibility.
Health 2
3.1%
NACDI makes me feel good.
Cultural 17
26.2%
Indigenous People's Day established in 2014 with the help of NACDI staff and Native American Indian community members.
Natural Environment 1
1.5%
Picking up trash with Jay in Phillips.
Slide: Alyssa
Human
Three community engagement sessions in gallery generated hundreds of ideas about what is wanted for the community and for the city; now participation is more constructive; the community iterates its own points of view into the power structure; we have a better understanding of organization structures.
Social
It is a safe, inviting place; when people need a place to go, they know to go to NACDI; relationships broadened thinking about how NACDI can be involved in the community and how to make more partnerships possible; NACDI is building connections with the Seward neighborhood.
Civic
During the Make Voting a Tradition Campaign, we trained leaders in the community about getting out the vote; until NACDI joined, there was no indigenous organization within the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability; made the mayoral forum listen to community, held forum on own terms, because we had own power already built.
Financial
NACDI is pulling in more financial support for all sorts of projects. It is a contact list for the community and a pipeline to resources outside of it; not the usual trend, but young artists supporting young artists is a really wonderful thing.
Built
Traveling along Franklin Ave, banners and other physical evidence reinforce presence of NACDI in South Minneapolis and instill sense of pride; influenced re-siting of the 21st Street Station by leveraging our prior work and our credibility.

27. Program Comparisons Human Social Civic Financial Built Health Cultural
Natural Environment
Total
BRCC 28 31 26 19 10 4 96
29.2%
32.3%
27.1%
19.8%
10.4%
4.2%
NACDI 23 5 2 17 1 65
35.4%
43.1%
6.2%
7.7%
3.1%
26.2%
1.5%
Slide: Alyssa

28. Community Capitals Highlights
Cultural Capital
Civic Capital
Social Capital
BRCC
Held PTO meetings at Westside Village, where many Somali families live; use of pool at Blake School restricted at certain times for women only.
Expanded National Night Out Events; instituted Joint Community Police Partnership (JCPP).
Initiated or revitalized Cops and Kids Fishing and Cops and Kids Shopping Programs.
NACDI
Indigenous People's Day established in 2014 with the help of NACDI staff and Native American Indian community members.
Relationship between community and established power structure has changed; politics feels more visible and accessible; the community iterates its own points of view into the power structure.
Until NACDI joined, there was no indigenous organization within the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability. NACDI brought an Indian perspective.
Slide: Alyssa

29. Benefits and Limitations
Simple tool
Complex work
Captures consequences
For people familiar and unfamiliar with program
Cathartic experience
Clarify misunderstandings
Potential for bias
Incomplete information
Inconsistency implementation
Not sufficient alone
Slide: Scott
Benefits
Simple and cheap retrospective tool
Captures impacts of complex or evolving work
Captures intended and unintended impacts
Participatory and appreciative approach that engages stakeholders
Group validation of results
Great supplement to quantitative assessments
Wonderful summary of a program to people who are unfamiliar with it.
Impetus for a program, its processes for achieving success, and both its intended and unintended consequences in a clear and anecdotal matter
Excellent visual tool, they can be well utilized on an organization’s website or social media platforms
Useful also to those who are familiar with the program
Participants to identify and reconcile any inconsistencies between an organization’s mission statement and its present actions
They allow for a re-examination of an organization’s strategy.
The REM process can be a cathartic experience for participants, assuring them of their efforts, identifying real effects of their work, and reaffirming their dedication to their organization’s mission.
The REM process can highlight participant’s perceptions and understandings, and perhaps equally importantly - it can highlight misperceptions and misunderstandings.
Limitations
Risk of bias in participant selection and data collection
Participants may not have complete information about a program or program outcomes
Potential for inconsistency in implementation
Not intended as the only evaluation method to be used with a program

30. Suggestions Facilitator, recorder and “mapper” “Probing” for responses
Community capitals
Recognition or credit for all change
Probe for negatives
Slide: Scott
Use same facilitator, recorder and “mapper”
Understand you will be “probing” for responses – think about some of those probes beforehand
Make decision prior to mapping whether to use community capitals as probes during group interviews
May need to recognize that one organization isn’t trying to take all credit for all change
It is important to probe for negatives

31. Lessons Learned Thus Far
Balance between breadth and depth
Scheduling
Recruitment and explanation
Setting
External facilitators
Differences in maps
Facilitation and evaluation
For more information:
Slide: Scott
Find the right balance between breadth and depth
Schedule the event along with another activity
Put much effort into recruitment and explaining the process
Choose a good setting – not too informal
Use external facilitators, not program staff
Maps can differ significantly;
Each organization approaches the process with its own history, experiences, and biases in mind,
and as a result, each map will reflect those unique conditions.
What does it take?
At the same time, the facilitators must use evaluation research skills such as group interviewing and analyzing qualitative data "on the fly," engaging the participants in the process of generating and refining thematic categories, and discovering causal pathways among the "ripples" or effects they report. Finally, it is helpful for session facilitators to have strong technology and typing skills to make the most effective use of the mind mapping software possible.

32. Contact Information
Scott Chazdon, PhD
Evaluation and Research Specialist
Center for Community Vitality
University of Minnesota Extension
Alyssa Chiumento
Community-Based Research Assistant
The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs
University of Minnesota