Objectives

What can a flow diagram be used for?
- To improve people's understanding of the causes and effects of their problems as well as to identify possible solutions.
- To deepen analysis of the main problems in a village/community by revealing how problems, causes and effects are linked to each other and which solutions might be possible.
- To show which problems have solutions that can be implemented by the village/community, which problems require external assistance to be resolved and which seem to have no solution at all, such as natural disasters.

Key questions

Questions that could be answered:
- What are the main causes and effects of a key problem?
- How are these causes and effects inter-linked?
- Where could one start to tackle the key problem?

Activities

How to facilitate a flow diagram:
1. Introduce the objectives of the tool and point out that it deals with three different levels (central problem, causes for the problem, effects of the problem). Explain that it can be used additionally for identifying possible solutions.
2. Make sure that everyone understands the difference between causes, effects and solutions
3. Proceed step by step (first causes, second effects, third solutions), otherwise it becomes too complicated analyzing a complex problem.
4. Take only one priority problem (as identified by pairwise ranking or by other ranking tools) and put it in the middle of a brown sheet of paper or on the ground.
5. Start collecting and identifying the causes for this problem.
6. Write them on cards so that your are able to move them on the ground or on the brown paper.
7. Support the group to identify the effects of the central problem and also write them on cards.
8. Link the causes and effects with arrows: arrows lead from causes to the central problem and from the central problem to the effects. Some effects are also causes - link them by double arrows ( <-> ).
9. Ask the group to think about possible solutions and how they might influence which causes (also effects) of the main problem.
10. Ask the group to differentiate between solutions that can be implemented by the respective village/community and solutions that need external support.

Time
At least 1 to 1 .5 hours

Materials
Sandy ground (or a big sheet of paper), cards, markers, stick

Hints

- It is easier to divide between causes and effects if you put the causes above the problem and the effects below the problem.
- It is advisable to introduce a flow diagram directly after having done a ranking in order to build up on the elaborated results by going deeper into analysis.

To see some examples see references.

Source: Berg, C./Beck, C./Beckmann, G./Chimbala, C./Erko, C./Fleig, A./Kuhlmann, M./Pander, H. (1997): Introduction of a Participatory and Integrated Develpment Process (PIDEP) in Kalomo District, Zambia - Volume II - Manual for Trainers and Users of PIDEP. Centre for Advanced Training in Agricultural and Rural Development, Humboldt University Berlin (Editor). Weikersheim: Margraf.