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Abstract
There are many challenges in evaluating international networks. The use of conventional tools can be difficult and often provides less than useful information. Social Network Analysis offers benefits for network evaluators by allowing for documentation and analysis of inter-relationships between individuals and organisations. This paper describes the use of this approach in the evaluation of a major international project entitled the Global Dialogues on Sexual Health and Well-being. It highlights the value of maps in enabling clear visual representations of networks, the identification of areas needing greater focus and the basis on which networks are constructed.
Analyse des réseaux sociaux pour évaluer les réseaux organisationnels sur les droits et la santé génésiques
L’évaluation des réseaux internationaux présente de nombreux défis. L'utilisation d'outils conventionnels peut être difficile et fournit souvent des informations qui ne sont pas des plus utiles. L'analyse des réseaux sociaux comporte des avantages pour les évaluateurs des réseaux, car elle permet la documentation et l'analyse des corrélations entre individus et organisations. Cet article décrit l'utilisation de cette approche dans l’évaluation d'un important projet international intitulé Global Dialogues on Sexual Health and Wellbeing (Dialogues mondiaux sur la santé et le bien-être génésiques). Il met en relief la valeur des cartes pour permettre des représentations visuelles claires des réseaux, l'identification de zones nécessitant un axe central plus marqué et la base sur laquelle les réseaux sont construits.
Análise de Rede Social para avaliar redes organizacionais sobre saúde sexual e direitos
Existem muitos desafios para se avaliar as redes internacionais. O uso de ferramentas convencionais pode ser dificil e frequentemente oferece informações que não são úteis. A Análise de Rede Social oferece benefícios para avaliadores de rede ao considerar a documentação e análise das inter-relações entre indivíduos e organizações. Este artigo descreve o uso desta abordagem na avaliação de um grande projeto internacional chamado Diálogos Globais sobre Saúde Sexual e Bem-Estar. Ele destaca o valor de mapas para permitir representações visuais claras de redes, a identificação de áreas que estejam precisando de um maior enfoque e a base sobre a qual as redes são construídas.
El Análisis de Redes Sociales para evaluar redes de organizaciones que trabajan en salud y derechos sexuales
A la hora de evaluar las redes internacionales surgen muchos retos. Los métodos tradicionales pueden presentar dificultades y a menudo proporcionan información poco útil. El Análisis de Redes Sociales presenta ventajas para los evaluadores de redes ya que ofrece la posibilidad de documentar y analizar relaciones entre individuos y organizaciones. El presente ensayo examina cómo se utilizó este método para evaluar un importante proyecto internacional llamado “Diálogos globales sobre salud sexual y bienestar”. También ilustra cómo los mapas son valiosos porque muestran una clara representación visual de las redes, revelan las áreas que necesitan mayor atención y señalan las bases sobre las que se construyen las redes.
Notes
It is recognised that social networking analysis can be used to describe any type of organisational structure as a network of a kind. This view of a network is not considered further in this paper.
Social Network Analysis uses a variety of tools – network diagrams, network matrices and mathematical measures – to depict networks. These tools have been termed representational technology (Davies 2009). Social Network Analysis is not tied to a specific theory of how society or individuals function. Rather, it is a generic approach that can be used in a wide variety of settings. The key distinctive feature of Social Network Analysis is that its focus is on relationships between actors, rather than their individual characteristics.
For the purpose of this article, Sexuality Policy Watch (SPW) is referred to as a resource centre analogous to the other four resource centres within the Global Dialogues.
In the case of organisations, only one person was interviewed from that organisation. It is recognised that different individuals from within an organisation may have differing perspectives. However, analysis of such differences was not the purpose of this mapping exercise nor did resources permit such analysis. In keeping with this principle, only one staff member from each resource centre was interviewed.
In the case of ARSRC, more than ten foreground respondents were identified and, in this case, the evaluation team spoke to as many as they were able to within the constraints of available time and resources.
Background respondents were selected from names suggested by the centres and from those already known to the evaluation team as credible experts on the basis of having published extensively and/or having led activism on relevant topics.
In order to preserve their anonymity, all names of individuals have been deleted from maps.
To aid clarity, final maps only have a few node labels based on points made in the text. Unlabelled nodes are other organisations, as identified through the mapping process.
In this study, the strength of links was not specifically assessed through the questions used for Social Network Analysis. Some assessment of this was possible for some of the centres using other forms of qualitative assessment.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Roger Drew
Independent Health and Development Consultant