Method guide · Arrange people and ideas
Cross-Scale System Map
Explore opportunities for action by connecting factors at different scales.
- People
- 8–40
- Base procedure time
- 130 minutes
- Recording
- Shared record
Purpose: Reflect and learn; Make a decision.
English guide
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How this method works
A mapping method that connects factors at different scales to explore opportunities for action. Begin by defining 3 concrete scales suited to the challenge, such as local practice, the organisation, and the institutional system. Place influencing factors at each scale, distinguishing items supported by observational evidence from hypotheses. Compare small-group maps while retaining absent perspectives and unverified items, then use arrows to connect supports and obstacles across scales. Do not treat one person as the representative of a group defined by shared characteristics. Leave voices that cannot be represented blank and identify whom to check with. The result includes a candidate priority action, the authorised decision-maker, sources to check with, and an update point. This description is an original adaptation of the 2026 Liberating Structures method page under CC BY-SA 4.0. Do not use it where an urgent decision about a single local situation is needed.
Phase schedule
Minutes are cumulative from the start of the base plan, not a live timer. Read scaling for any additional time. Phase controls do not advance automatically.
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- Define the challenge and scales0–10 minutes from the start (10 minutes)
Action: Define. Participation: Groups of 3–4.
Shared record
- Sort evidence-based factors by scale10–30 minutes from the start (20 minutes)
Action: Sort. Participation: Groups of 3–4.
Shared record
- Compare small-group hypothesis maps30–55 minutes from the start (25 minutes)
Action: Compare. Participation: Groups of 3–4.
Shared record
- Distinguish cross-scale opportunities and obstacles55–90 minutes from the start (35 minutes)
Action: Explore. Participation: Groups of 3–4.
Shared record
- Select a priority action and update point90–130 minutes from the start (40 minutes)
Action: Select. Participation: Groups of 3–4.
Shared record
Facilitation steps
- For 10 minutes, define the shared challenge and 3 scales, such as local practice, the organisation, and the institutional system. Do not treat these as a hierarchy of rank.
- For 20 minutes, write one factor per card, add observational evidence and a source to check with or mark it as a hypothesis, and place it at the relevant scale.
- For 25 minutes, lay the small-group maps side by side. Connect only overlapping relationships, keeping absent perspectives separate from unverified items.
- For 35 minutes, explore supports and obstacles across scales. Write the direction of influence and how to check it on arrow cards.
- For 25 minutes, check who has authority to act and whose perspectives are affected, then select just one priority action as a candidate.
- For 15 minutes, record sources to check with, the person responsible for updates, and the update point. Do not treat the map as a formal decision or prediction.
If something changes
If
At least one factor card has none of the following: observational evidence, a source to check with, or a hypothesis mark.
Then
Do not connect it as a fact; move it to the hypothesis area and write a source to check with and the person responsible for updates on the card.
If
Someone states at least once that a participant represents absent affected people, or asks one person to speak for an entire group.
Then
Stop the representation claim, separate the absent perspective and unverified items, and record a different way to check with the person's consent.
If
At least one proposal uses the map alone to make an urgent safety decision, interpret law, make a professional judgement, or decide on behalf of an authorised decision-maker.
Then
Do not select it as a priority action; move it to items to verify and record the formal decision-maker, a professional source to check with, and a deadline.
Preparation
Materials
- A map sheet showing 3 scales, such as local practice, the organisation, and the institutional system (1 per group)
- Cards for a factor, observational evidence, a source to check with, and a hypothesis (6 per person)
- Arrow cards connecting opportunities and obstacles across scales (12 per group)
- A check sheet for absent perspectives, items to verify, and the person responsible for updates (1 per group)
- Thick pens (1 per person)
Room and setup
- Display a reminder that levels refer to scales of time and space, not people's rank. Use different marks for observed facts, hypotheses, absent perspectives, and items to verify.
- Display a reminder not to treat one person as the representative of a group defined by shared characteristics. The map does not replace forecasting, safety decisions, legal interpretation, professional judgement, or formal decisions.
Adjust for people and time
With 8–40 participants, divide the total by 4 and round up to determine the number of groups. Distribute people so group sizes differ by no more than 1 person; each group of 3–4 creates a hypothesis map. When comparing maps, do not merge absent perspectives, unsupported hypotheses, or confidential information. Bring back to the whole group only candidate relationships across scales and sources to check with. With 41 or more participants, run separate sessions.
Safety and non-applicable situations
Do not ask one person to represent an entire group defined by shared characteristics. Keep absent perspectives, unverified claims, and confidential information distinct. The map does not replace forecasting, safety decisions, legal interpretation, professional judgement, or formal decisions. Do not use it where an urgent decision about a single local situation is needed.
Manuscript's recorded references
These translate the original manuscript's source and rights claims. They remain separate from any current-page notice below; they do not establish new verification.
- Liberating Structures: Five Structural Elements; Steps and Time Allocation; Attribution
https://www.liberatingstructures.com/panarchy
Adaptation under CC-BY-SA-4.0; changes made
- Conditions of CC-BY-SA-4.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Current-page licence notice
This explanation is an adaptation for Taiwa no Fumen based on the official Liberating Structures page linked below. The manuscript's recorded references are listed separately from the web page checked on 17 October 2026.
Changes: the Japanese explanation and facilitation plan have been edited for Taiwa no Fumen. The English edition translates that Japanese manuscript; it is not a verbatim translation of the official page.
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Credits on the checked source page
- Developed by: Henri Lipmanowicz, Keith McCandless
Related work credited on that page: socio-ecological systems; adaptive cycle.
Source page checked on 2026-10-17: Panarchy.
Source lineage
- Original repertoire (2013): Henri Lipmanowicz, Keith McCandless
- 2026 Fieldbook: Keith McCandless, Nancy White
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International · Legal code · Official source policy
This material-specific notice does not itself establish publication clearance. Preserved manuscript references above remain separate from the current page's credits and licence evidence.
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