Presentation: Using Network Analysis to Understand Alignment Toward Collective Action

At University of North Carolina’s 2018 Water and Health Conference, University of Colorado Boulder's Kimberly Pugel presented two case studies to highlight a method SWS is using to visualize the priorities of each actor within a network by combining standard network analysis with qualitative interviews. SWS partners are seeking to strengthen these networks of agencies, organizations, service providers, and users by increasing collaboration and consensus toward a common agenda. 

This “collective action” approach recognizes that the WASH system is complex, that diverse actors must come together to manage it, and that these actors will have differing and sometimes contradicting perspectives and priorities. One case in Kitui, Kenya plans to use the method to inform future action, while another in Debre Berhan, Ethiopia intends to track changes in priorities and network structure over time.