Here is a template for a ‘Rich Pictures’ style approach to your planning. It’s different from a mind map though related – and though the intention of a Rich Picture is to remain flexible, I thought a template would be a useful place for you to start identifying issues, related descriptions, and painting a broader picture of how the situation looks at the moment, before you start planning projects.

It’s based off Peter Checkland’s methodology here, and my template has left space for you to add new areas as they come to you. The picture you create should also include relationships between different categories, so if you see an institutional factor that will influence your climate for example, draw lines or other visual methods of connecting them so it’s clear. This will help you map and then plan a project that takes an ecosystem view of your context.

Let me know if you found it useful! Please subscribe to my mailing list to get this free resource. I regularly share further tools, workbooks, guides, and templates in my monthly newsletters. I welcome your feedback on how all these resources can best support you and your work, so I would love to stay in touch.