Defending Dignity A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions on Monitoring Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Leader of Choti Tumbi gram panchayat in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh addresses a community meeting. Photo by UNDP India, reproduced under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license. 13.4. ANALYSING THESE FACTORS In diagnosing how demand-side and supply-side factors might be limiting the realization of rights, it is important to go beyond general claims such as “lack of political will” or “poor governance”. The key is to pinpoint precisely where the barriers, bottlenecks or other dysfunctions arise. In some cases, there may already be secondary literature that can assist your research. Community consultation is an important method for understanding demand-side factors. Key informant interviews are an important methodology for understanding supply-side factors. In other cases, the following analytical tools – which come mainly from international organizations working in the development field – might also be useful. 13.4.1. Power mapping A power map is a visual tool that can help identify who influences a particular issue, what kind of influence they have (i.e. positive or negative), how they influence it and who they are influenced by. The mapping generally starts with a specific actor at the centre of the map and moves out concentrically from there, identifying other key actors and noting the nature of their relationships. Power mapping could start with either the rights holder or the duty bearer at the centre. However, this path might not always be very linear and the technique can be amended as required. Power mapping can help visualize the flow of resources, influence and decision making. It can help untangle the complexities and the dynamics that lead to and sustain human rights abuses. Because of its visual nature, power mapping can be used to structure a participatory discussion with communities or other stakeholders. One advantage of power mapping is that it requires little technology. A whiteboard or single sheet of paper can be enough. It focuses on quickly collecting qualitative and relative information about the various actors and, therefore, does not require detailed quantitative data to be effective. However, it is important to note that power-mapping is ultimately a brainstorming exercise. In some cases, it might not be enough to rely on the expertise (or assumptions) of those creating the map to establish that particular actors have a relationship or the nature of such a relationship. Gathering the evidence to confirm the nature of the relationship, especially a financial relationship, might require other tools, such as reviewing agreements or contracts, auditing or financial reports, or conducting surveys with relevant stakeholders. 132