Toolkit

The THINKWATER TOOLKIT is a resource hub, developed to serve a wide range of constituents, and to provide the necessary tools in the best practices of systems thinking.

On this page we feature resources for water professionals. Click the buttons below for audience specific resources.

E D U C A T O R S

A G E N C I E S

R E S E A R C H E R S

P U B L I C

Map Library - See the complete live map library at Plectica here.

The ThinkWater fellows, The Wisconsin Water Thinkers Network, Wisconsin ThinkWater School, and others have been creating visual maps of their ideas. This library of Plectica maps is provided to serve as both an introduction to visual mapping, and a forum in which to share and build ideas.

The maps presented here are ordered from the simplest to the most complex.

Peanut Butter & Jelly

This map is an introduction to the concept of mapping. It simply shows that a peanut butter and jelly sandwich consists of three parts; peanut butter, jelly, and bread. It also shows that both the peanut butter and jelly are related to the bread. See the map live in Plectica here. Download a .pdf of the map here.

Map - Activate - Check

In this Plectica map, four examples of M.A.C. (Map, Activate, Check) are presented. See the map live in Plectica here.

Download a .pdf of the map here.

Ecosystem Services

This map depicts a basic mental model of ecosystem services. See the map live in Plectica here.

Download a .pdf of the map here.

Audience Mapping

This map shows how different audiences can be systematically identified for events, programs, outreach, etc. See the map live in Plectica here. Download a .pdf of the map here.

Simple Ice-water Map

This basic map depicts the four simple rules of systems thinking: distinctions, systems, relationships, and perspectives, using the example of water and ice. See the map live in Plectica here.

Download a .pdf of the map here.

Conducting a Literature Review

This map depicts an academic literature review that was conducted to identify research gaps to help frame research questions and guide a research project. See the map live in Plectica here. Download a .pdf of the map here.

The Five Senses

This map is a basic illustration of DSRP’s systems rule and relationships rule. See the map live in Plectica here.

Download a .pdf of the map here.

The IPAT Equation, or I = P x A x T

One of the earliest attempts to describe the role of multiple factors in determining environmental degradation was the IPAT equation. It describes the multiplicative contribution of population (P), affluence (A) and technology (T) to environmental impact (I). See the map live in Plectica here. Download a .pdf of the map here.

Relationship Channel - Cognitive Jigs

This map provides a few examples of how to map and develop relationship channels. See the map live in Plectica here. Download a .pdf of the map here. See or download more information on Cognitive Jigs here.

Designing a Systems Thinking Workshop

This map was used by organizers of a systems thinking workshop at the WAEE annual conference. The map was used to plan for the workshop by recording input and feedback from attendees of a systems thinking Community of Practice webinar on how the workshop should be structured. See the map live in Plectica here.

Download a .pdf of the map here.

ThinkWater Symposium

This map was developed by organizers of a conference to create shared understanding amongst team members about the purpose of the conference, to plan the conference logistics, and to develop the conference agenda. See the map live in Plectica here. Download a .pdf of the map here.

More Maps

Conservation through Community Leadership Extension Program