Objectives

The aim of Fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) is to consult different groups of stakeholders to explore the complexities and interdependencies involved in the transition to carbon-neutral cities.

Results

• A visual map showing barriers/needs as well as drivers/opportunities
• Outputs that can be used to develop a set of policy recommendations
• Identified priorities for the transition to carbon-neutrality

Description

<aside> 🔑 Overall, FCM can be a powerful tool for exploring complex systems, such as the transition to carbon-neutral cities. By using fuzzy logic (Zadeh, 1965) to capture uncertainty and ambiguity, you can develop a more nuanced understanding of the factors driving and impeding this transition.

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Steps

In preparation for a session:

1. Decide on your approach ahead of time:
   • Introduction. Begin with a word-association exercise to generate ideas, then move to explore those terms’ meanings and relationships to other words, forming either an organizational structure or groups of categories.
   • Overall Flow. Plan ahead of time if you want your session to be free-form (participants create their own maps) or structured (participants fill in a given skeleton structure — e.g., a mind map, concept map, Venn diagram).
2. Assign distinct roles:
   • Facilitator. The primary role of the facilitator is to conduct the interview/focus group. They should introduce and instruct the participant/s on the method, and ask the probing questions.
   • Notetaker. The note-taker should focus on taking notes regarding what participants say
3. When choosing a location, keep in mind that you will need a large table (and potentially whiteboard space) for the mapping to take place.
4. Record the session. Ideally you should videorecord the sessions so that you will be able to review them later. The benefits of recording are:
   • rewatching the creation of the map may uncover insights not caught in the moment
   • you can revisit sessions if you find that you need clarification during the analysis
   • you can educate others on the method.

Interview/Focus group process:

Opening

• Introduce yourself and state the purpose of the research
• Introduce the method; run through what you’ll be asking the participant(s) to do, and leave some time for questions.
• Ask an initial trigger question; prepare an initial warm-up question to start the conversation. It should be easy to answer and open-ended — for example, a free-association question

Facilitating the session

• After the initial trigger question, the facilitator should prompt the participant(s) to continue to build out the map. The goal is to make the conversation flow and feel natural, rather than disjointed.
• It is helpful to prepare some topics and probing questions ahead of time to use as needed.
• To build the map the participant should: