Evalguide - Prozess-Ebene

Using of network analysis, the nature of the relationship of the projects to one another and the quality and density of the project network can be investigated within a program. This highlights potential synergies and also, in some circumstances, the need for further coordination measures (such as network meetings).

Individual projects within a program represent the nodes of the network, with connections to other nodes to be shown. Possible dimensions of networking can be as follows:

Orientation: Project A knows Project B.

Familiarity: Project A is known by Project B.

Input relationship: Project A can use a product of Project B.

Output relationship: A product of Project A is relevant for Project B.

Cooperation: Project A cooperates with Project B.

A network analysis can be conducted simply using the following questionnaire: Fragebogen zur Vernetzung [Questionnaire on networking] (doc, 20 kB, in German). The projects (network nodes) you want to analyse go in the rows, while the network dimensions (change or complete if necessary) go in the columns.

Analysis example

One option is to represent the relationships between the projects – the data on which has been collected using the networking questionnaire – simply as connections between nodes (cf. Netzwerkdarstellung 1 [network diagram 1] (pdf, 276 kB, in German) witha diagram for each dimension: Orientation, familiarity, etc.). The dimensions orientation / familiarity and input / output can also be visualised in a coordinate system: Netzwerkdarstellung 2 [network diagram 2] (pdf, 26 kB, in German). Network analysis tools such as UCINET offer further analysis options (http://www.analytictech.com/ucinet/ucinet.htm).