USAID/Ethiopia Resilience Learning Activity Brief: Social Network Analysis
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Ethiopia Resilience Learning Activity (RLA) conducted a baseline social network analysis from September 18 - 25, 2023 to explore the learning and collaboration connections between the implementing partners of USAID/Ethiopia resilience activities. A social network analysis is a powerful tool to understand local systems better and assess stakeholder relationships’ types and qualities.
Using software such as Kumu, an open-source visualization platform for mapping systems and understanding relationships, users can generate informative, user-friendly network maps and track quantifiable indicators that measure the effectiveness of relationships and collaboration within a system. When the attributes of a network’s actors and their relationships are defined, a social network analysis can shed light on a rich array of sub-networks sharing commonalities or characteristics. By understanding the network’s relationships and dynamics, RLA supports USAID resilience partners in improving cooperation, knowledge sharing, and learning.