Why institutional mapping matters.
Jesse Schrage, Component 1, NORCE.
In the early phases of any research project—especially those working across sectors, disciplines, or borders—understanding the institutional landscape is essential. This is particularly true for a project like ARCS which aims to support policy change, build capacity, or catalyse innovation in complex governance systems. Institutional mapping is a powerful tool for this purpose. It allows project teams to see more clearly who is involved, how decisions are made, and where interventions might have the greatest impact. Within ARCS, we have produced two such reports, one for each of our case countries – Malawi and Ethiopia.
Institutional mapping is the process of identifying and analysing the key organisations, actors, rules, and relationships that shape a particular policy or practice area. It includes formal institutions (e.g., ministries, agencies, legislation) and informal ones (e.g., networks, norms, and routines), and often spans multiple scales—local, national, and supranational. The result is not just a diagram, but a deeper understanding of how knowledge and resources flow through a system.
So why is institutional mapping important for a project like ARCS? For one, institutional maps help to clarify roles and responsibilities in the development and delivery of climate services. Being a multi-stakeholder field, ambiguity around who does what can stall progress. Institutional mapping lays out mandates, competences, and interactions between actors, which is essential knowledge for aligning efforts and avoiding duplication.
Second, producing an institutional map can support meaningful stakeholder engagement. A key pillar in producing climate services that are useful and actionable is to engage with relevant stakeholders. Within ARCS, the institutional mapping helps to identify which stakeholders need to be engaged, in what ways, and at what stages of the project. Critically, it is an important piece to guarantee the relevance and legitimacy of a project.
Finally, institutional maps can increase the policy relevance of the research that is produced. ARCS aspires to inform the governance of climate services in both Ethiopia and Malawi. By showing where influence is concentrated and where institutional blockages exist, mapping can guide more strategic engagement and communication. Institutional mapping allows to highlight gaps in operationalising institutional frameworks and thus identify the support needed to establish effective coordination mechanisms. Ultimately, it can increase the chance that results will be actionable and taken up by decision-makers.
Want to read more? The institutional mapping reports produced within the ARCS project can be accessed here:
Photo by José Martín Ramírez Carrasco on Unsplash