How do you reflect on your power analysis?

1 Review your assumptions

When reflecting on a power analysis, it is important to review the assumptions made when mapping out the power relations of the issue. Assumptions are based on evidence, experience, or intuition, but can also be influenced by biases, stereotypes, or emotions. To review your assumptions, ask yourself questions such as how you decided who the key actors were in the issue, what sources of information were used to assess their power and position, and how you accounted for the diversity and complexity of perspectives. Additionally, consider how you balanced your own perspective and values with those of the actors. By reviewing your assumptions, gaps, uncertainties, and contradictions can be identified in your power analysis and filled with more data, feedback, or dialogue.

2 Monitor the changes

Reflecting on your power analysis involves monitoring the changes that occur in your issue, context, or campaign. These changes can be internal or external, planned or unplanned, positive or negative and can affect actors, their power, their position, or their relationships. To monitor the changes, ask yourself questions such as what events or actions have happened since your power analysis, how have they affected the power dynamics in your issue, how have they impacted your own power and position, how have they affected your allies, opponents, and influencers, and how have they affected your goals, strategies, and tactics? By monitoring the changes you can track progress, challenges, and opportunities in your power analysis and adjust your actions accordingly.

3 Evaluate the results

In reflecting on your power analysis, it is important to evaluate the results of your actions and strategies. Results are the outcomes or impacts that you have achieved or contributed to in your issue, context, or campaign. These can range from tangible to intangible, short-term to long-term, and intended to unintended. To evaluate the results, ask yourself questions such as: what have you achieved or contributed to in your issue? How do they align with your goals and expectations? How do they reflect the power shifts that you aimed for or anticipated? How do they affect the actors, their power, their position, or their relationships? And how do they affect your own power and position? By evaluating the results, you can assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of your power analysis and gain insight into your successes and failures.

4 Celebrate the wins

When reflecting on your power analysis, it's important to celebrate the wins that you and your allies have achieved or contributed to in your issue, context, or campaign. Wins can be big or small, individual or collective, symbolic or material. Ask yourself questions such as: What have you and your allies accomplished? How do these wins demonstrate the power that you and your allies have built or exercised? How do they inspire, motivate, or empower you and your allies? How do they acknowledge, appreciate, or reward you and your allies? By celebrating the wins, you can reinforce the value of your power analysis, cultivate a positive culture and momentum for your community organizing, and amplify your story and message.

5 Seek feedback

As a fifth step in reflecting on your power analysis, it is important to seek feedback from allies, opponents, influencers, and other stakeholders. Feedback is the information or opinion that you receive from others regarding your power analysis, and it can be formal or informal. When seeking feedback, consider who you can reach out to and how you can listen to their feedback with openness, curiosity, and respect. It is also important to analyze their feedback with critical thinking, reflection, and perspective in order to improve your power analysis and actions. By seeking feedback, you can enrich your power analysis with diverse viewpoints and enhance relationships and credibility with others.

6 Plan the next steps

After completing your power analysis, it’s important to plan the next steps for your issue, context, or campaign. These steps should be tailored to the challenges and opportunities you face, and the goals and objectives you want to achieve. Ask yourself questions such as: What actions or strategies can you and your allies take or implement to address the challenges or opportunities? What resources or capacities do you need to take these actions? And what indicators or criteria will be used to monitor and evaluate the strategies? By planning the next steps, you can translate your power analysis into action and have a dynamic approach to community organizing.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?