{"id":1535,"date":"2014-05-12T15:13:36","date_gmt":"2014-05-12T19:13:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.principletopractice.org\/?page_id=1535"},"modified":"2025-05-05T16:08:52","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T20:08:52","slug":"mapping-with-the-constraints-box","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.principletopractice.org\/wordpress\/from-principle-to-practice\/mapping-with-the-constraints-box\/","title":{"rendered":"Mapping with the Constraints Box"},"content":{"rendered":"

Planners or implementers do not have complete control over the critical details of their intervention. There are constraints they are operating under which can guide or, in some cases, determine the details. These are represented in the Relationship Framework<\/a> by the \u201cconstraints box\u201d in the intervention column (see diagram to the right).<\/p>\n

In general, an over-emphasis on the quantity, quality, or timing of resources or over-specification of the identity of the recipients reduces the scope of implementing staff to respond to the context effectively.<\/p>\n

There are three elements of constraint.<\/p>\n

Mandate<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Organization mandates focus activities and provide direction. They can also hamper effective intervention.<\/p>\n

Fundraising and Donors<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

The way organizations raise funds can affect how interventions are planned, staffed, and implemented.<\/p>\n

Headquarters<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

The way organizations are structured internally can affect the way they plan and implement.<\/p>\n

Using the Constraints Box<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

While you are doing a critical detail map, check the details to determine if any of them are influenced or directed by entities in the constraints box. Where the details are constrained, are there negative impacts or likely to be negative impacts? When there are negative impacts based in a constraint, are there options for shifting or educating the constraint?<\/p>\n

Always ask. But come prepared.[1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Sometimes too much is made of the Constraint Box. Because of the prominence it is given with its \u201ctraditional\u201d placement at the top of the center column of the Relationship Framework<\/a>, some people have assumed it is crucial and must be examined in great detail. In truth, while these constraints are real and Do No Harm users are constantly encountering them, the elements in the Constraints Box are lesser details for Do No Harm analysis. They are not often where the big mistakes or issues in implementation occur.<\/p>\n

That said, there are examples of donor or headquarter instruction where the field staff knew there would be trouble, but they were ordered to comply. What are the Messages sent by such behavior<\/a> in an organization?<\/p>\n

Previous Page Critical Detail Mapping with the Seven Elements of Circumstance<\/a>
\nNext Page Mandate<\/a><\/p>\n

Related Topics
\nShared language and explaining Options<\/a>
\nCriteria Matter<\/a>
\nCritical Detail Mapping<\/a>
\nLesson 5: The details of interventions matter<\/a><\/p>\n

[1]<\/a><\/sup> “Always ask. But come prepared”<\/em>
\n 
\n“Use the Relationship Framework to organize your information so that you can tell a clear and concise narrative about the context and the ongoing impacts.”—Shared language and explaining options<\/a><\/p>\n

Once upon a time, at a Do No Harm Consultation, a field worker raised a problem he was having and some possible solutions. \u201cBut,\u201d he concluded, \u201cmy headquarters will not allow me to change my implementation.\u201d
\n 
\nAs chance would have it, the desk officer from HQ was also at the Consultation. He looked up, startled, at his colleague and said, \u201cYou never asked! Of course you can change.\u201d
\n 
\nA few hours later, the same desk officer was describing in great detail how he wished he could alter some pieces of a big program so that it would have a more significant impact. \u201cBut,\u201d he concluded, \u201cmy donor will not allow me to change the program.\u201d
\n 
\nAs chance would have it, the desk officer from the donor was sitting at the end of the table. She said, wryly, \u201cYou never asked. Your detailed analysis has convinced me. Of course you can change.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Planners or implementers do not have complete control over the critical details of their intervention. There are constraints they are operating under which can guide or, in some cases, determine the details. These are represented in the Relationship Framework by the \u201cconstraints box\u201d in the intervention column (see diagram to the right). In general, an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":7,"menu_order":10531,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1535","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.principletopractice.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.principletopractice.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.principletopractice.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.principletopractice.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.principletopractice.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1535"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.principletopractice.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2797,"href":"https:\/\/www.principletopractice.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1535\/revisions\/2797"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.principletopractice.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.principletopractice.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}