The central idea

Every line in an actor map is a claim. Define what it means, attach evidence, and give it a date.

Define the question before the network

An actor map should answer a clearly defined question: who can influence a particular decision, through which mechanism, over what period? For an asset-level question, that may include regional managers, public authorities, contractors, unions, or community representatives. A map of national names alone may miss the decision pathway.

Choose a scope and write a rule for including an actor. Formal authority, operational responsibility, ownership, and an evidenced representative role are different reasons for inclusion. Preserve those distinctions.

Give each edge a meaning

A line might represent formal appointment, an ownership stake, a reported meeting, or a public endorsement. These are not interchangeable. Label the relationship and link to evidence that supports that specific claim.

A meeting establishes contact if the source is reliable. It does not automatically establish agreement, control, or a durable alliance. Avoid stronger visual language than the evidence supports.

Add the missing dimension: time

Relationships change. Each record needs a date observed, a period of validity if known, and a next review date. Historical ties can be relevant, but the reader should be able to distinguish them from current roles.

Use successive snapshots to show change. A short annotation describing why a relationship changed often communicates more than an animated network with no explanation.

Publish an argument, not just a graphic

Pair the map with a short account of the decision pathway: who initiates, who can block, who implements, and what remains uncertain. Distinguish an actor’s stated position from an analyst’s interpretation of their incentives.

An actor model needs maintained evidence about roles and positions. The Venezuela programme does not present automated actor-behaviour modelling as operational. For public reporting, omit identifying relationships or details that could expose a protected source.

Questions to carry forward

What to watch

  • What exactly does each relationship claim?
  • Is the relationship current, historical, or unresolved?
  • Does the map explain a decision pathway?

Sources & editorial notes

An original editorial method. No specific individual or organization is assessed in this notebook.

Prepared 11 September 2026. Read our editorial standards. To suggest a correction, contact the editorial desk.