What do you need to know to make good decisions? You need to know the context—you need an accurate enough map of reality. You need to have a model of change—you need to know how change happens. You need to know what you can do—you need to understand your own power and constraints.

Dividers and Connectors Analysis (DCA) gives us a model of the context against which to test our understanding. Today’s model is good enough inasmuch as it helps us to rapidly see change. Today’s model is good enough inasmuch as we review it and revise it constantly based on the changes we observe.

DCA reduces the amount of information about the context to a manageable level, while maintaining a focus on the most important factors.

Dividers are . . .

Dividers are those things or factors that increase tensions between people or groups and may lead to destructive competition.

Connectors are . . .

Connectors are those things or factors that reduce tensions between people or groups and lead to and undergird constructive collaboration. We also use the phrase “local capacities for peace”.

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Related Topics
How to do a Dividers and Connectors Analysis
Lesson 2: Contexts are characterized by Dividers and Connectors
Lesson 3: Interventions interact with Dividers and Connectors