The SAVES set of categories was developed by Do No Harm users because other sets were not as functional for their purposes. People use the following categories for three reasons:

• They encourage brainstorming. If you consider these categories and what people are doing, you will not leave out something important
• They help to organize information and to identify relationships
• They force disaggregation—if something fits in more than one, you can unpack it

Systems and Institutions

How do people organize themselves for action? How do communities organize service provision? What are the structures that people belong to and that organize their activities?

Militias and militaries. Police departments and legal systems. Energy and water supplies.

Attitudes and Actions

How do people treat one another? How do people talk about and to one another? What acts of violence or kindness do people exhibit?

Reconciliation and forgiveness. Grenades and gunfire. Discrimination and insults. Racism or tolerance.

Values and Interests

How do people think of themselves as good people? How do people make use of resources in order to meet their needs?

Is land common or private? Is religion welcoming or aggressive?

Experiences

Do people interpret history selectively or broadly? How do they interpret recent events or their own experiences? How do people interpret the cultures of others around them?

Symbols and Occasions

How do people demonstrate which groups they belong to?

Flags and fireworks. Icons and idols. Colors and costumes. Holidays and holy days.

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Related Topics
How to do a Dividers/Connectors Analysis
Common Misunderstandings about Dividers and Connectors
Understanding Dividers and Connectors
Key Questions to unlock Dividers and Connectors
Dividers and Connectors Analysis

The acronym SAVES is obvious once pointed out. Yet Mary and I missed it for years!
 
It was finally pointed out to me by colleagues in Kenya who had been using it for years. I have subsequently learned that several groups around the world had been using the acronym, thinking it was intentional. The mind is a funny thing.
 
And Mary still doesn’t remember what the acronym stands for even though she knows the categories! The mind is a very funny thing.