During this time of ‘social distancing’ and ‘shelter in place’, we are all adapting to new ways of interacting. Just as these strategies for precautionary action present new ways of thinking about how deeply interconnected and interdependent we truly are, some of us have never felt more isolated. How do we make sure that during this time of crisis, everyone in our ‘zone of care’ has at least someone checking in on them and making sure their fundamental needs are being met -- especially those on the margins? How do we ensure that no one falls through the cracks of our strained collective awareness and care?

The starting point for this social connection mapping initiative is to recognize that the disruption in daily routines and face-to-face interaction means that we can’t assume everyone is staying connected. While we’re fortunate to have many digital means of communication to remain in touch, keeping a large group of people connected still requires an intentional and disciplined approach. This initiative presents a relatively simple way to empower a few individuals or an entire group to efficiently monitor their connections and generate a visual map that can inform further targeted outreach.

We started the initiative with three use cases in mind, based on specific needs and concerns we were perceiving:

1. Neighborhoods or blocks trying to make sure their neighbors are doing okay.

2. Churches trying to account for all of their members and compensate for not coming together weekly in person.

3. Youth groups, classes, and schools where instructors, counselors, or administrators want to ensure that every child is receiving some form of additional contact and support.

Of course there are other potential needs and applications, but the above cases will hopefully offer a starting point for how similar situations might be approached.

The way the system works is simple: starting with a list of everyone in the group, members who are willing and able to participate are given an invitation (email) or link (direct personal web page with no account required) to review the list and indicate the extent to which they personally know and/or have been in contact with each member. These individual connections are automatically fed into a live map that illustrates how well the entire group is currently connected.

The app can help even a few people collectively monitor connections in a larger group. They could start by dividing up the members and reaching out to them following a plan. Or they could simply start reaching out based on existing personal connections and familiarity; track their connections using the app; and then use the map to see who’s still ‘unconnected’ and focus further outreach accordingly.

The more group members who are invited to participate and share their own connections, the more robust the map will be and the easier it will be to identify who might still need to be checked in on. Even where this type of broader participation might not be practical, leaders can personally use the individual member links to track and illustrate direct connections between members themselves (based on known relationships or information gathered by other means).

Use during the current crisis is likely to be driven by time sensitivity and different needs specific to each group. The app is designed to track not just the quantity and distribution of connections, but the quality or nature of those connections as well. As users scroll through the list of members and identify people they know, they are asked to select from a list of options to characterize each connection. Each group can tailor these questions to fit their application, focusing on the overall level of friendship or familiarity (ie: close friend, acquaintance, or relative), the frequency of connection (ie: within the past 2 days or the past two weeks), or perhaps the means of connection (phone or zoom, chat or email, social media, face to face, etc).

In addition to the primary set of questions designed to characterize the relationship, groups can incorporate surveys into the invitations each member receives and gather additional information -- all of which can also be highlighted on the map (such as clustering around shared areas of interest or identified needs). These questions can be adjusted over time to focus on changing circumstances or new group goals.

A key feature of the app is that each member can return to their link at any time to quickly update their connections and survey responses. This can be especially useful for tracking connectivity during this rapidly changing crisis. Group leaders might agree to update their maps at planned intervals to track connectivity over time. Or if relying on the collective input of the group, they might periodically send out updates and requests to each member to update their connections. This means that if circumstances take a particularly dramatic turn at any point, the app can be used to help quickly take stock of where things stand at an individual or household level.

This app is the best tool we’ve found for collectively and efficiently evaluating connectivity. While it was designed to support social network analyses and other more complex tasks, what we’re adapting it to do could also be done with a pen, paper, and phone (and some additional grit and determination). A spreadsheet might do the job just as well. We’ve also used collaborative online databases to track more specific interactions over time. Let us know if you have a use in mind beyond what this app can do, and we can try to help you set something up more specific to your needs.