ABSTRACT
The inclusion of this supplement is based on four assertions backed by a number of studies (e.g. Open University 1986) showing that maps are a more effective means of conveying complex data issues than text:
• Planning, particularly for change, is often complex and is characterised by a large number of interacting elements operating both inside and outside the school/department/year group/team;
• In oral discussion and description there is greater difficulty in handling such complexity; a diagram can aid understanding by providing not only a ‘mind-map’ of the interrelationships but also a model of what currently exists and what might be added or put in its place;
• Proposals for change are often complex and using diagrams can help to communicate ideas within the team or to senior managers before the final document or policy is produced;
• Using diagrams which conform to one convention can help to clarify ideas in a way that ad hoc sketches might not.
