Matrices
Matrix activities help identify societal and household norms. Some common versions include roles, responsibilities, opportunities, decisions, access, and social capital.
Related Approaches and Tools
Participatory Rural Appraisal
Digital Tools
Thematic Analysis
Sensemaking Workshop
Generating Insights
Matrix activities help identify social norms, behaviours, and practices. Some common versions that are relevant to gender equality and social inclusion include roles, responsibilities, opportunities, decisions, access, and social capital. They are best done in group settings to understand the underlying norms that shape relations. Matrices can be used to monitor changes, raise awareness, develop change strategies, and start conversations about complex topics. Matrixes can be displayed on an easel or on the ground, and they can be shared digitally or even drawn into dirt.
Matrices can be used in four different ways as a MEL tool.
- Observational– single point of time reflecting on the present
- Retrospective – single point of time reflecting on the past or comparing the past and present
- Comparative – single point of time comparing different types of people
- Longitudinal – multiple points of time comparing different responses of the same people
Matrices have four objectives:
- Encourage participants to reflect on their own lives and relations with others
- Help participants identify the norms within their homes and communities
- Start deeper conversations around complex topics
- Collect GESI-related insights through matrix outputs
Step 1. Clarify the objective and modality of the matrix
In this first step, facilitators will need to reflect on exactly what they hope to achieve using a matrix. Some points to think through include:
- What theme will be explored? Decisions, access, control, social capital, responsibility and opportunities?
- Online facilitation, interviews, workshops or focus groups?
- Change agents, beneficiaries, or staff?
- Card or canvas based?
Step 2. Prepare the materials
Identify the types of physical prompts to be used in the matrix, either as index cards or as an A3 canvas. We recommended testing any tools with a variety of participants before starting. Add visuals and translate as required. Laminate cards or templates if they will be used frequently. You can also prepare tokens in different colours and shapes to represent different types of people.
Step 3. Use the matrix
At the appropriate time, during the interview, workshop or focus groups, follow these subs-steps.
- Introduce the topic of the matrix. What are you trying to explore?
- Collaboratively brainstorm about some topics that form the first column in the matrix. Write these down in the first column or attach cards. For example, all the different types of household roles or decision-making topics. Have a set of backup topics to spark ideas.
- Collaboratively brainstorm the different types of people that will be added into the matrix. This may cluster individuals by age, ethnicity, ability, experience, role, gender, status.
- Ask participant(s) to place a token in the appropriate cells. When or how? Have there been any changes? This can be identified through arrows (↓, ↑, →)
- During the activity, make a note of important aspects that are useful for analysis: age, status gender, role, religion, ethnicity, experience. Write down observations and probe participant(s) to explain their decisions. If applicable and with consent, take photos of the canvases for your records.
Matrices can also be conducted using pocket voting
Pocket Voting – Using tokens (e.g. shells, seeds or stones) participants can ‘vote’ or place their tokens where relevant. This allows for the basic quantification of viewpoints. By making the tokens different colours, the voices of different people can be traced. Voting can also be done anonymously by using opaque jars and allowing people to ‘vote’ one at a time in a more private location.
Step 4. Data analysis, sensemaking and sharing
The final step is to analyse the responses to identify key themes to share them with relevant stakeholders.
- Compile matrices. We recommend using Excel or post-it notes and placing the matrix topics across the top of the page as columns. Then, in each column add a quick description of the respondents who fall into each category.
- Conduct thematic analysis. Drawing on the compiled matrixes, search for patterns and themes within the data. Explore differences by age, gender, ethnicity, or other aspects. This may take on a different shape if the analysis is longitudinal, comparative, or retrospective.
- Generate insights. Bringing together the compiled matrices and analysis to create insights from the data.
- Sensemaking workshop. In a workshop setting, explore the data with a group of key-stakeholders.
Travel Restricted Times
While matrices are best done in person, they can also be completed remotely using participatory methods.
Keeping in mind differences in access and literacy, think about different ways to facilitate and plan the activity.
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Computer and internet access |
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Smartphone and internet access |
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Basic phone access |
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See an example of participatory activities using Google Slide.
Learn more on the digital tools page.
Materials
Matrices can explore:
- Decision-making
- Opportunities
- Respect
- Responsibilities
- Access
- Social Capital
Matrix Canvases
These A3 canvases are downloadable in PDF format and can be used as templates or printed to use within interviews, workshops or focus groups.
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