Map an arrangement

Use Map an arrangement with the Concepts and Connections guidance to describe a role and its relationships. These instructions describe the blank tool, not anyone’s saved work.

Establish what is being mapped

Identify the role or arrangement. Who holds the role and in what capacity? What responsibilities, duties, powers and authority are assigned? To whom must an account be given, and for what? Which instruments establish the arrangements, and how do they operate in practice?

Identify items and relationships

Give each item a Name and Type; Notes are available. Current Add item choices are Person, Role, Body, Function. Distinguish a person from the role they hold. Existing or imported work may contain other types; these are not all offered by Add item.

Connect two recorded items using From → Relationship → To, and specify the Work or matter concerned. The available relationships are: Holds the role; Has the function; Is charged with; Has a duty to; Owes a duty to; Is answerable to; Has power to; Has authority to; Has a right to; May exercise discretion over; Is reserved to; Appoints; Delegates to; Authorises; Advises; Recommends to; Decides; Resolves; Approves; Directs; Supervises; Consults; Reports to; Establishes; Records; Explains. Choose relevant relationships, not every type.

The matter question changes for these relationships:

• Owes a duty to: Action or restraint required.
• Is answerable to: What must be answered for.
• Delegates to: What is delegated.
• Authorises: What is authorised.
• Advises: Matter for advice.
• Recommends to: What is recommended.
• Directs: What is directed.
• Supervises: What is supervised.
• Consults: Matter for consultation.
• Reports to: What the report concerns.

Add relevant details

More details provides Status of this entry (Existing or Proposed); Link to a recorded matter; What conditions or limits apply?; Risks and mitigation; Source document or Where is this relationship set out?; Provision or reference; Documents impacted by this arrangement; and Notes. Choices depend on recorded items. Extra context may appear for relationships added from a kept statement.

These fields are not all compulsory; use the details relevant to the arrangement.

Check the account

Responsibility concerns being charged with doing or ensuring something; duty identifies conduct owed to someone. Accountability identifies who answers to whom and for what: reporting alone does not establish it. Authority concerns what someone may do, in what capacity and within which limits. Delegation requires power to grant the authority. A job title or reporting line alone does not specify these relationships.

Every From and To identifies a recorded item. Instruments can be recorded as source references without becoming items. A reserved matter identifies which decision or matter is reserved to whom. Standing authority and an act of approval are different relationships.

The Items table records Name, Type and Notes. The Relationships table records From, Relationship, To, For what / on what, Conditions and Source, with reference, status, risks and notes available as additional columns. The Statements view expresses the recorded relationships in sentences. A completed map does not by itself establish validity or effectiveness.

Views and optional routes

Diagram, Explore, Table and Statements show the same account. Explore groups responsibilities and duties, accountability, authority and decisions, advice and reporting, structure and documents, and supervision. Examples, spreadsheet import and adding kept statements are optional. Rearranging a diagram or using Clean view does not change relationships. The website supports copying tables or statements, printing notes and downloading or opening a work file. Chat assistance does not itself save work into the website.