Facilitated Workshop Activities for Building a Context Diagram

Lesson Overview

In this lesson, I’m going to walk you through the recommended workshop activities or steps to building a context diagram. I assume that you have already viewed the workshop charter overview presented in module 2, or you are familiar with a workshop charter. Therefore, I won’t reiterate or take the time to explain terminology related to a workshop charter.

The objective of this lesson is to provide guidance for you to facilitate the creation of a context diagram in collaboration with a group of stakeholders. In order to focus specifically on the steps to building the context diagram, the details in the workshop start and workshop finish are excluded from this discussion.

If you haven’t already done so, you may want to download the example workshop charter for a context diagram and follow along as I cover each workshop activity.

Before we dive in, I must point out that the example workshop charter was prepared with a key assumption in mind. The activities of the workshop were prepared with an assumption that the workshop participants are unfamiliar with a context diagram. Therefore, instructions are included in the detailed process steps of each activity in order to educate the participants. As a result, the estimated times to execute the activities are longer than they would be for an experienced audience.

When viewing the Four Core Models Job Aid, you’ll see that there are three steps to building a context diagram:

Identify the system boundary
Identify user roles
Identify information flow (inputs and outputs)

Each of these steps is a separate activity in the workshop process, and is reflected in the workshop agenda.

Now, let’s take a look at each step as an activity in the workshop.

Step 1

Turning your attention to the example workshop charter, the first step in building a context diagram is Identity the System Boundary.

Start this activity by showing a visual aid and defining the term System Boundary.

Ask the participants to identify the entity that they want to focus on as the system boundary. If you follow my recommendation to start your project with a relationship map, then now’s a great time to show it. While looking at the relationship map, ask the participants, “Which entity do you want to focus on as the system boundary?”

Similar to the use case diagram, you will already know what entity you’re going to focus on. This would have been identified during the workshop planning. However, as you gain more experience, you might build more than one context diagram in a given workshop session. In this case, you’re asking the participants which entity they want to start with.

Draw a circle in the center of a flip chart sheet or large whiteboard, and label the system boundary circle with the entity chosen. The result of the activity might look something like the example shown.

Step 2

The next step is to Identify User Roles.

Again, start the activity by showing a visual aid and defining the term User Role.

If the relationship map is accurate, the participants can easily identify who interacts with the system boundary by looking at what entities have a connector line that connects to the entity chosen as the system boundary.

To identify user roles ask the participants, “What entities interact with the system boundary?”

For each role, draw a role rectangle and write the name of the role inside the rectangle. Consider using post-it notes as role rectangles to make it easier to move them around on your flip chart as needed. The result of the activity might look like the example shown.

Step 3

The third step is Identity Information Flow.

Show a visual aid and explain the input/output flow arrow and input/output label symbols.

As a heads up, if there are a lot of user roles the context diagram can get rather messy when the input/output flow arrows and labels are added.

As a facilitation tip for your workshop, you might consider using a separate flip chart or whiteboard to brainstorm and capture the inputs and outputs. After this brainstorming activity is complete, transfer all the inputs and outputs to finish your context diagram.

Before you start the inputs/outputs brainstorming activity, give each user role a unique identifier. In my example, I put the letter A on RQ Website, and the letter B on Accounting Department.

On another flip chart or whiteboard, create the outline for an Inputs/Outputs Table. As shown in this example, you’ll need the following columns: Role, Input To, and Output From. For each user role, ask the participants to identify information and material that is input to the system boundary, as well as information and material that is output from the system boundary.

Complete the context diagram by drawing flow arrows with appropriate labels for each input and output captured in the Inputs/Outputs Table. Depending on how many there are, I will usually just start with a few to demonstrate how the diagram is drawn, and then explain that the documenter will complete the task.

Note that if you take this approach, the documenter must capture the Inputs/Outputs Table so that it can be passed along to the participants as an attachment to the completed context diagram. Although it is intended to be a brainstorming activity, the participants often perceive it as a workshop deliverable. The completed context diagram is the desired workshop deliverable.

To recap, the workshop activities to build the context diagram are to:

Identify the entity that will be the system boundary
Identify the roles that provide inputs to the system boundary and receive outputs from the system boundary
Identify the input and output flow of information and material

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Context Diagram

A Context Diagram is a focused view of a system boundary and the user roles that supply information and materials to and receive information and materials from the system boundary.

Facilitator

In the context of a facilitated workshop, a Facilitator, or workshop leader, should be someone who is a process expert. That is, the Facilitator is knowledgeable in the process steps needed to create the desired deliverable. The Facilitator sets the workshop agenda according to the deliverable that is to be produced.

Process Map

A Process Map is an illustration of the interaction across multiple roles, and the sequence of activities performed by each role. A process map presents a visual of who does what and in what order.

Relationship Map

A Relationship Map is a visual diagram that allows you to see a broad view of connections between business entities. A relationship map presents an illustration of who plays a role in the business processes and operations, and helps you gain a high-level understanding of which roles interact and why.

Use Case

A use case is a requirement analysis technique for representing functional requirements, typically as a text-based deliverable. The use case presents a step-by-step dialog or interaction between a role, also called an actor, and a system to accomplish a specific user goal.

Use Case Diagram

A Use Case Diagram is an illustration of a system’s intended functional user goals, its surrounding actors, and relationships between the actors and the user goals. More simply stated, a Use Case Diagram is a visual that focuses on a specific system domain and conveys a high-level understanding of the user roles that interact with it and why.

Workshop Activity

In the context of a facilitated workshop, an Activity is a structured set of instructions that a Facilitator uses to coordinate the collaboration among workshop participants. An activity consists of 5 elements:

Agenda Step. In the workshop charter, the agenda step is the name of the activity, and should be named exactly as it is displayed on the agenda visual aid.
Estimated Time. This identifies how long the activity will take the participants to do. It is typically stated in minutes.
Purpose. This is a description of the purpose of the activity. It is usually 1 or 2 sentences that answer a common participant question, “Why are we doing this step?”
Process Steps. These are precise, step-by-step instructions for how to conduct the activity. It includes prompts that the Facilitator wants to give the participants.
Document. This is an instruction to the workshop documenter on what should be captured as an outcome of the activity.

Workshop Agenda

The Workshop Agenda is a bulleted list of activities that are planned for a workshop session. The workshop agenda is structured into three parts:

Workshop Start consists of introductions, a review of the workshop purpose, presentation of the workshop agenda, explanation of the ground rules, and executive kickoff.
Workshop Process consists of the step-by-step activities.
Workshop Finish consists of a review of the deliverables, identification of next steps, review and assignment of open items, and an evaluation of the workshop.

Workshop Charter

A Workshop Charter is a facilitated workshop planning and execution tool. It serves as a Facilitator’s notes and self-instructions for running an effective facilitated workshop.

Workshop Participant

A Participant is any stakeholder who is present during a facilitated workshop session.

Facilitated Workshop Activities for Building a Context Diagram

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