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Force Field Analysis was developed by Kurt Lewin (1951) and is
widely used to inform decision making, particularly in planning
and implementing change management programmes in organisations.
It is a powerful method of gaining a comprehensive overview of the
different forces acting on a potential organisational change issue,
and for assessing their source and strength.
 Detailed
description of the process
Force field analysis is best carried out in small group of about
six to eight people using flipchart paper or overhead transparencies
so that everyone can see what is going on. The first step is to
agree the area of change to be discussed. This might be written
as a desired policy goal or objective. All the forces in support
of the change are then listed in a column to the left (driving the
change forward), whereas all forces working against the change are
listed in a column to the right (holding it back). The driving and
restraining forces should be sorted around common themes and then
be scored according to their 'magnitude', ranging from one (weak)
to five (strong). The score may well not balance on either side.
The resulting table might look like the example above (this figure
comes from www.psywww.com/mtsite/forcefld.html).
Throughout the process, rich discussion, debate and dialogue should
emerge. This is an important part of the exercise and key issues
should be allowed time. Findings and ideas may well come up to do
with concerns, problems, symptoms and solutions. It is useful to
record these and review where there is consensus on an action or
a way forward. In policy influencing, the aim is to find ways to
reduce the restraining forces and to capitalise on the driving forces.
Example: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
adapted force field analysis, adding an extra element of the organisation's
control over a situation. For example, in an attempt to improve
success in afforestation and reforestation programmes, the agency
in question might list all the driving forces and restraining forces.
It then rates each force by its importance and by the degree of
control it exerts over that force. The totals are then calculated
and a table developed. This means that for each force, the higher
the total of importance and control, the more impact the agency
should have in trying to address that force. In addition, if the
agency can find some forces that explain others, the effectiveness
of its actions will be greater. For example, suppose that 'improved
operational planning' can reduce 'losses to fires and grazing' as
well as 'poor procedures for hiring and paying field workers'. Because
it has these cross-impacts, in this example, the agency decided
to give special attention to 'operational planning'.
Sources and further reading
- Hovland, I. (2005) Successful
Communication: A Toolkit for Researchers and Civil Society Organisations,
London: ODI.
- One case study comes from PLA Notes (1999) Issue 36, pp 17-23
from IIED, see: www.worldbank.org/participation/PRSP/plna/plan_03604.pdf.
- Another case details the use of force field analysis in a school
situation to assess the potential to change from teacher-centred
methods of working to greater pupil participation in planning:
www.crossroad.to/Quotes/brainwashing/force-field.htm.
- For original literature of force field analysis, see: Lewin,
K. (1951) Field Theory in Social Science, New York: Harper
and Row.
- Simple step-by-step guides to carrying out force field analysis,
with examples of the use of force field analysis in management,
see: www.mindtools.com/forcefld.html.
- Simple step-by-step guides to carrying out force field analysis,
with examples of the use of force field analysis in psychology,
see: www.psywww.com/mtsite/forcefld.html.
- For a brief overview, see: www.mycoted.com/creativity/techniques/forcefieldanal.php.
- Examples of the application of force field analysis in change
management, see: www.accel-team.com/techniques/force_field_analysis.html;
in health (MSH and UNICEF), see: http://erc.msh.org/quality/example/example5.cfm.
- For computer software to conduct force field analysis, see:
www.skymark.com/resources/tools/force_field_diagram.asp.
- View this as pdf
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