Ecosystem relationships

A relationship is a directed claim, not a decorative line. Record source actor, target actor, relationship type, direction, strength, quality, description, influence mechanism, evidence and confidence.

The structured relationship types are influence, accountability, decision authority, dependency, resource flow, information flow, service delivery, collaboration, conflict or tension, trust, regulatory, and other. Use other—with a precise description—for representation, a potential alliance, or another mechanism that does not fit the list. A record may be directed or reciprocal. Create separate directed records when the mechanism, strength, quality, evidence, or confidence differs by direction.

Questions to test the map

• Where is decision authority concentrated?
• Who controls resources or information needed by others?
• Which actors are affected but have no path to influence?
• Who is represented through an unverified proxy?
• Where do conflict, low trust, or retaliation risk change how participation should occur?
• Which dependency has no accountable owner or alternative route?
• Which apparent relationship is only an inference?

Cycles are normal in ecosystems. Do not force the network into a hierarchy or causal chain. Revisit material relationships whenever power, trust or collaboration changes; each record retains its update timestamp.