Force Field Analysis Guide

Force Field Analysis Guide

3-3 minutes

Force Field Analysis (FFA), developed by Kurt Lewin (1951), is widely used to inform decision making, particularly in planning and implementing change management programs in organizations. It is a powerful method of gaining a comprehensive overview of the different forces acting on a potential organizational change issue, and for assessing their source and strength.

Force field analysis can clarify the ‘driving forces’ and identify obstacles or ‘restraining forces’ to change. As a result, it can help identify the relative priority of factors on each side of the issue. For bridging research and policy, it can be used to analyses the forces affecting a situation or to assess the forces affecting whether particular research might be adopted as policy. It might also be used to identify where research may help tip forces towards a change.

Edit this Force Field Analysis Diagram

How to Conduct a Force Field Analysis?

A force field analysis is typically carried out with a group using a flip chart.

Step 1: Describe your plan or proposal for change

• Firstly, the group discusses and agrees on the current situation and the goal of the policy or institutional change.
• This goal should be written on the chart or transparency between two columns.
• All the forces for change should then be listed in one column and all forces against change in the other column.

Step 2: List all forces for change in one column, and all forces against change in another column

• The next step is to brainstorm the ‘driving’ and ‘restraining’ forces and write them in the appropriate column.
• The ‘driving’ and ‘restraining’ forces should be sorted on common themes and/or prioritized according to their ‘magnitude’ towards change by assigning a score to each force, ranging from 1 (weak) to 5 (strong).

Step 3: Review the result and seek for a solution and action plan

• The last and the most important step is to discuss action strategies to reduce the ‘restraining’ forces and to capitalize on the ‘driving’ forces.