Mapping the HIV & AIDS Strategic Plan for South Africa

The image displayed here is an excerpted page from the HIV & AIDS and STI Strategic Plan for South Africa, a 159 page document available in PDF to download from the South African government by following this link: http://www.info.gov.za/otherdocs/2007/aidsplan2007/index.html

Unlike the Google Map of South Africa geography, the concept map displayed here denotes the topography of South African policy on addressing HIV/AIDS infection in its region. While the majority of the plan is a series of charts, statistics, diagrams, graphs and graphic organizers, I chose one of two concept maps presented in the work - this particular one appearing on p. 129 entitled Figure 8: Structural Organization [of the "Implementing Agencies"]. Under "10.7 Implementing Agencies," the policy authors write:

"These are mainly provinces, districts, and local authorities. The private sector and NGOs augment the services that are provided by government. The structures for different government departments are designed to suit the specific needs of the departments, but the principle of intergovernmental relations are the same. It is envisaged that at provincial and district level, the same national level structures will be replicated so that the critical mass of human resources for effective programme implementation is in place."

With the use of diffuse language - policy jargon - I'm left wondering whether this paragraph serves as an interpretation of the concept map below it as positioned on the original document as no direct introduction is ever made of the graphic, nor is it clear how one should interpret the map as no rules of engagement are provided either. The map is simply displayed, the authors overt intention of demanding its readers to "make sense of it" including the many acronyms describing the implementing agencies that are defined earlier in the document. In the center of the map is SANAC written in white letters within a red colored box outlined with a thin black border and connecting the majority of other text boxes together. At the top of the map is the only other text box that is filled in by a color other than white, again the type is written in white and centered, "President and Deputy President; Cabinet." Certain boxes remain disconnected, such as "Cabinet Committee Meeting" written in black, white background, black outline - like the major of text boxes are formatted. Located tot he bottom left of black presidential box, the connotative meaning may be that cabinet committee meetings must occur under the direction of the President, Deputy President and Cabinet. Why this text box is floating below, rather than connected to, the presidential box is indeterminable. Connected directly below and bridging the black presidential box to the SANAC red box is the "Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on AIDS." One possible denotative meaning of the connection bridging red and black boxes is that members of the black box report to the IMC, which reports to the SANAC, having no direct relations with SANAC. While several other examples throughout the map demonstrate the visual ambiguity of a concept map that seeks to denote a structural organization, when interpreting policy documents - the connotative meaning of such work lies in locating its intended audience - other policymakers.