In logistics analysis the values and opinions of the actors involved in a decision making situation are sometimes more important than the knowledge about the factors in the logistic processes itselves. Finding out how actors perceive a specific situation or - to be more realistic - reflecting on the consequences if actor perceptions were such-and-so, is the primary task to be done. In general, there is no lack of theoretical notions of networks and actors within policy science. However, there actually is a lack of practical aid for empirical research on the basis of the actor-model and its network approach. A simple and accessible (ICT supported) policy technology for research into networks and actors is, in fact, still absent. As researchers, we normally omit the perspectives of the individual actors and their strategic behaviour during the analysis. With the development of a computerised support tool DANA, we have made a first attempt to tackle this problem. We will demonstrate DANA on the basis of the policy making around the introduction of public distribution centres in the Netherlands. With respect to the foregoing some elements of the underlying modelling language are discussed, and the embodiment of concepts - from cognitive mapping and linguistic approaches to approximate reasoning - is illustrated. Some of the supportive functions, such as graphical rendering of perceptions and selecting a query for a specific actor-factor retrieval, are shown. The determination of the actors' perceptions, registered in a database management system, enables us to get a complete and structured insight into the strategic behaviour of the actors. (A)
Abstract