ISM analyzes a system of elements and resolves
these in a graphical representation of their directed
relationships and hierarchical levels. The elements
may be objectives of a policy, goals of an
organization, factors of assessment, etc. The directed
relationships can be in a variety of contexts (referred
to as contextual relationships), such as Element (i) "is
greater than"; "is achieved by"; "will help achieve";
"is more important than"; Element (j). The following
is a brief description of the different steps of ISM:
Identification of Elements: The elements of the
system are identified and listed. This may be
achieved through research, brain storming, etc.
Contextual Relationship: A contextual relationship
between elements is established, depending upon
the objective of the modeling exercise.
Structural Self Interaction Matrix (SSIM): This
matrix represents the respondent’s perception of
element to element directed relationship. Four
Symbols are used to represent the type of the type
of relationship that can exist between two elements
of the system under consideration. These are: