# Journey mapping One strategy for understanding the needs of applicants and program staff in more detail is *journey mapping*. Journey mapping is a way of documenting and understanding the end-to-end experience of applicants and program staff as they engage with the program. A *journey map* can give a high-level overview of key interactions, challenges, and opportunities for improvement for different stakeholders throughout their experience with the program.
USDA Journey Map

Example journey map from USDA.

## Mapping what exists The first step to improving residents' experience with programs is understanding their current experience in detail. Working with each program to answer the questions in [Program Assessment](/user-manual/onboarding-guide/program-assessment.md) can help give a clear picture of each program's user journey across different phases, including discovery, eligibility screening, application submission and processing, determination, delivery, and renewal. A detailed journey map will include touchpoints between residents and staff, tools, processes, timelines, and pain points. In addition to working closely with program staff, conducting research with residents is a key part of understanding existing challenges and opportunities for improvement. ## Understanding what's possible Once you have a journey map of what exists, you can better understand what improvements are possible across the resident journey. Whether it involves simplifying application forms, consolidating many applications into one, or just making a paper application accessible digitally, work with your stakeholders to craft a new journey map that represents a better experience for program staff and residents. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.civiform.us/user-manual/onboarding-guide/journey-mapping.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.