Concept is a tool for creating dynamic conceptual diagrams.

It is a drawing package that allows the user to display the important elements of a scenario in a visually appealing way and to show the links between these elements. The links can have relationships associated with them and these relationships can be changed dynamically to show changed conditions for the elements under different scenarios.

The software can be used to model just about any situation for purposes ranging from communicating processes and scenarios to stakeholders, to consensus building, issues scoping and prioritising.

Concept was originally designed for a natural resource management audience, but it could be used by anyone who needs to visualise a process.

Concept is designed for users with a range of expertise. Its relatively easy-to-use interface means that users generally require only a knowledge of the process or scenario that they wish to conceptualise.

Communication - Concept can be used to illustrate to stakeholders how certain activities affect the important elements within their environment.

Consensus Building - Concept can be used by scientists, policy makers and other stakeholders to help gain consensus on the important elements and dynamics of a process or scenario. For example, those interested in a particular catchment may assemble in a facilitated session and use Concept to decide on and build a live conceptual model of the important processes that affect the catchment.

Prioritisation - Policy makers and scientists may use Concept to depict the many processes within a system and highlight areas for further research.

Concept provides advantages over traditional static conceptual diagrams, in that it can show changes in a scenario as the condition of different elements are changed. It also allows the user to allocate levels of confidence in the condition assigned to an element.