Notes+from+Understanding+Our+Networks+Network+Support+Participant+Cases

Notes from Understanding Our Networks: Network Support Participant Cases
Participants were asked to share top of mind thoughts or questions:
 * Role definition: How much guidance to offer a network at a challenging transition point? How much to guide them as they figure out next steps?
 * How do I balance providing my outside perspectives and insights with allowing them to figure things out on their own?
 * Where to begin when introducing network strategies to groups unfamiliar with this space?
 * What should our organization’s network effectiveness priorities be for next year?
 * How to inject energy, innovation, and new leadership into longstanding networks?
 * How can we develop new directions in a networked way, reaching beyond the people we already know to challenge our own thinking?
 * We have been seeking proposals for network grants and working with grantees to explore this, but received collaborative proposals instead. To what extent do we attempt to influence this / work with them to refine this?

During the peer assist the following questions were addressed:
 * Is a strategy focused on convening organizations to discuss their vision and solicit proposals of what they could do together the right cut in point?
 * What is the potential for using evaluation as a bridge, to get similar grantees to measure the same outcomes . What impact will more standard metrics / evaluation have on member collaboration and the effectiveness of networks on the ground?
 * Does paying people to network work?
 * What experience have others had using shared online spaces as platforms for collaboration?

Following are the group's responses to these questions:

Ideas for helping to connect / convene stakeholders included:
 * Map existing relationships.
 * Inquire into /understand their visions of working together to understand common interests.
 * Understand the organizational cultures and determine if there are there things that make them antithetical to each other.
 * Create “twosies”: Instead of trying to get everyone to buy in on collaborative approaches, small pairings of likeminded organizations can also be impactful.

With regard to using common metrics as a bridge, participants suggested that:
 * The value of this will be much higher if other funders of these organizations are also involved, and can promise to accept similar reports at similar times.
 * Create a common vision first of what the desired end goal looks like, to establish commonality even if the approaches are different.

Does paying people to network work?
 * Many organizations have tried this, particularly in providing funding for convening, facilitators, a secretariat, etc.. Experiences varied:
 * In some cases it didn't result in meaningful network participation
 * For others this has worked well, particularly the provision of a facilitator. Once the network and patterns are in place and connections are brokered, networks can then be more self-sufficient

What experience have others had using shared online spaces as platforms for collaboration?
 * Google groups: Used for policy network. Group agreed to enter notes / information after each external policy discussion for the benefit of the group.
 * Google calendar: Adding peoples’ email addresses into meetings so that they get automatic reminders from google rather than the convener.
 * Customized online platform: Proved too complicated.
 * Ning: Easier to use, and somewhat better utilized, but ultimately individuals preferred connecting via phone / email.