FAQ+-+What's+known+about+effective+network+alignment+and+governance?

Some models of governance include:
 * // O //// pen / participatory: // Call for input, voting, and participatory deliberation
 * // Steering and Advisory Committees // : Formal committees for providing direction to the network or decision-making on behalf of the network
 * // Secretariats // : Formal hubs for managing the network (e.g., making decisions and raising and distributing resources)

Common governance challenges include:
 * 1) // Balance of power // : Managing across differences in viewpoints / interests, resources, size, power, and tenure, to avoid concentration of power in one actor, or (in open systems) the risk that the loudest voices will dominate the conversation
 * 2) // Network boundaries // : Deciding who is part of the network, and what kind of rights they have (e.g., who has decision-making rights in a network with open participation)
 * 3) // Roles // : Describing what roles different actors will play, and communicating these roles in simple language to members of the network

Here are a few emerging practices for each of these common governance challenges:

1. //Balance of power//. Here are some strategies for promoting equity:
 * Promoting ownership of results
 * Active listening
 * Investing time in explaining what participants think is “equitable”
 * Being as transparent as possible about decision-making rights
 * Opening up participation
 * Developing approaches to governance that clarify the different types of membership
 * Having a protocol for dealing with issues of inequity in the governing process and implementing this protocol in a way that’s open and transparent

2. //Network boundaries//. Some funders have found it helpful to “soften” the boundaries of the network by designing different types of memberships. Steve Waddell, for example, has defined three membership types: citizen (potential participant), participant (active in realizing the goals of the network), co-owner (decision-maker / has formal authority), and customer (pays for the work).

3. //Roles//. Here are some strategies for helping network members participate effectively:
 * Roles can be agreed upon verbally or contractually (e.g., MOUs)
 * Written agreements can be a helpful accountability mechanism
 * Allow flexible interpretation of governance to fit the local context of the network, i.e., governance as a guiding principle
 * Introduce guiding principles (e.g., whether to make decisions by consensus, voting, or majority rule) when the network is in its early stage
 * Be careful about how much formal structure to impose, as experimenting with networks is often a side project that can become a burden when it's formalized
 * Under-structure governance initiatives at first, see what they evolve into, and only then assess whether there’s a need to institutionalize a governance structure
 * You may want to avoid the term "governance" because it carries unnecessary formality