Jan+12+&+14+Convening+-+Mapping+NNF+Participant's+Interests

=== __Note__: These questions involve values / end states as well as tools / tactics. Going forward, it might be beneficial to separate the two – e.g., “If these are your goals then the focus is on X, and here are some ways to think about tools.” ===

Mapping Questions We Have
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** Additional Discussion **
** 1. What’s the baseline knowledge I need? **
 * // How much new knowledge is needed? //
 * To paraphrase Barabasi, networks are everywhere, all we have to is to develop an eye for them.” Some individuals in this space are nurturing networks effectively, but they do not call it as such or know the theory. There seems to be a gap between the words / tools we have developed and everyday life. Is it even necessary for people to speak this way to improve their day-to-day work? To what extent do we have to develop language to help the network?
 * Working in a network way may look exactly like working the way you did before, except the starting point is different: in networked world, you build relationships first, and then you do the work using the social capital you’ve created (when the opportunity arises).
 * // What shared language is needed? //
 * There are stumbling blocks associated with even calling something a network. For instance, weary of extra work, people might be hesitant to join. One approach is to use the terms people within the network already use. On the flip slide, lack of a common language may silo these individuals / organizations.
 * A middle ground may be to meet people where they are, i.e., to build a common language, moving from the practice to the theory. Call out practical questions people are struggling with and how a network approach can help. Explain that they may already be working in a networked way, and provide them with tools / language to integrate into the work they already do.
 * __Caution__: Do not underemphasize the impact of a name. You cannot start by pushing language, but a term can be a magnet for like-minded people.
 * 3. How do I work with a networked mindset? **
 * There is worry that networks will be the next fad. Foundations might say, “We’ll give all our grants via networks” without the directional shift, which could do more harm than good. Ultimately, it’s about transparency.
 * It’s a process that foundations need to try out through experimentation, and it is also a conversation internally – particularly with senior management and senior staff (the younger staff is generally ready to go). The question is how to find a path that doesn’t get too far out ahead of what the organization and its members are willing / capable to embark on.
 * Rethink accountability mechanisms. The current default is to set, short-term metrics that allow us to say, “I can promise you this in 6 months” without balancing it appropriately. With networks you can’t assume that much control.
 * External focusing events can force a change in the organization.
 * For example, Habitat for Humanity Egypt had to adopt a more networked approach because in Egypt regulations were such that they couldn’t expand the nonprofit. Instead, they developed a network of affiliates, which required letting go of control. The result: Habitat for Humanity Egypt is building dramatically more houses than Habitat for Humanity in other countries. At the same time, the Egypt chapter had to fight with HQ in Atlanta to adopt a networked approach (See Jane Wei Skillern’s HBS case study).
 * // How / when to align and engage with other funders and leaders in the field? //
 * One way to facilitate co-investment is to create multiple entry points for funders who may be interested in funding a piece of (vs. the whole) campaign
 * 4. How can I catalyze / strengthen networks? **
 * Networks are versatile and can be activated in all different types of ways, but activation is not necessarily straightforward.
 * Network activation is particularly difficult when working on slower moving, chronic issues (e.g., obesity), where external events (like an earthquake) are less likely to catalyze network action. One strategy for strengthening the network is to foster ambient connectivity. But how to inject urgency?
 * Activate pockets within the network that may eventually roll up and undertake larger, coordinated activities.
 * Provide incentives for cultivating these relationships (e.g., AMEX cards to fund lunch meetings between network members) – relationships that can be tapped in the future, when the network needs to act.
 * 5. How can I cultivate leadership in networks? **
 * // How to get the big players to play? //
 * Big organizations often do not play as well in networks. Huge multinationals may each devise different messages—and it is not helpful to have groups running different campaigns. Their incentive to participate in a network is lower because they’re less reliant on the funding or collaborative activity that can come from network participation. It is easier to attract small organization, because in order to deliver they have to connect.
 * FSG’s Collective Impact article outlines a model that aligns actors around a shared performance standards with a backbone entity to coordinate that work
 * When developing shared performance standards or a field level scorecard, it is important to have a mix of paradigms, rather than a single solution to a mix of problems. This way leaders / funders are able to attract many different organizations and everyone ends up watching the same movie. The diversity allows for assumptions about paradigms can be checked.
 * // What is the funder’s role? //
 * One funder brought together organizations with similar missions that worked within the same community. After having been brought together, these organizations did not see the value in the network. Eventually, these organizations bonded with another and against the funder – a common dynamic.
 * In this example, the funder’s role was to facilitate the weaving of the network by increasing visibility between participants, having them understand connections between various elements of this network, and making them aware of a different (and more effective) way to work, i.e., that the networked whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
 * Identifying collective outcomes could be part of the funder’s role; having a destination helps.
 * To what extend is the funder’s role about finding ‘weavers’ (to foster connectivity) and finding the ‘drivers’ to inject urgency and move the network to action? Should funders pay for the weaver / driver role themselves?
 * 7. How do I know that networks work? **
 * // How do I make the case? //
 * In some cases, process (e.g., connectivity) is being measured without tangible goals related to field-level outcomes. This contributes to the fuzziness around outcomes when trying to make the case.
 * Sometimes, it may be best not to speak to stakeholders about network theory, but rather to discuss ways to assess what may come out of a networked approach. At the same time, how you make the case totally depends on your audience.
 * Funders need to be clear about their expectations for a network. Initially, expectation of output may be small; in the future, it may be larger. It may be beneficial to structure grants in a manner that reflects this shift.
 * Through well-documented examples.
 * Through experience. Sometimes, the organizational shift toward a network mindset will not begin until senior management, board, etc. see and experience a pilot that functions in a network way.
 * // What are important considerations when assessing net impact? //
 * Funders need to appreciate that impact may not come from specific programmatic efforts and that the timeframe for impact is often very long, and revise their approach to evaluation accordingly assistance – it may not be possible for them to leap into this space.
 * If the funder’s approach involves identifying collective outcomes, what should their expectations be around the timeframe for outcomes, and around building relationships that allow action to happen?
 * 7. Where should my investment go? **
 * Start with small grants. Make an up-front investment in relationships so as to create leverage that will potentially reduce the cost of future investment.
 * // Who to fund? Does this include everyone in the core network? //
 * Funding some network members but not others may result in unhealthy power dynamics between the funder and network members, and among network members themselves.
 * For example, as illustrated in The Starfish & the Spider (2006), the Spanish Armada could not initially defeat the Apaches in North America because they had a leadership structure that was totally networked. The Federal Government finally defeated the Apaches by distributing cows to certain members of the community and changing the power structure. Funders need to be thoughtful about the impact of money on network power dynamics.
 * // How to deliver money to the network and manage funder/grantee relationships? //
 * Speak the same language as network participants. If network theory is not part of the grantees’ lexicon find other ways to enter the conversation
 * Experiment with joint proposals, in which network members put a proposal together and an independent third party handles the money.
 * // How do networks evolve? //
 * One model of the network lifecycle calls out 4 common stages: understand the network, knit the network, grow the network, and transition the network
 * An alternate model by Harald Katzmair (FAS Research) revolves around network growth (vs. lifecycle). A network can be strengthened – even networks in places where there are no resources – by increasing flows (e.g., money, IP, and communication), decreasing complexity (e.g., making navigation easier), or increasing aggregation (i.e., making available resources like synchronized IP or time contributions to facilitate feedback mechanisms).
 * // What’s the optimal mix of network vibrancy / slack? //
 * Would it be beneficial to create network inefficiency / intentional slack within the system in order to create space for network responsiveness when needs/opportunities arise?
 * // What’s the role of social media? //
 * There’s a need to overcome the misperception that the technological tools (e.g., the website) are the same as the “networked-based strategy.”