3. Network Building, Network Prescriptions and Network Leadership

From Networked Advocacy

Foundations:

• participants know what networks are, and the opportunities for networks afforded by the current context
• participants understand what makes effective networks tick, and the basics of monitoring.

The participants will learn about:

• building different sorts of networks
• fitting the right intervention and prescription to the right opportunity
• a list of options to build key network components
• case studies, guides, budgets, timelines, on network building projects
• a list of nontechnical network building prescriptions
• technical pilot projects .

Building networks:

• Exercise: small groups brainstorm on next steps in various situations: networks starting from scratch; international network with little activity and unclear leadership; network with active listserv but poorly attended events; etc. Think about which conversations will expose ripest components of this conversation: building networks from scratch; balancing virtual vs. face to face identity; building network leadership; building network outputs. This part should be very applied: not just a re-iteration of the manual. What else here?

1. Building networks from scratch Networks aren’t always the answer! Are you ready to be a network? We've seen that networks have great potential to achieve advocacy objectives. But networks aren't always the answer. Before delving into the nuts and bolts of how to build or strengthen a network, let's first consider if your organization/group is ready to be a network. Basic questions:

• Can a single actor do it alone?
• Does achieving the goal require input from a network of people operating from several different vantage points?
• Can a group working for a single boss achieve results quickly and efficently, or does the scope of the challenge require people be inspired and led by multiple actors in different places and positions?
• Do the actors need to bridge functional areas, levels of access and other sorts of divides to achieve policy objectives?
• Do key actors have an interest in acting together as a network?
• Although you may see a clear need for them to do so, it's essential for key actors to see value in working collaboratively. Keep in mind this includes considerations of organizational interest. At times, actors may be completely beholden to the wills of their organization. Actors must see the benefits of working collaboratively.
• Are network members friendly to new, web-based technologies that support advocacy?

Case studies of nascent networks – and how they knew they wanted to be a network?

2. Online network What do online tools provide, and threaten? Where’s the right balance? Can networks go entirely virtual? Or entirely face to face?

• Building communications grid
• Building leadership
• Building social ties
• Sharing resources
• Strategies, issues, experiences, considerations

3. Transnational networks Building an online network. Many social movements operate in a transnational space. What does this mean? How do they operate effectively?

• Building communications grid
• Building leadership
• Building social ties
• Sharing resources
• Strategies, issues, experiences, considerations

3. Building network leadership What needs to be present in a network for it to operate effectively? What functions need to be played?

• Building communications grid
• Building leadership
• Building social ties
• Sharing resources
• Strategies, issues, experiences, considerations

4. Building network outputs: networks in the campaign space Translating networks to action. Some examples of how networks have had positive advocacy impacts.

• Building communications grid
• Building leadership
• Building social ties
• Sharing resources
• Strategies, issues, experiences, considerations

OR speed geeking: short presentations, then ask for feedback. Might make case study set-up easier.

• Could we prepare speed dates based on our coaching, etc.?
• Or ask people to be pre-prepared

• • Prescription list needs to build in ROI thinking – what are the better choices?**
• How to do it, what it cost
• Why wiki? Why? How much would it cost?

1. Go back to network. Tell us from your own experience – how you improved one of these fice or six components to get your job done. What feedback? Can you think of an example where you’ve build social ties? Have you established new comms grid that made campaign successful? Tell their own story.

• story telling around this new common language. Affirm what we’ve said.
• take notes to package these back up as prescriptions. Then list of network building stories and projects. Add that to the list
• or pull out the other side?
• flesh out a complex, real world example. Find the answer in the room. Someone in this room has experienced this problem already. Use this language to reinforce/answer the answers.

Value of affirming ideas from people in the room. Speed geeking might be able to get it there – makes it fun and personal.

First two sessions about info transfer.

The third is struggling with concepts, adapting, internalizing.

• What are the tricks that enable people to sink teeth in enough, and go home set up enough to act?

Fifth: take home, apply it.