A Case for the Network Approach Strategies for monitoring and showing the impact of working as a network Amanda Welsh & Anne Whatley June 3, 2015
Have you ever had this experience working with others?
What do we know about how to develop and grow effective networks for change?
About Network Impact We serve social-change agents with a mix of strategies, tools, research, and consulting expertise to design and use networks for increased impact Research & Tools: Clients include:
Why are you here? What questions do you have? What would you like to discuss with others working with a network approach?
With our time today What is a network? What value have you gotten from being a part of a network? Approaches to assessing network process and results Breakout discussion of cases Report out How to apply to your own work 6
What is a Network? Node PERSON Links = Relationships Node PERSON Social impact networks, generative networks - a set of relationships that are maintained over time to activate as needed.
A Network Mindset A network mindset is a stance that prioritizes openness & transparency sharing control making connections Every network member is a network builder
Network Building is a Practice Network Start Up Network Management Governance Coordination Communications Financial Stewardship Network Health Network Monitoring and Evaluation
Key question: What can be achieved by a network that individual members cannot do alone?
Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) WHO: 100+ member cities and counties in the U.S. and Canada WHAT: Achieve individual urban sustainability goals HOW: Member share operational challenges and solutions for a particular field (e.g. instituting a citywide bikesharing program)
Massachusetts Regional Networks to End Homelessness WHO: Ten regional networks with public, non-profit & private sector representation WHAT: Promote & implement housingfocused approaches to end homelessness in MA HOW: Broad-based multistakeholder collaboration
RE-AMP Network WHO: 160+ nonprofits and funders in upper Midwest WHAT: Reduce global warming pollution economy-wide 80% by 2050. HOW: Four key strategy work groups based on systems map of levers for change
What Social Impact Networks Do Well Address complex social challenges that cannot be solved alone. Expand reach/increase access Coordinate resources and services Learn and spread knowledge, skills Innovate and create new knowledge or products Advocate and promote a particular policy or point of view Mobilize Activate large numbers of people
3 Basic Network Functions Lower Commitment, Trust CONNECTING Information ALIGNING Identity Higher Commitment, Trust PRODUCING Initiative Connects people to allow easy flow of and access to information and transactions Aligns people in ways that help them form more collective transactions than a connectivity network will do Individuals come to share a set of ideas, language, or standards Fosters joint action by people or organizations has a specific purpose Policy action Advocacy Learning Knowledge production and dissemination
Evolution of Network Functions Producing Foster joint action for specialized outcomes Aligning Connecting Base of Connections Develop and spread a shared point of view Allow easy flow of information and relationships
Types of Networks Membership Key task of network builder Enabling Infrastructure Connectivity Alignment Production All comers No eligibility rules No barriers (e.g., fees) Weaving help people meet each other, increase ease of sharing and searching for information Web platform with networking tools for communications, documents Some eligibility rules Few barriers (e.g., fees) Facilitating helping people to explore potential shared identity and value propositions Capacity to analyze, compare, and synthesize frameworks, definitions, etc. Invitation only Strict eligibility rules Barriers (e.g., fees) Coordinating helping people plan and implement collaborative actions Project management and project budgeting capacity Performance accountability mechanisms
Anatomy of a Network Cluster Periphery Many specialized terms come from Social Network Analysis (SNA) Core Hub Link Node Illustration from Social Networks for Social Change, Monitor Institute 2010
Structure and Network Building Who s connected to whom? Who s not connected but should be? Where are the hubs and brokers? How can we assist them? Where are the bottlenecks? Can we eliminate them? Are new connections forming? Clusters emerging? Collaborations advancing? How is the network evolving and what are the implications?
What value have you gotten from networks you are participating in? What are you currently doing to track network progress and results?
Aspects of a Network s Impact Connectivity What can be monitored: Membership or the people or organizations that participate in a network Structure or how connections between members are structured and what flows through those connections Health Resources or the material resources a network needs to sustain itself (e.g., external funding) Infrastructure or the internal systems and structures that support the network (e.g., communication, rules and processes) Advantage or the network s capacity for joint value creation Results Interim outcomes or the results achieved as the network works toward its ultimate goal or intended impact The goal or intended impact itself (e.g., a policy outcome was achieved, a particular practice was spread, the community or its members changed in a certain way). Full report and cases at www.networkimpact.org/networkeval
Characteristics of Networks that Matter for Evaluation Networks have numerous players, many of whom enter and exit the network Networks are dynamic moving targets It takes time to organize networks effectively and show results Networks have a chain of impact Network shape and function matter
Network Evaluation Purposes & Benefits Support strategic learning and continuous improvement. NETWORK STRATEGY Ensure accountability Interim Outcomes for the use of resources. Impact Examine network results or impact.
Evaluating Through a Network Lifecycle Adapted from Monitor Institute
Monitoring & Measuring Your Progress Visualizing Connectivity and Reach: Network Mapping and Social Network Analysis Internal monitoring / Tracking health/process tools: Network Health Scorecard Network Diagnostic Monitoring Digital Tools
Social Network Analysis and Mapping What? Understand and evaluate patterns of network connectivity that are difficult to decipher by other means Why? Strategic learning and improvement Is the network making progress on interim outcomes that signal progress on the way to longer-- term goals or intended impacts?
SNA Mapping answers questions like: Who is connected to whom and how? Who is not connected but should be? Has the network assembled members with the capacities needed to meet network goals (experience, skills, connections)? What is flowing through the network information and other resources?
Example: Rural People, Rural Policy Year # Density Avg # ties 2009 55 2.2% 1.2 2010 90 2.7% 2.4 2011 85 5.3% 4.5 2012 82 8% 6.88 2010 2011 2009 2012
Visualize clusters/heat maps
Resources NodeXL : a free network mapping software that works within Microsoft Excel Netdraw and UCINET: used by academics, free but a little harder to use Gephi : open source, no cost network visualization tool, tutorials Kumu.io : new, easy-to-use web-based tool, free to use if save map publically.
Monitoring Digital Collaboration Tools
Network Health Monitoring Tools What? Internal temperature check, insights into key dimensions of network Why? Clarify organizing principles that are fundamental to network development Provide practitioners with an overview of network conditions to inform internal adjustments Help guide technical assistance and professional development opportunities Triangulate other evaluation data
Network Health tools answer questions like: What are strengths and areas of growth for our network? Where are members seeing value? What are the top priorities for members? 33
http://www.workingwikily.net/network_diagnostic.pdf
Network Health Scorecard 22 questions to build a basic network diagnosis of strengths and areas of growth. www.networkimpact.org Network Purpose Network Performance Network Operations Network Capacity
Example: Southwest Rural Policy Network Distributed the network health scorecard quarterly over 3 years. Has been able to track its evolution relating to the purpose, performance, operations, and capacity around network activities. Average Metric Score 5.0 4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 Network Metrics Over Time Jun-09 Oct-09 Jan-10 Apr-10 Jul-10 Feb-11 Jun-11 Sep-11 Feb-12 Jun-12 Date Purpose Performance Operations Capacity http://southwestruralpolicynetwork.com/
Breakout Discussions Barr Fellows USDN Fire Learning Network
Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) WHO: 100+ member cities and counties in the U.S. and Canada WHAT: Achieve individual urban sustainability goals HOW: Member share operational challenges and solutions for a particular field (e.g. instituting a citywide bikesharing program)
Barr Fellows Network WHO: Nonprofit leaders in Boston WHAT: Greater coordination and collaboration HOW: Build trust and strong ties between diverse leaders
Fire Learning Network WHO: Federal agencies, state agencies, private land owners & county representatives WHAT: Share lessons from fire suppression/ conservation practitioners and partners HOW: Local collaboratives and regional networks exchange ideas and insights
Breakout Discussion What questions come up for you in reading this case? How might you apply this approach to your work? What might you do differently? What questions do you have about the assessment process? How were assessment findings used? 41
Final Debrief What benefit could you see in monitoring your network s value? What approaches discussed do you see being useful in your work? What other information do you need? What challenges do you anticipate? What additional tools would be useful?
Free Resources www.connectingtochangetheworld.net Network Health Scorecard at www.network Impact.org/net-health-a-scorecard-for-assessing-howyour-network-is-doing/ Networks that Work at http://www.communitypartners.org/networks Monitor Institute Network Diagnostic at http://www.workingwikily.net/network_diagnostic.pdf FSG Guide to Assessing Collective Impact at http://www.fsg.org/publications/guide-evaluatingcollective-impact 43
For more information, visit networkimpact.org or email Amanda Welsh at Amanda@networkimpact.org or Anne Whatley at Anne@networkimpact.org For a copy of this PowerPoint, check cnmsocal.org/501conference next week. 44