Building Collaborative Capacity for Policy Change

Scott HutchesonRural Policy Leadership InstituteEnergizing the Rural Policy VoiceApril 8-10, 2013

Key Themes for Tonight

What’s Changed? The Power of Networks Story of Network Development Characteristics of Effective Policy

Networks Building Collaborative Networks Using

Strategic Doing

Our World of Our Grandparents

Prosperity occurred at a rate the world had never before experienced

First Curve – Prosperity & productivity driven by vertical hierarchies

The S Curve Caught Up with Our Grandparents

Source: Ed Morrison, Distributed under a Creative Commons 3.0 license.

The 1st and 2nd Curves

Source: Ed Morrison, Distributed under a Creative Commons 3.0 license.

Second Curve: Productivity is Driven By Networks

First Curve: Productivity was Driven By Hierarchies

The “2nd Curve” Is Where Our Grandchildren Will Find Success

Changing Models for Getting Things Done

2011 Over 1,750 hardly any working

for Warner Brothers

1928 Fewer than 60 all working

for Warner Brothers

Changing Models for Getting Things Done

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Changing Models for Getting Things Done?

Townships

Counties

Cities/Towns

Feds

State

Public Safety

Education

Workforce

Social Service

Healthcare

Economic Development

Philanthropy

Agriculture

Higher Education

Successful Communities & Organizations Are Getting Things Done in New & Different Ways

They are moving from hierarchies to networks

We Building Capacity by Building Networks

Effective organizations are built on connections.

Better connections mean better opportunities.

Two Components of a Network

NodesPeople, groups, or organizations

LinksRelationships, flows, or

transactions

The Power of Networks: Networks Make Us Smarter

The Power of Networks: Networks Are Efficient

20 people in a network each contributing 1 hour per week to

advancing the network’s agenda equals a .5 FTE professional

The Power of Networks: Networks Make Our Work More Valuable

The value of a network is far greater than the sum of its parts.

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The Power of Networks: Networks Make Our Work More Valuable

Linking & Leveraging Assets

Linking & Leveraging YOUR Assets

Your networks Your skills Your knowledge Your experiences You passions

The Power of Networks:Networks Allow Us to Innovate

Turf

Trust

TIME

SharingResources

Sharing Information

MutualAwareness

Co-Execution

Co-Creation

Acknowledgment Exploration Cooperation Collaboration Innovation

The Social Innovation ContinuumAdapted from Collaboration Continuum from ACT for Youth

Networks Are Built Deliberately

Just because your organization has the word “network” in its name, doesn’t

mean it functions like a network

Network Must Be Built Deliberately: Exercise

• Exchange contact information with someone you do not know (or know well)

• Find one thing you have in common

• Decide on a follow-up activity– phone call– information exchange– introduction to third

party

Networks Must Be Built Deliberately: Seven Levels of Network Weaving

1. Introducing A and B in person and offering a collaboration opportunity to get A and B started in a successful partnership.

2. Introducing A and B in person and contacting A and B afterward to nurture the connection.

3. Introducing A and B in person.4. Doing a conference call introduction of A and B5. Doing an email introduction of A and B6. Suggesting to A that A should talk with B and then

contacting B to let B know to expect a call from A7. Suggesting to A that A should talk with B

Networks Require A New Set of Skills

NEW NETWORK LEADER ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

Convener Maintains the civic spaces

Connector Links people and other assets

Civic Entrepreneur Sees new opportunities

Guide Maps a complex process

Strategist Reveals larger patterns

Knowledge Keeper Distills face-to-face conversations into key points and patterns

Web 2.0 Maven Applies Web 2.0 power tools

Success Story: How ACEnet Built a Network

ACEnet provides a wide range of assistance to food, wood, and technology entrepreneurs in 29 counties of Appalachian Ohio

Building Smart Communities through Network Weavingby Valdis Krebs and June Holley

Stages of Network Development ACEnet Success StoryHad a hunch that there was the potential for a network of tomato producers. Mapped the network by asking existing and emerging food professionals three questions:

From whom do you get new ideas that benefit your work?

From whom do you access expertise that improves your operations?

With whom do you collaborate?

They Found it Was a Network of “Scattered Fragments”

Decided to Invest in a Kitchen Incubator as a Network “Hub”

Kitchen Incubator became a hub for restaurateurs and farmers

Mapped the Network Again and Found that a “Hub & Spokes” Network Had Emerged

Additional Activity Began to Emerge

Farmers Market Outdoor Café Restaurant

Association

Mapped the Network Again and Found a “Multi-Hub” Pattern Had Emerged

Network Began to Make Connections Outside the Region Resulting in a “Core & Periphery” Network

Your Network

What phase is it in? Scattered Fragments Hub & Spokes Multi-Hub Core & Periphery

What could you do to take it to the next level?

Successful Policy Networks are…

Diverse – involving the public sector, private sector, nonprofits

Open & Flexible – adaptive to constantly changing environments and always open to new participants

Fast – well equipped to identify issues, outline a vision, options, and action plans, launch concrete actions

Streck, C. (2002). Global public policy networks as coalitions for change. In Esty and Ivanova (eds.), Global Environmental Governance: Options and Opportunities.

Policy Networks

Scope National Policy Statewide Policy Regional Policy Local Policy

Types Public Policy Institutional Policy

Direction Top Down Bottom Up Concentric Circles

Building Collaborative Networks with Strategic DoingStrategic Doing enables people in loosely joined, open networks to think and act strategically.

Instead of broad visions, they pursue measurable strategic outcomes.

Instead of focusing on problems and deficits, they define new opportunities by connecting their

assets.

Instead of looking for a visionary leader, they recognize that leadership in open networks is

a shared responsibility.

A Strategy Answers Two Questions

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Strategic Doing: Four Questions

Strategies Emerge from “Learning by Doing”

Strategic Planning Strategic Doing

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Simple, But Not Easy..Mastery Requires Practice

Like Kayaking in the Ocean:Adjusting to Dynamic Conditions

Scott HutchesonAssistant DirectorPurdue Center for Regional DevelopmentPurdue Extension Economic & Community Development765-479-7704hutcheson@purdue.edu

Thank You