Sustainable Networking and Sustainable Networking and Collaboration among MDIsCollaboration among MDIs

Mike EldonMike EldonChairmanChairman

The Dan Eldon Place Of TomorrowThe Dan Eldon Place Of Tomorrow

My My private sectorprivate sector perspective perspective

• Kenya Institute of Management Kenya Institute of Management – ‘‘Reaching up, reaching out’Reaching up, reaching out’

• Kenya Private Sector Alliance and PPPsKenya Private Sector Alliance and PPPs– Federations as Centres of ExcellenceFederations as Centres of Excellence

• Public Sector ReformPublic Sector Reform– Consultants for Kenya… and AfricaConsultants for Kenya… and Africa

• Global Business School NetworkGlobal Business School Network– Management Education and Research ConsortiumManagement Education and Research Consortium

• Multinationals, Rotary…Multinationals, Rotary…– National, regional, international collaboration the normNational, regional, international collaboration the norm

Why should MDIs Why should MDIs network and collaborate?network and collaborate?

Why should MDIs Why should MDIs network and collaborate?network and collaborate?

• Under-resourced public serviceUnder-resourced public service

• So busy, every day!So busy, every day!

• Pressure for sustainabilityPressure for sustainability

• CompetitionCompetition

• Limited research capacityLimited research capacity

Why should MDIs Why should MDIs network and collaborate?network and collaborate?

• Globalisation of knowledgeGlobalisation of knowledge

• Need for local approach & content Need for local approach & content

• Evolution of long term national visionsEvolution of long term national visions

• Higher service expectations by citizensHigher service expectations by citizens

• Assertive business, media, donors…Assertive business, media, donors…

So far for AMDIN, in terms of So far for AMDIN, in terms of collaboration collaboration resultsresults, of , of impactimpact……

• What are the main What are the main achievementsachievements??

• What worked well to enable them?What worked well to enable them?

• What are the main What are the main disappointmentsdisappointments??

• What obstacles prevented success? What obstacles prevented success?

What do MDIs need to be good at What do MDIs need to be good at to be good at to be good at

collaborating and networking?collaborating and networking?

What do MDIs need to be good at to What do MDIs need to be good at to be good at be good at

collaborating and networking?collaborating and networking?

Using ICT collaborative toolsUsing ICT collaborative tools

Knowledge ManagementKnowledge Management

Managing virtual teamsManaging virtual teams

FacilitationFacilitation

Networking itselfNetworking itself

Focus on impact Focus on impact

Performance managementPerformance management

Actualising the Actualising the Kenya Development Learning Kenya Development Learning

InstituteInstitute

• ??????

• ??????

• ??????

• ??????

What What elseelse do MDIs need do MDIs need to be good at to be good at to be good at to be good at

collaborating and networking?collaborating and networking?

Common vision, values, goalsCommon vision, values, goals

Collaborative mindsetCollaborative mindset

SynergySynergy

Appreciating each others’ strengths & contributionsAppreciating each others’ strengths & contributions

Learning from each otherLearning from each other

Win-WinWin-Win

It’s the culture, stupid!It’s the culture, stupid!

What does this add up to?What does this add up to?

A prevailing culture:A prevailing culture:

the way we do things round herethe way we do things round here

(if you want to do well (if you want to do well

in this environmentin this environment

do these things well)do these things well)

Bottom lineBottom line

Make collaboration and networking performance Make collaboration and networking performance part of a part of a Balanced Score CardBalanced Score Card

(individual, departmental, institutional, AMDIN)(individual, departmental, institutional, AMDIN)

Recognising those who do this effectively, Recognising those who do this effectively,

bringing significant personal & institutional growth bringing significant personal & institutional growth

Celebrate the positive deviantsCelebrate the positive deviants

Stages of Stages of MaturityMaturity

• Not startedNot started

• BeginningBeginning

• DevelopingDeveloping

• PerformingPerforming

• ImprovingImproving

Traffic lightsTraffic lights

and and DashboardsDashboards

Monitor the progressMonitor the progress

StepStep StageStage

11 Issue/objectives/KPIs definedIssue/objectives/KPIs defined

22 Workgroup createdWorkgroup created

33 Discussion startedDiscussion started

44 First winsFirst wins

55 KPIs fulfilledKPIs fulfilled

66 Next stage definedNext stage defined

Monitor Monitor Capacity BuildingCapacity Building

More maturity stagesMore maturity stages

Roadmap to success – ICT Roadmap to success – ICT EnabledEnabled

• What is the What is the goalgoal? – an effective MDI? – an effective MDI• What is the What is the frameworkframework? – what do we need to ? – what do we need to

be good at?be good at?• MonitorMonitor against framework – how good are we against framework – how good are we

at it?at it?• Develop Develop communities of practicecommunities of practice• Gather Gather solutionssolutions – positive proof points – positive proof points

Implement, monitor, learn and shareImplement, monitor, learn and share

What is the framework?What is the framework?

Facilities

Funding Environment

Staff

Curriculum

WorkingMDI

Monitor against frameworkMonitor against framework

• Traffic light based maturity model Traffic light based maturity model

for each capability or success-enablerfor each capability or success-enabler

• Assessment provides a compass for Assessment provides a compass for improvementimprovement

Communities of practiceCommunities of practice

• Each institution (‘Place’)Each institution (‘Place’)• Across institutionsAcross institutions• Focused on capabilities Focused on capabilities

and enablersand enablers• Identify challengesIdentify challenges

and share solutionsand share solutions• Mainstream solutionsMainstream solutions• Fast track progressFast track progress

Human-facilitated and ICT-Human-facilitated and ICT-enabledenabled

• Facilitate communities of practice Facilitate communities of practice

• Use ICT to capture member profilesUse ICT to capture member profiles

• Connect people to othersConnect people to others

• Use M&E to internally monitor, Use M&E to internally monitor,

externally report and benchmarkexternally report and benchmark

Building an Building an Interest MatrixInterest Matrix

Peace & Peace & SecuritySecurity

Political &Political &

Economic Economic GovernanceGovernance

Regional Regional IntegrationIntegration

Public Public Sector Sector ReformReform

Dr. Haile-Dr. Haile-Michael Michael AberaAbera

XX XX

M. S KM. S K

JoypalJoypal XX XX

Prof.Prof.

AbdallaAbdalla

BujraBujraXX XX

A small connected community with a A small connected community with a healthy culture can transform & prosperhealthy culture can transform & prosper

ICT in Silicon Valley ICT in Silicon Valley

Education around Boston (MIT, Harvard)Education around Boston (MIT, Harvard)

Online knowledge sharing can Online knowledge sharing can

facilitate this synergy across AMDINfacilitate this synergy across AMDIN

Developing localand international

communitiesof practice

The networking phenomenonThe networking phenomenon

The networking phenomenonThe networking phenomenon

You never know if/when You never know if/when it will pay dividendsit will pay dividends

Or, as the Ghananian proverb says:Or, as the Ghananian proverb says:

The time to make friends

is before you need them

The networking phenomenonThe networking phenomenon

The more you doThe more you do

the disproportionately more powerful it is the disproportionately more powerful it is

And as Robert Metcalf, the inventor of the Ethernet, And as Robert Metcalf, the inventor of the Ethernet, stated:stated:

The utility of a network is The utility of a network is

the number of users squaredthe number of users squared

Me and Me and e-networking, e-collaboration e-networking, e-collaboration

• Courage InstituteCourage Institute

• Business DailyBusiness Daily

• Kenya ICT Action Network Kenya ICT Action Network

(KICTANET)(KICTANET)

• The Leadership HubThe Leadership Hub

• Collaborative proposal writing, Collaborative proposal writing,

consultationconsultation

• Rotary InternationalRotary International

My experienceMy experience

Now and then a point lights up

You can’t predict which one

Some burn very bright

Benefits of NetworkingBenefits of Networking

• Save time, money and effort by Save time, money and effort by

doing what already worksdoing what already works

• Find specific, relevant solutions Find specific, relevant solutions

without needing a 3 year degreewithout needing a 3 year degree

• Achieve success together Achieve success together

which may be impossible alone…which may be impossible alone…

Building careers through Building careers through collaboration and networkingcollaboration and networking

• Collaborative research Collaborative research – How is it valued?How is it valued?– Lead author? Support?Lead author? Support?– Are you open, communicative, fair?Are you open, communicative, fair?

• Organising workshops, meetings…Organising workshops, meetings…– Reaching outReaching out– Making & sustaining connectionsMaking & sustaining connections– Presenting, chairing, hosting…Presenting, chairing, hosting…– Resource mobilisationResource mobilisation

What are AMDIN’s collaboration What are AMDIN’s collaboration and networking and networking visionvision and and

valuesvalues??

Ones that must be Ones that must be livedlived

if collaboration and networking if collaboration and networking

are to really are to really take offtake off

(NB Why no Values statement to support AMDIN’s (NB Why no Values statement to support AMDIN’s Vision and Mission statements?)Vision and Mission statements?)

AMDIN’s collaboration AMDIN’s collaboration and networking and networking visionvision

AMDIN’s collaboration AMDIN’s collaboration and networking and networking visionvision

AMDIN members… AMDIN members…

AMDIN’s collaboration AMDIN’s collaboration and networking and networking valuesvalues

AMDIN’s collaboration AMDIN’s collaboration and networking and networking valuesvalues

Collaborative mindsetCollaborative mindset

SynergySynergy

Appreciating each others’ Appreciating each others’

strengths & contributionsstrengths & contributions

Learning from each otherLearning from each other

Win-WinWin-Win

Action PlanningAction Planning

Mike EldonMike EldonChairmanChairman

The Dan Eldon Place Of The Dan Eldon Place Of TomorrowTomorrow

Who’s got to do what by whenWho’s got to do what by when

Objectives that are…Objectives that are…

•SSpecificpecific

•MMeasurableeasurable

•AAccountableccountable

•RRealisticealistic

•TTime-boundime-bound

‘‘M & E’… or M & E’… or performance management? performance management?

Monitor, evaluateMonitor, evaluate

and go to sleepand go to sleep

OROR

identify deviations,identify deviations,

re-plan, re-dedicatere-plan, re-dedicate

Hold on to the vision!Hold on to the vision!

Live the values! Live the values!

Reviewing performanceReviewing performance

WhoWho

WhenWhen

HowHow

ConsequenceConsequence

Beyond ‘ticks in boxes’Beyond ‘ticks in boxes’

InputsInputs

OutputsOutputs

Outcomes Outcomes

ImpactImpact

Merchants of Impact Merchants of Impact

• Gates FoundationGates Foundation– Hand-washing with soapHand-washing with soap

• Kenya Institute of ManagementKenya Institute of Management– Company Of the Year Award Company Of the Year Award

From the ‘what’ to the ‘so what’From the ‘what’ to the ‘so what’

Why most plans go Why most plans go unimplementedunimplemented

Why most plans go Why most plans go unimplementedunimplemented

• Too busy with ongoing operationsToo busy with ongoing operations– Residual time… tends to zeroResidual time… tends to zero

• Low priority Low priority – Optional extra… permission to fail Optional extra… permission to fail

• Weak incentivesWeak incentives– Why bother?Why bother?

• No follow upNo follow up– A fading memoryA fading memory

Transformative M&ETransformative M&E

Setting measures of success Setting measures of success

that feed back into that feed back into

transforming the goals themselvestransforming the goals themselves