1

What network stage is your community?

based on

Building Smart Communities through Network Weaving

by Valdis Krebs and June Holley

September 2009

2

Communities can be viewed as networks

Any collection of people can be seen as a network That network is made up of people, who know each other, and interact The more connections and interactions between people the greater

that community’s productivity, cohesiveness, and resilience. Communities as networks typically evolve and devolve in predictable

ways Looking at your community as an evolving network can give you ideas

for how to make improvements

3

Communities evolve in predictable ways

Fragments Single-Hub Multi-Hub Core/Periphery

Communities often evolve along predictable pathways from fragmented clusters of people interested in a concept, to a single hub-and-spoke when a leader pulls the clusters together, to multiple hubs where a variety of people take responsibility, and finally to a core/periphery with a tight ball of members surrounded by interested hangers on.

So what does each stage look like and how can you improve your community?

4

Stage One: Fragments

What it looks like:

Characteristics: Small – clusters of 1-5 people or

organizations

Isolated – no connections between clusters

Shared interests and goals poorly articulated

Source: Building Smart Communities through Network Weaving by Valdis Krebs and June Holley

5

Stage One: Fragments

Key Goal: To make a case to foster a networked

community versus another approach (Note: some goals simply don’t require / benefit from network structures)

What to do: Identify what about networks makes this

structure a good idea (e.g. rapid growth, rapid diffusion, ‘small world’ reach, resilience, adaptive capacity)

Identify prospective value of a network for those to join it – is it access to connections, knowledge, competencies, or resources etc?

Draw up criteria to identify initial network members – such as commitment, expertise, competence, connections, collaborative capacity, good citizenship

Actively weave clusters by identifying fragments and finding an active leader to make the connections

What tools to use: Run surveys Interviews / Focus groups Conduct a search for key documents created

by people in these fragments to source ideas Hire a network weaver(s) Conduct Social Network Mapping (also called

Social Network Analysis) to identify the clusters

What to watch for: Little or no information flow between clusters Little or no collaboration between clusters Unlikely connections between clusters to

happen spontaneously

6

Stage Two: Single Hub-and-Spoke

What it looks like: Characteristics: Single hub (a community leader) Clusters are connected into a networked

community for the first time Generally temporary – either fails or

quickly transforms into next stage

Source: Building Smart Communities through Network Weaving by Valdis Krebs and June Holley

7

Stage Two: Single Hub-and-Spoke

Key Goal: Connect people to allow easy flow of

and access to information and transactions

What to do: Bridge the divides - connect individuals

and clusters that have common goals/interests or complementary skills/experiences

Identify and mentor natural weavers in the community to take over network building and maintenance tasks

Test prospective value proposition for the network and capture emerging articulations

What tools to use: Create a directory of members Create an information clearing houses Set-up Email listserves Develop newsletters Conduct SNA to reveal progress and

identify emerging network weavers Conduct training in network building

What to watch for: A weak network as everything is

dependent on a single hub (the leader) Concentration of power in the leader Information bottlenecks at the hub Lots of questions!

8

Stage Three: Multi-Hub

What it looks like: Characteristics: Multiple-hubs (besides the initial leader) New network leaders emerging Weak ties between clusters emerge and

are important for fostering innovation as new ideas are discovered outside local groups

Key hubs start to work on what goals and objectives should be for the network and how to achieve them

Consensus on network value proposition(s) emerging

Governance of the network starts to be on the agenda

Source: Building Smart Communities through Network Weaving by Valdis Krebs and June Holley

9

Key Goal: Start aligning people to develop and

spread and identify the collective value proposition

What to do: Focus and define the network value

proposition - look for what all people can do for each other, not just what’s in it for you

Connect hubs to one another as it shortens path length of information flow

Turn weak ties between people in each hub into strong ties – build trust through increase bandwidth and reciprocity

Start building the edge – seek out groups that are both similar and different, as similarity builds trust and diversity introduces new ideas and perspectives

Stage Three: Multi-Hub

What tools to use: Conduct face to face meetings –

important to build trust and help articulate identity and value of network

Use facilitated meetings – to reduce conflict and increase engagement

Conduct SNA to review the structure of your network and evaluate progress

Watch out for: Hubs may battle over turf and control

and remain isolated from one another Major hubs can fail weakening the

overall network Governance structure/membership and

source of funding do not necessarily equate - recognize ‘distributed authority’

Just like in a traditional organizations, governance and management are not the same for networks

10

What it looks like:

Stage Four: Core/Periphery

Characteristics: Emerges after numerous years of work

Stable structure linked to other well-developed networks

Core contains key community members with strong ties to one another

Periphery includes new members, bridges to diverse communities, unique resources that operate outside of the community

Source: Building Smart Communities through Network Weaving by Valdis Krebs and June Holley

11

Key Goal: Foster joint action for specialized

outcomes by aligned people

What to do: Look beyond information sharing and

towards joint production of value – what are the ‘win-win’ opportunities? Could include: goods and services, policy advocacy, innovation, learning, building capacity, mobilizing citizens etc.

Assess competencies of the network members – are the right people in the mix to get the job done, do we need others to join us?

Establish production and management plans – reach an agreement

Make sure the network form follows the network function – there is no single best structure, only the one that serves your purpose

Keep maintaining your network Build bridges to other networks

Stage Four: Core/Periphery

What tools to use: Make Production Agreements – i.e. who

does what by when and how Codify governance (when appropriate) Conduct SNA to monitor your network

What to watch for: Overly dense cores can lead to rigidity

and overload of activity

12

Resources

For more information on understanding networked communities go to:

Building Smart Communities Through Network Weaving An introduction to the basics on networks, how they evolve, and how they can be shaped for social impact—illustrated through a case study. (By Valdis Krebs and June Holley in 2006.)

Net Gains: A Handbook for Network Builders Seeking Social Change A handbook covering the basics on networks –including their common attributes, how to leverage networks for social impact, evaluating networks, and social network analysis. (By Peter Plastrik and Madeleine Taylor in 2006.)

Boston Green and Healthy Buildings Network A case study describing a Barr Foundation sponsored endeavor to weave a network among 10 Boston nonprofits, highlighting the challenges and lessons learned. (By Beth Tener, Al Nierenberg, and Bruce Hoppe in 2008.)

The Networked Nonprofit An article about how nonprofit leaders are achieving greater impact by working through networks. Includes detailed examples. (By Jane Wei-Skillern and Sonia Marciano in 2008.)

13

A few words about WiserEarth

WiserEarth helps the global movement of people and organizations working toward social justice, indigenous rights, and environmental stewardship connect, collaborate, share knowledge, and build alliances.

  All tools and content are free to use. The site is commercial-free too.   Here you will find:   The WiserEarth Directory

The world's largest free and editable international directory of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and socially responsible organizations (110,000 in 243 countries, territories, and sovereign islands).

  WiserEarth Groups

Online community forums where members can engage in discussion, post and share resources, and collaborate on projects.

  WiserEarth Community

A vibrant community of over 27,000 members making connections, sharing resources, solutions, jobs, and events.

  WiserEarth Taxonomy

The world's most detailed classification of issue areas related to social justice and environmental restoration.