Posted by Steve Waddell in Learning on January 11, 2011

Most multi-stakeholder networks need capacity development support. But I’ve always been highly skeptical of the value of workshops as a capacity development or even learning strategy, when they are not embedded in some sort of real activity. A great article…

Seven Complexity Implications for Multi-Stakeholder Networks

Posted by Steve Waddell in Communications, Leadership, Learning, M&E on December 21, 2010

Learning to work with complexity is absolutely essential for people working with multi-stakeholder networks. It’s key to effective leadership, network development, impact measurement, communications, and change strategies. A multi-stakeholder change network developing all these for a complicated rather than complex…

Getting More through Network Research with Action Research

Posted by Steve Waddell in Learning, Net Dev on October 26, 2010

Most networks engage in research, but often they are getting much less than they can for the resources they’re expending. Usually research is thought of as a sequential process of first research and then action. In fact, very often these two are best integrated as action research (AR). Particularly when a network is engaged in community building and empowering – as change networks almost always are!

Networks as Ecologies of Learning and Innovation

Posted by Steve Waddell in Learning on July 20, 2010

“Ecologies of innovation” and “learning ecology” are two particularly important, fast-evolving concepts for successful multi-stakeholder change networks. However, even the traditional role of "learning" is still poorly understood by most people in such networks. When organizing a meeting in 2007 on the topic of “learning networks”, we had trouble identifying people responsible for learning. And those who attended said their networks spend minimal resources on learning. They typically spend enormous percentages of their staff time and money on face-to-face meetings, and knowledge-exchanges in many forms are daily practice…but these are not thought of as “learning events”. Hence, a major activity of networks is still in rudimentary development.

Community of Practice Lessons for Networks

Posted by Steve Waddell in Learning, Net Dev on June 22, 2010

Communities of Practice (CoPs) are particularly valuable for multi-stakeholder change networks because they present a very flexible model requiring modest financial support for the learning and its dissemination that are critical for the networks’ success. They require very light infrastructure and enhance interpersonal ties that also are key to success.