Global Action Networks: Creating Our Future Together

Cover......Page 1
Contents......Page 8
List of Figures and Tables......Page 13
Foreword......Page 15
Preface......Page 20
List of Abbreviations......Page 26
1 Organizing for the 21st century......Page 28
Example 2. Transforming forestry......Page 29
Example 4. Giving life to the Rio Declaration......Page 30
Example 5. The changing face of labor......Page 32
Example 6. Taking on corruption......Page 33
Example 8. Raising the poorest of the poor......Page 34
Example 9. The funding of war......Page 35
The examples’ shared characteristics......Page 36
Characteristic 1. Global and multi-level......Page 37
Characteristic 2. Diversity embracing boundary spanners......Page 39
Characteristic 3. Inter-organizational networks......Page 40
Characteristic 5. Entrepreneurial action learners......Page 41
Characteristic 7. Global public goods producers......Page 42
A growing phenomenon......Page 43
2 Understanding networks......Page 48
The intent of the network......Page 49
Network advantages......Page 50
Different levels of organizing......Page 51
Who makes the rules?......Page 53
Shared visioning......Page 55
System organizing......Page 56
Measuring and certifying......Page 57
Advocating......Page 58
Networks as complex systems......Page 59
Communities of practice......Page 66
3 GAN development strategies......Page 71
The core development challenge......Page 72
Three development dynamics......Page 73
Stage 1: Exploration......Page 76
Stage 2: Initiation......Page 80
Stage 3: Infrastructure development......Page 84
Stage 4: Realizing the potential......Page 89
Summary......Page 93
4 Seeing the whole......Page 96
Semantic clouds......Page 98
Issue crawl mapping......Page 99
Systems archetypes......Page 101
Concept mapping......Page 103
Geo mapping......Page 105
Social network mapping......Page 106
Value network analysis......Page 108
Managing for clarity mapping......Page 110
Explaining complexity......Page 114
5 Mastering change......Page 120
What is “Change”......Page 123
Transformation......Page 125
Reform......Page 130
Incremental......Page 131
Four change strategies......Page 132
Observation 1: The importance of dialogue......Page 134
Observation 2: Continuing change strategy questions......Page 138
Observation 3: Additional observations......Page 140
Processes for change......Page 141
A change process design example......Page 145
More on processes......Page 147
6 Formalizing the connections......Page 150
Design principles......Page 152
Membership......Page 155
Member groupings globally......Page 158
Boards and councils......Page 160
GAN-wide meetings......Page 162
Legal structure......Page 163
Emerging models......Page 164
7 Growing the competencies required for success......Page 169
Core competencies......Page 171
Competency 1. Leadership – Realizing coherent entrepreneurial activity at all levels......Page 173
Competency 2. Network development – Aligning effective strategies, patterns, and structures......Page 181
Competency 3. Measuring impact – providing continuous feedback to improve effectiveness and support......Page 186
Competency 4. Conflict and change – Developing complex change skillfully......Page 193
Competency 5. Communications – Creating robust glocal conversations and connections......Page 198
Competency 6. Learning systems: Transforming data to wisdom-in-action network-wide......Page 201
Competency 7. Policy and advocacy – Generating tight connections between action and policy......Page 208
Competency 8. Resource mobilization – Growing commitment to global public goods......Page 211
Power, politics, and the competencies......Page 217
Developing the expertise......Page 219
Share power......Page 223
Be accountable, maintain integrity......Page 224
Acknowledge the roles of individuals and hierarchy......Page 225
Lesson 2. Be clear about your theories of change......Page 226
Lesson 3. Take an entrepreneurial development and learning approach......Page 227
Lesson 4. Keep work focused......Page 229
Lesson 5. Be comfortable with ambiguity and paradox......Page 230
Lesson 6. Keep the appropriate geographic center of gravity......Page 231
Lesson 7. Create and maintain sufficient diversity......Page 232
Lesson 8. Persevere......Page 234
Scenario for a plausible future......Page 236
Challenge 1. Increasing competence......Page 238
Challenge 2. Realizing scale......Page 239
Challenge 3. Avoiding bureaucratization......Page 240
Challenge 4. Defining “successful business models”......Page 241
Challenge 5. Engaging government......Page 243
Challenge 6. Becoming glocal......Page 245
Challenge 7. Maintaining the cutting edge......Page 246
Challenge 8. Managing competition......Page 247
Challenge 9. Building accountability, reputation, and legitimacy......Page 250
Trend 1. Continuing globalization......Page 251
Trend 2. Inability of traditional strategies to address globalization......Page 252
Trend 4. Shifting assumptions about the way the world works......Page 253
Assumption 1. From addressing issues in parts to whole systems thinking......Page 254
Assumption 2. From inter-national structures for addressing global issues to multi-stakeholder ones......Page 255
Assumption 4. From change that can be addressed by linear approaches to complex systems strategies......Page 257
Assumption 5. From negotiating our way to solutions to envisioning futures......Page 260
Assumption 6. From an enforcement focus to a collective values focus......Page 262
Summary......Page 263
Index......Page 267