Interim
management for the initiative
Create
an interim structure. Avoid loosely defined committees
and instead set up teams around specific activities, projects
or problems to be solved. Make the team leaders a core group
who coordinate activity.
Project
teamlets
Use
the visioning process to identify
a number specific projects, perhaps using the game.
Invite
people to sign up for projects. First, see if you can get
a 'driver' for each project who will coordinate a group
and moves things forward.
Then
ask others to join these project groups, so forming 'teamlets'.
The main task of the teamlets is to develop more detailed
project plans.
In
addition to project teamlets, you may also need to form groups
to work on over-riding tasks, like the development of the
business plan - see sustainability.
Give these groups specific tasks.
Circles
of influence
By
the end of this phase of work you will have a number of project
and special task groups. How do you coordinate? One approach
is to form three circles, each with their own email list or
discussion forum.
- The
core group of project drivers and groups leaders. They have
a closed group, where discussion is private. Each teamlet
may also have its own list.
- A
wider group of people who may wish to contribute ideas or
be consulted. This can also be an email list, with the facility
for people to contribute.
- The
'just keep us in touch' group who might wish to receive
occasional email newsletters or updates without the facility
to contribute.
Direction
and accountability
In
order to move all these activities forward, you will need
a manager for the initiative who undertakes progress chasing
and the communication system.
Issues
may arise at the stage about the accountability of those involved.
Should there be another steering group to whom they report?
That is certainly the conventional response in many community-based
initiatives. However, in fast-moving initiatives with new
technology it may be difficult to find a group who will support
and move things forward, rather than hold things back.
An
alternative is to adopt the three circle structure above,
and aim for a self-govering approach in which accountability
is achieved through the participation of dfifferent interests
on a day by day basis. If people don't like what is happening,
they can rapidly make that clear tyhrough the mailing lists,
and if necessary call a meeting.
There's
more discussion about network structures on Making The Net
Work here.
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