Post on 20-Aug-2018
CollaborateUp Quick Guide
Accelerating Problem Solving in the Commons
Copyright 2014 Crespin Enterprises Inc
Key Points
▪ The Problem with Problems
▪ The CollaborateUp Formula
▪ The Partner Model Canvas
▪ Invitations & DataLabs
▪ PartnerLabs & Experiments
▪ Following-through & Funding
Commons-Problems Defined
Problems in the commons have no one cause, no one solution, and no one owner for the cause or the solution ▪ In a highly specialized society gaps open up and problems fall
into the cracks between specialists
▪ Really tough problems have multiple possible causes and lack consensus about those causes
▪ Solving them involves right vs. right (not right vs. wrong) choices
▪ On a slow-burn: no one loses or gains in the short-term but we all lose or gain in the long
▪ Need adaptive leadership
PROBLEMS IN THE COMMONS
Adaptive vs. Technical Challenges
Kind of challenge
Problem definition
Solution Locus of
work
Technical Clear Clear Authority
Technical & Adaptive
Clear Requires learning
Authority & stakeholders
Adaptive Requires learning
Requires learning
Stakeholders
ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIP
Problems in the Commons Need Adaptive Leadership
▪ Defines changes in mindsets, beliefs, and behaviors to realize new paths to thriving
▪ Builds on the past -- conservative & progressive
▪ Requires experimentation
▪ Relies on diversity; not cloning
▪ Embraces failure
▪ Needs patience
Source: The Practice of Adaptive Leadership, Heifetz et al, Copyright 2009, Harvard Business School Publishing
ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIP
Co-Creation & Empathy
ENGAGING PARTNERS
TRANSFORMATION
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
COMMUNICATIONS Telling & Selling
Giving Choice
Seeking Input
Co-Creating
Buy-
in/E
mot
iona
l Com
mitm
ent
Stakeholder Engagement
Real transformation takes co-creation. But co-creation can feel vulnerable and messy.
Framing a Problem
Source: The Clearing Inc.
People don't fear change. They fear loss. To get them to tip from staying put in the As-Is and move to the To-Be you need to show them that they have more to gain by moving than they have to lose by staying.
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To Be: • Coordinated field • Science-‐based search for causes & solu6ons • Solu6ons that work in a market economy; innova6ve & benefi6ng from crea6ve destruc6on
The Strategy: • What specific steps will we take to get to the future we envision? • What are we doing that's different than others have done in the past?
As Is: • Fragmented field; good ideas geDng lost • Hunt for boogeymen & silver bullets not based in science • Lack of market-‐sustainable solu6ons
The Environment: • PuDng things in context: what's going on around us that could stand in the way of success? • The immediate challenge is not to solve the problem per se, rather to create the condi6ons for it to occur • Stay focused on what you can control/influence: improving coordina6on across the field
What's at stake? • The risk of doing something is outweighed by the risk of doing nothing • The partnership and its key players have a unique role to play • Crea6ng invita6ons that others see themselves in, willing to share risks and rewards
Source: The Clearing Inc.
Building the case for change
CollaborateUp Formula
DATALAB PARTNERLAB LAUNCH INVITATION INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT
STORYTELLING
• DataLab
• Facts & Science
• Same Page
• Different Dialog
• PartnerLab
• Commitment
• Recruit
• Strange
Bedfellows
• Same Page on
1-Page
• Launch
• Experiment
• Market-based
• Verifiable
Outcomes
• Invitation
• New People
• New
Connections
• Institutional
Commitment
• Resources
• Funding
• Support
• Storytelling
• Accelerating
Adoption
• Recruiting
New Players
The Formula organizes the process of collaboration, making it less messy. Throughout the Formula stakeholders work together to create the case for change and define the outcomes that will create transformation.
Invitation & DataLab
The Problem: Commons-Problems lack understanding of causes • Solutions require multiple stakeholders to cooperate and for them to
learn-while-solving • People are beset by entrenched dogmas – there's a boogieman to
blame or a silver bullet to find
The Solution: Map influencers & invite them to a DataLab • Figure out who has the standing, respect, and voice in the
communities that have the power, influence, and resources • Enroll them in inviting the "right" people to the table • Invite people that don't often work together and often blame each
other • Break the cycle of blame by injecting data and science • Get everyone on the same page about and focused on the causes • Send them back to their organizations to secure commitments
focused on the agreed upon causes
DATALAB
INVITATION
Commitment & PartnerLab
The Problem: Organizations need time to work through commitment • They also want to understand what's expected of them and what
they can expect in return • People often stalled because they don't know where to start or want
to avoid to duplicating efforts • Need clearly defined outcomes The Solution: Structure how we ask for commitment & bring collaborators back together within a set period of time to co-create in a PartnerLab • Challenge collaborators to ask themselves: what outcome could we
create together that would be so different than anything done before such that you would commit your personal social capital to invite others to the table?
• Create and refine one-page business plans using the Partner Model Canvas that clearly articulate the problem, the value proposition, the intended outcomes, how we'll test solutions, what's expected of partners, and what they can expect in return – and how much it will cost and how we'll pay for it all.
PARTNERLAB
INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT
Launch & Storytelling
The Problem: Commons-problems require diverse experiments with the opportunity to scale success based on tangible outcomes The Solution: Launch multiple MVP collaborations & spread success: • Use the principle of the minimum viable partnership (MVP) – the
minimum needed to get out and start collaborating • Test solutions based on agreed upon targets/outcomes • Put in place defined decision "gates" for scale/shut-down • Collect and spread proven practices • Use good stories to recruit new players
STORYTELLING
LAUNCH
RELATIONSHIPS WITH TARGETED POPULATIONS
How the partnership
relates to those impacted by the issue the
partnership is tackling
RELATIONSHIPS WITH SUPPORTERS
How the partnership works with
those outside the partnership but with some role
to play
Considerations
Which kind of partnership and who to enroll depends on the over-arching objectives of the initiative and the underlying motivations of the parties. Reasons for entering into different types of partnerships include: ▪ Problem definition. Who loses/gains from this particular problem?
▪ Access to resources. Who has the assets, money, infrastructure, intellectual property, or other resources necessary to succeed?
▪ Risk management. Who can increase the probability of success or reduce the likelihood of failure?
▪ Scale. Who can expand your reach or impact?
▪ Voice. To whom will others listen?
▪ Standing. Who adds credibility or would be noticeable by their absence?
KEY PLAYERS
The Power of Invitation
KEY PLAYERS
Civil Sector
Public Sector
Private Sector
• Who has worked across sectors? • Who has earned trust across sectors? • Who is willing to extend their personal social capital?
Tips for picking the players to enroll
Who are your Key Partners? Who are your key suppliers? Which Key Resources will you acquire from partners? Which Key Activities do partners perform for the initiative?
§ Institutions. Often have the assets, money, infrastructure, intellectual property, or other resources necessary to succeed. At the same time, they often suffer from the Innovators Dilemma: they know how to plan in stable environments, not in dynamic startups.
§ Entrepreneurs & intrapreneurs. Whether inside an institution or on their own or somewhere in between, these dynamic risk-takers know how to get stuff done. They often chafe, though, under institutional rigor.
§ Volunteers. May come from institutional partners or on their own. They're not getting paid, so it's important to understand their motivations. Most nonprofits fail to adequately tap into their skills and expertise, treating them either as board members or brute labor.
Regardless of the type of player, it's vital to factor in their joy and wellbeing into the experience you're trying to create. They are your human resources; the people on whom you will rely to bring about a convergence of social and economic value.
KEY PLAYERS
Vetting Partners
Resources & Scale:
§ It’s about more than just money…
§ Outreach Channels: Brand, public perception, ability to increase adoption or participation
Risk Management:
§ Past performance, past collaboration
§ Existing methods and systems, e.g., USAID’s Partner Vetting System and State’s Risk Analysis & Management (RAM) System
Voice & Standing:
§ Don’t neglect the politics
KEY PLAYERS
DATALAB
Getting agreement on a common definition of the problem and which aspects of it this group wants to tackle.
Specific problem impacting a specific Target Population
The Issue is a specific problem "in the commons" impacting a specific Target Population and not adequately addressed by other efforts. A problem in the commons is not "owned" or easily addressed by a single sector or organization but one that nevertheless impacts a significant group of people or natural environment. It may be a long-standing issue, one that is emerging, or one that is predicted to occur even if the specific impacts are not fully known at this time.
ISSUE TO SOLVE
Tips for framing the issue
▪ Narrow the problem: For whom are you trying to solve this problem? How do they think about the impact on them?
▪ What needs to be different: What are the specific conditions that need to change? What need are you filling?
▪ Envision success: How will you know the problem is solved?
▪ What's already going on: Are there other similar efforts already underway? What can you learn from them? What can you do that they can't?
ISSUE TO SOLVE
Attributes
The issue should have quantifiable, qualitative, or other tangible elements and be grounded in a the specific experience of a given population. Narrow the issue from general problems like "climate change" to focus on the the distinct ways an Issue manifests, like "extreme weather events impacting coastal communities. Consider, along with your own understanding, the following elements when defining an issue:
▪ Data. Is the problem well-understood? What data exists that could help better define it?
▪ Consensus. Does the problem have multiple potential causes and would it be improved by coming to consensus on the causes?
▪ Ownership. Does the problem stretch across multiple sectors of society and does solving it require cooperation across those sectors? Who has the necessary authority or influence?
▪ Beliefs, mindsets, or behaviors. How do people need to change the way they think about the issue or how they behave in order to solve it?
ISSUE TO SOLVE
DataLab: Expected Outcomes
ü Agreement on a
problem statement
ü Commit to seek
commitment ü Who’s missing?
Securing Commitment – After DataLab
• Institutions can’t commit on the spot
• What information do you need to determine if this is the right problem for your organization to tackle?
• How can you make sure the right data is in the room?
• How can you spur action even in the face of imperfect data?
Securing Commitment – After PartnerLab
Building the Business Case
ü Value Proposition: Why is this partnership unique?
ü Key Partners: Who else is involved?
ü Key Resources & Relationships: What are we expected to contribute an on what terms? What’s in it for us?
ü Costs & Funding: is this an open-ended or closed commitment?
Securing Commitment – Hedging Bets
Experiments Build Buy-In
ü Testable Propositions: Outcome orientation with real measures.
ü Limited Commitment: Don’t have to go all-in.
ü Ability to Scale: Double-down on things that work.
ü Dark Side: What about institutional capacity building & longevity?
Principles of Partnership
Good partnerships… Partnerships struggle when they…
Ground themselves in data Lack data or consensus on the data/causes
Have institutional commitment Have shaky, short-term, or fuzzy institutional
commitment
Benefit from & build up personal social capital Are one-sided or don’t benefit the people involved
Well understood documentation & governance Lack documentation or governance
Have testable outcomes Rely on politics
Have demonstrable results Have fuzzy objectives
Have an exit strategy Rely purely on largesse
The bundle of outcomes that will materially improve things related to the Issue to Solve for a specific Target Population
The Value Proposition is the unique value your initiative will create that others haven't or can't. It solves a problem or need facing a specific Target Population. Each Value Proposition consists of a selected bundle of outcomes delivered by a set of products, services, policy changes, or other undertakings to meet the needs of a specific Target Population. A Value Proposition is an aggregation, or bundle, of benefits that your initiative will deliver to the Target Population. Some Value Propositions may be innovative and represent a new or disruptive initiatives. Others may be similar to existing initiatives, but with added features and attributes.
VALUE PROPOSITION
Tips for solidifying the value proposition
▪ Narrow the Target Population: Which Target Population needs are we satisfying? What unfulfilled need, opportunity, or threat are we helping them resolve?
▪ Value creation: What value do we deliver to the Target Population? Which one of their problems are we helping to solve?
▪ Value delivery: What bundles of outcomes, products, services, policy changes, or other new value are we offering to each Target Population? How will we deliver this value?
▪ Set Tripwires: How will we know if we've succeeded? How will we know if we're failing? Can we set a "trip wire" to prompt us to stop and reevaluate, shut-down, or scale-up?
VALUE PROPOSITION
Experimentation vs. Prediction
A bureaucrat says “how do I predict the future so that I can control it?” An
entrepreneur asks, “how can I test the future so I don’t have to control it?”
-- Eric Reiss, Lean StartUp
Experiment: A Definition
An act or operation for the purpose of discovering something unknown or of
testing a principle or idea.
Usually composed of a hypothesis and a set of parameters or process for trying or assessing the validity of the hypothesis.
Experiment Types
§ Simulations § Laboratories § Field Trials § Pilots § Prototypes § Randomized § Double-blind
Serving your Target Population
§ Target Population vs. Funders: o Who will measure success? o Do the payer and the target population agree on the
intended outcome?
§ Setting expectations: o What does your target population expect from you? How is
it different than your funders’ expectations? o What do you expect from your target population and/or
your funders? o How will you work together? o Who is responsible for what?
Objectives & Outcomes
Purpose: Why is this experiment being designed? § Should begin with a verb § Needs to be short and high level § Must justify why there is a experiment
Outcomes: What are the intended results of this experiment? § Explains what people (target pop, funders, partners) will get out of
conducting the experiment § Sets the target for the experiment § Defines your testable results
Outcomes vs. objectives § (Think nouns) § Soft outcomes vs. hard outcomes § Describe what “victory” looks like § Confirm that the best solution is the initiative being tested
Questions to help define outcomes: • At the end of the experiment what needs to
happen for you to feel it was worthwhile?
• What will be different after this experiment?
• What will people say about this experiment?
Outputs vs. Outcomes
Outputs
An activity intended to achieve an outcome. Ex: Inoculations
Outcomes
Demonstrable impact on a Target Population. Ex: Healthy kids
Design Importance & Principles
Experiment Design is Critical § Maintain a laser focus on the business drivers and desired
outcomes of the experiment
§ Promote participation and interaction
§ Take into account cultural & political dynamics of participants
§ Ensures a significant return on investment
Design Principles § Intentionality
§ “In Service Of”
§ Symphony
Design Process Overview
Why
Who
What
How
Where
• Strategic Context • Purpose and Outcomes • Experiment Type
• Roles • Participants
• Detailed outcomes & measures
• Process • Conversations & Exercises • Information
• Area & Logistics
Building the Substance
Opening Closing Narrowing Take
action/make commitments
Make decisions/ recommendations
Expand information
Opening/ connection
Problem space Solution space Implementation space
What
Building the Substance
Opening Closing Narrowing Take
action/make commitments
Make decisions/ recommendations
Expand information
Opening/ connection
Problem space Solution space Implementation space
What
STORYTELLING
Scaling up the partnership, sharing lessons learned, & recruiting new players to the table
The Inverse Law of Communications
As the level of detail increases, the size of the
audience decreases.
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Communications Mechanics
What/Who/How of Communications
§ What information is important to share?
§ Who can most credibly share the information?
§ How will the information be used?
§ What is the most effective method for conveying the information, given different learning styles?
Communication Dynamics
§ THE CONTENT – concrete
o It’s easy to see and hear
§ Agenda, purpose and outcomes, goals
o It’s what people say the problem is
§ THE PROCESS – abstract
o It’s hard to see and grasp
§ Tensions, power struggles, silent alliances, and other stuff “below the waterline”
o It’s what people are not willing to talk about