Netcentric Advocacy

What is the word for planning that doesn't create a disconnect with doing?

2013-05-01T18:11:55-04:00

I am struggling to find the right word or better word for planning.

Good campaign work is adaptive by design. Effective advocacy is experimental and iterative. Building networks and developing strategy are not opposites but deeply connected. The advocacy network building work we do drives results and our activities and work efforts are the best channels for learning.

All this being said, I can't put my finger on the right words to communicate this "better thinking by moving" work we do. Movement and thinking are connected. We develop advocacy network theory, campaign theory, organizing theory as we work and through our work. The real world environment and real users feedback are the most influential drivers that shapes how we think plan network mobilizations. We are constantly learning by doing and planning while we act.

I can't find the word for this approach to strategy development in a live campaign environment. I really need it.

In our work, we have 3 phases of engagement to support people organizing campaigns. First, we assess the network. Second, we develop network action plans. Finally, we build the network to mobilize on issues and policy change.

We often get tripped up explaining our work because network action planning is a very active process for us. The point where theory meets practice is the point for the best planning and forecasting how things will work. I focus on the idea that planning means "working out the subcomponets to a strategy in detail. " In my work the "working out" can consist of setting up the websites to understand how people will engage with a network, running a few network campaigns to see how otheres interface with network operations, launching services activites to "prime the pump" and demonstrate the ways that the advocacy network will operate as it scales. Only with the very fine level details and experience gained in this style of network planning is it possible to make the adjustments and prepare for a genuine mobilization.

My problem is that planning as a term has a bad rap as ivory tower, think tank and theoretical. It is seen as a process void of deliverable other than "the plan". I am not sure I buy into this separation.

Or am I just failing to get this right? Any help with this little communication challenge will be greatly appreciated.

Jason Silva. Seek Awe. Amen Brother.

2013-01-12T16:02:00-05:00

One of my favorite philosophy courses in college was focused on romance, awe and fantasy. Now i am really enjoying the work of Jason Silva.

I am enjoying these riffs for the content, inspiration, style and unique framing of story. Jason is creating one story that is positive and high energy without being explicit. He positions the viewer as a surviver working through a struggle to break into new ways to think.

The way that he crashes though topics and fields of study with excitement and intellectual giddiness reminds me of my favorite friends, teachers, co-workers and old roomates. I have never seen anything like it captured so well (even sent my college prof a thank you letter and a tip to Jasons videos.)

(http://vimeo.com/jasonsilva) It is high energy imagination at its best. Seek Awe. Amen Brother.

Inspire awe in your friends, coworkers and kids.

Finding Problems and Building Engagement Around Solutions. See Click Fix and Mind Mixer.

2012-11-26T22:21:00-05:00

It is interesting to see these concepts presented together. Will we see more local communities start to intergrate this into the workflow of local communications with the public? They both tap the network of the citizens to add capacity to the government.

What are the community conditions necessary for these types of interventions to succeed? Has anyone ever leveraged poor responses from elected officials as a more direct pressure on the election discussions? Is it best if these sites are organized by government, media or political parties?

Looking ahead; The trends that complement your advocacy strategy.

2012-11-04T18:11:58-05:00

Here is a thought provoking overview of business strategy ( the ideas ~slide 24 on complements and core business). The focus is on the power of platforms and drives home the advantage to building an "ecosystem" of activity that builds on itself and in the process drives the platform success. (Think Apple App store)

We are NOT applying this strategy in a social change context. (YET) We do see some of this in voter registration, Change.org, and SumofUS.org but very little at the issue or state level. This trend of networking people together into movements IS the opportunity for the organizers of this generation. Increasingly, the complex issues we must address can only be solved with successful networked responses.

Asymmetry abound: the new rules of the app economy from VisionMobile

Do you think your movement has a strategy to build the platform for your work? Are you working in a way that is doomed by the forces that drive a winner take all dynamic? How does your engagement with someone that cares about your issue benefit from others that also work on that issue? How does your success in recruiting a new member or supporter fuel success of anyone else?

We must start thinking about the network effects of the way that we organize. Our actions as organizers, policy advocactes, and nonprofit managers have effects that extend beyond our organization. We must start to organize ourselves to launch campaigns and organizing in a way that each effort drives down the costs of civic participation (not increases the tax on the people we all need to engage).

As organizers, we must focus on the protocols for better user engagment for the public (not just on our issue). As organizers, we need to focus on winning in the new economy created by the networked world. We must work in new ways to reconnect and invent new ways for large and small organizations to thrive in the age of platforms and networks.

Acting can be a thinking process. Pay attention to the details riff from NOI

2012-10-26T17:55:00-04:00

I consistently read and enjoy the New Organizing Institute tips. The call to "focus on the on the details" is worth repeating. Hurrah..."Buckle down to the disciplined, grinding work of building..."

They are right. The ability to shift gears from presenting a vision into making things happen is the key pivot network leaders need to make.

If you have not done this work and actually shifted from creating ideas and concepts to the grind of management, budgeting, contracts, scope, organizing calls, working with people in a network, implementation, fundraising, scheduling and budgets then you are missing the great rewarding challenges of our work.

Without the expereince gained from the "grinding work of building" your ideas will also suffer because although they may be good and creative, you wont force yourself to work thorugh the real steps to make it happen.

Effective network advocacy strategy is designed to adapt and facilitate learning. My expereince is that acting is one of the best forms of thinking. Each prototype, budget, design layout, wireframe, map of the network creates evolution in thoughts. The movement and constantly shifting perspective created by doing informs and creates thoughts and discussion. Some people do thier best thinking on a run, bike ride drive, etc. Some campaigners develop the best strategy in the heat of the campaign work itself. the "motion" on a campaign is dealing with the details.

90% of great organizing lies in the details. A big idea without the discipline of committed craft is useless.

Plenty of people wanted to organize farmworkers before Cesar Chavez came along. So why did he succeed? In part, because he and his team had learned that excruciating attention to detail really matters. That means signing up every single supporter at an event, measuring every commitment, debriefing every action, measuring every dollar in the grape boycott, and counting every vote in an election.

Excellent organizers aren't those who only say "I'm a big ideas person." Excellent organizers are those who imagine winning a big goal, then buckle down to do the disciplined, grinding work of building the organization to win. Without an attention to detail, you can't expect to bring home the big victories.

via neworganizingeducation.com

Lots of Money and One Important Lesson. Those who need the change the most lead.

2012-10-25T12:29:00-04:00

What we have learned in our work around the globe is that there is no sustainable social progress without social movements – without ordinary citizens, those who need the change the most, taking the lead on their own behalf.

via www.atlanticphilanthropies.org

This is worth saying again and again. How does your strategy drive "taking the lead" to the people who need the change the most? Big social movements are relay races not sprints or marathons. It can be a slow path. You better practice the handoff before you are in the final turn.

It can be a hard path. But if you don't show me the path you are going to loose.

Solid network-centric investments ALWAYS open up that path to engage the people that need the change and support them in the path to leadership.

JOB: Online Campaign Manager

2012-07-27T12:18:04-04:00

Career Opportunity: Online Campaign Manager at Netcentric Campaigns
Location: Washington, DC

Job Summary

Netcentric Campaigns seeks a senior level Online Campaign Manager. Netcentric Campaigns is a division of Green Media Toolshed, a nonprofit organization that specializes in building advocacy networks to successfully champion social and policy change. Netcentric Campaigns provides training in online networking strategy, network assessments and scanning of online activity, consultation on online campaigns, and customized online networking tools and services.

The Online Campaign Manager is responsible for building and supporting advocacy networks. S/he will work with smart, seasoned Directors of Internet Strategy and will interact with our Founder & President on project work. The ideal candidate is self-motivated, has well-rounded communications skills, and moves projects ahead with little guidance. S/he will have the ability to prioritize competing responsibilities and resolve conflicts with team member and vendors. S/he will have experience in managing 2-3 team members and will successfully work on multiple projects with multiple supervisors. We’re looking for someone who has an unyielding commitment to high standards as well as a tenacious approach to testing and troubleshooting. We want someone who sweats the details, will work well under tight deadlines, and can shift gears easily when a project changes direction.

full details http://www.greenmediatoolshed.org/content/job-opportunity-online-campaign-manager#

Story of Change.. Go to the Heart of the Problem

2012-07-17T17:36:33-04:00

Right On! Another great video from Annie and Freerange. It will be interesting to see how the quiz results connect audeinces to each other to mobilze work. Hope you get involved and support the work.

&amp;nbsp;&lt;span id="__caret"&gt;_&lt;/span&gt;

Story of Change.. Go to the Heart of the Problem

2012-07-17T17:36:33-04:00

Right On! Another great video from Annie and Freerange. It will be interesting to see how the quiz results connect audeinces to each other to mobilze work.

&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;span id="__caret"&amp;gt;_&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;

Organizing and Mobilizing - 2 Distinct Strategies in Your Advocacy Effort.

2012-07-10T17:49:09-04:00

I have been struggling lately to get more clairty on the concepts of organzing and mobilizing.These are terms of art in my world but often see the concepts mashed together. These terms do not mean the same thing in an advocacy context and BOTH are very important.

Problems emerge in conferences and in group conversations when mobilizers and organizers get together and don't call out important differences in the way they work. The confusion of these concepts muddles campain work, online and network building strategy.

Organizers... Bring people together, they organize people to address whatever emerges as the people's priorities. The organizers focus on listening, building community, building trust and building respect. Organizers welcome conversation, stive for genuine diversity, push for distributed ownership of the group, and know group process. Orgaanizers default toward concenus, need to make sure all views are heard and want to keep everyone engaged.

Mobilizers ... Work with people in order to focus on a set of steps to get something done. Mobilizers focus on moving people to act. Mobilizers push and pull the people they can to take a sequence of steps. Mobilizers attract and sustain engagement by demonstrating momentum and direction. Mobilizers default toward pushing to the next step.

When we mash these concepts together, we do a disservice to both. Organizers need mobilization to keep people engaged so that participants feel a sense of trajectory and accomplishments. Mobilizers need organizers to weave the base they will work with to get things done.

Good strategies often meshes organzing and mobilizing into one effort as a part of a continum of things that happen. A great strategy focuses on consistently meeting the needs and process of both organzing and mobilizing while carefully building the mechanisms to hold the mobilizers and organizers together in alignment.

I see too many critiques of campaigns that say "that goup is great at getting people together but they don't DO anything" OR "that group does campaigns but they don't engage the community or listen". We need to look at both and ask ...is this an organzing group or a mobilizing group?Am I applying the wrong metrics to the group?

In your campaign ..

Is there a dedicated effort to organize for the sake of organzing? Or is there only organzing for the purposes of mobilzation?
Is there a dedicated effort to organize the people mobilized to act? Is there a process to push those mobilized back into the arms of organizers?
Is there a dedicated effort to mobilize those who are organized? Teasing out people that are engaged and pushing them to act.
Are the things in place (seven elements of an advocacy network) in this context to connect and grow the power of both mobilizers and organizers?

PDF12 | Jane Holl Lute | Homeland Security in a Networked Age

2012-06-14T14:04:11-04:00

5 that claim active affiliation of more than 1 billion people. Chinese, Indian, Catholic, Muslim, Facebook... Tribes, religion, friendships.

True power comes from building new power: Cheryl Contee Offers Great Talk at PDF

2012-06-14T13:39:30-04:00

"True power comes from building new power. " YES! Cheryl recaps some powerful trends that are worth pondering in tech, organizing and advocacy. She also just does a great job of telling her story.

I am so thrilled that PDF is pushing speakers video online. The conference has consistently the worst timing for me and although I always want to be there. I highly recommend PDF.

Seattle Initiative 103: Limiting Corporate Rights and Elevating Peoples' Rights

2012-05-14T21:16:00-04:00

Initiative 103 will change the law in Seattle to:

Ban corporate spending on elections, reversing Citizens United

Ban corporate lobbying except in public forums

Strip Corporate Personhood and judge-made corporate "Constitutional" rights

Establish a Community Bill of Rights for Seattle which includes Rights for Workers, Rights for Neighborhoods and Rights for Nature to protect our environment. Learn more...

via envisionseattle.org

Is this the next evolution of the occupy movement? Did the reactions last summer create space for an agenda to emerge? It will also be interesting to watch how the opposition moves against the prop.

This is worth watching. I love the idea of a ban on lobbying except in public forums.

The Agitator Recap on Mobile 2012

2012-05-14T09:58:56-04:00

Check out the recap and overview of the Neilsen and Pew findings on Mobile over at the Agitator.To apply mobile strategy to social change, I also recommend following the ongoing great work of the team at www.mobileactive.org .

“Some 70% of all cell phone owners and 86% of smartphone owners have used their phones in the previous 30 days to perform at least one of the following activities:

Coordinate a meeting or get-together — 41% of cell phone owners have done this in the past 30 days.

Solve an unexpected problem that they or someone else had encountered — 35% have used their phones to do this in the past 30 days.

Decide whether to visit a business, such as a restaurant — 30% have used their phone to do this in the past 30 days.

Find information to help settle an argument they were having — 27% haveused their phone to get information for that reason in the past 30 days.

Look up a score of a sporting event — 23% have used their phone to do that in the past 30 days.

Get up-to-the-minute traffic or public transit information to find the fastest way to get somewhere — 20% have used their phone to get that kind of information in the past 30 days.

Get help in an emergency situation — 19% have used their phone to do that in the past 30 days.”

Activity by age shows the expected pattern

via www.theagitator.net

Is Mobile a part of your strategy?

Yochai Benkler. Keep Watching. We will Catch Him Someday. Foldit

2012-04-29T12:38:00-04:00

Thinking about FOLDIT, I started thinking about the brilliance of Yochai Benkler.

There is something here for all of us in the social sector. The critical innovation in our space is to continue to throw the challenges of our work out to the network to create the content, plan the campaigns, set the course, and do the work.

The challenge for us is breaking the challenges down and setting the network to share. They did it at FOLDIT.

How does my game playing contribute to curing diseases?

With all the things proteins do to keep our bodies functioning and healthy, they can be involved in disease in many different ways. The more we know about how certain proteins fold, the better new proteins we can design to combat the disease-related proteins and cure the diseases. Below, we list three diseases that represent different ways that proteins can be involved in disease.