What We Offer
Most leaders pursuing sustainable strategies recognize “you can’t do it alone.” Working collaboratively in networks is critical to create positive change in complex systems, speed adoptions of innovations, and scale what works.
New Directions Collaborates facilitates the design and development of networks for social change. Our approach engages participating members in determining what activitie
s and supporting collaborative structures will help them make progress on their goals. Our approach to catalyzing networks:
- Includes processes/ data gathering to help participants see the network and/or the systems they are working within and how their work fits
- Builds relationships/ understanding between different parts of the system
- Allows time for reflection and analysis
- Creates the infrastructure to support ongoing learning, communication, and collaboration
- Seeds and nurtures catalytic actions
- Builds buy-in and support for investing in collective work, helping people see how working in a network is integral to their individual and organizational purpose
We use innovative techniques of network mapping to make collaboration within networks visible and encourage network members to self-organize to find new connections and work together to make progress on goals. We combine these network assessment techniques with facilitation and event design services to create the contexts where networks of people can come together to advance change.
Click here for case studies of some of our network-related projects.
Click here to read our blog posts about networks.