Collaborative
Online Projects
Exploring ‘constellation’ style partnerships.
Mark Surman – Commons Group
Fiona MacCool – Meta Strategies
Collaborative Online Projects
Welcome
Explore the idea of
collaborative online projects …
… by looking at the constellation model of
collaboration and information sharing.
Partnerships
Why do them? What works? What doesn’t?
Partnership
Your experience?
• Who has participated in an information
based partnerships?
• Who has benefited from their
partnerships?
• Who has had challenges or bad
experiences?
Partnership
Why?
Bad reasons
• Funder driven
• For appearances
• Legacy partnership
• Adversity
Good reasons
• Common issue
• Share resources
• Pool information
• Broader reach
• Access for clients
• Political impact
Partnership
Challenges
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Branding
Sustainability
Control
(Info) ownership
Compatibility
Size / resources
Info overload
Time
Partnership
Constellation Model
Fluid, flat partnership where orgs take
different roles depending on situation.
Info network where orgs share content
without loosing brand or ownership.
Partner
B
Partner
C
Partner
A
Important
Lead
Organization
Partner
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Partner
D
Partner
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Partner
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Partner
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Partner
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Partner
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Partner
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Partner
D
Partner
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Partner
A
Partner
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Partner
B
Partner
F
Partner
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Partner
D
Partner
E
Partner
A
Partner
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Partner
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Partner
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Partner
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Partner
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Constellation Model
Addressing Challenges
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Branding
Sustainability
Control
(Info) ownership
Compatibility
Size / resources
Info overload
Time
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Multi-branded
Resource sharing
Flat structure
Retain ownership
Opt in / opt out
Works big + small
Filtering
Share the load
ACTEW Case Study
Community learning network content constellation
Our Community Partners
The "Content-Sharing Constellation for the Employment and Training
Sector" is an informal content partnership related to the employment and training
sector. The six agencies include:
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Advocates for Community-Based Training and Education for Women
(ACTEW)
The Possibilities Project – Community Information Toronto
Social and Enterprise Development Innovations (SEDI) CapacityNet
Community Social Planning Council of Toronto (CSPC-T),
Ontario Association of Youth Employment Centres
iCoach
Constellation Objectives
•
Constellation members use
database-driven "sharedapplication" tools to post news,
events, and job listings to our web
sites, and also allow sharing of the
database so that any "posting" to
one of our sites is automatically
shared with the web sites of other
Constellation members as well.
•
This content-sharing relationship
has allowed each of our
organizations to distribute highquality information to our
memberships and target audiences,
reduce duplication, benefit from
combined staff effort and expand
the range of information that we can
provide. In addition, the ContentSharing Constellation facilitates the
online promotional efforts of dozens
of non-profit agencies to a much
wider audience than could be
reached through our individual sites.
Background
• Starting Small and Letting it Grow
• Beta Test and then test some more
• Outreach and growth based on measurable
successful track record
• Finding funding and securing partnerships for
sustainability and growth
Project Goals
The ACTEW Community Learning Network will be an
online information-sharing conduit for the employment
and training sector. The goal of the project is to
formalize, expand, and further enhance the informal
content-sharing model begun by participating agencies
of the "Content-Sharing Constellation."
Project Objectives
1.
To establish a coordinated network of community-based agencies
that will engage in sharing of web-based information and
resources for the community-based employment and training
sector.
2.
To facilitate a community-driven approach to content
development from a variety of stakeholders in the employment
and training sector.
3.
To provide high-quality information and resources that are timely,
accessible, and relevant for a full spectrum of community-based
employment and training programs and services.
4.
To develop an interactive self-publishing database-driven tool
that will enable a number of web sites to automatically share their
online content.
Content-Sharing Constellation
Publishing Process
Any Constellation
Member
Action Apps
Unpublished Content
Hold
Publish (active)
Publish or delete later
Goes to holding bins of
all 7 Constellation
sites
Option to
edit/publish content
to meet agency
editorial guidelines
Expires
Option to delete
Delete
Publish to author's site
Expires
Content-Sharing Constellation Model
ACTEW
iCoach
Publish
Content
Publish
Content
Edit &
CrossPublish
MNSJ
Publish
Content
Poss
Publish
Content
Constellation
Holding Bins
OCASI
Publish
Content
OAYEC
Publish
Content
Delete
SEDI
Publish
Content
Action Apps Content Manager
Action Apps Content Form
Site content in action
Site content in action
CPCHE Case Study
Children’s environmental health constellation.
CPCHE Case Study
The Vision
The Canadian Partnership for Children's
Health and Environment (CPCHE) is an
affiliation of ten national, provincial and
local organizations who share a
commitment to improving children’s
environmental health in Canada.
CPCHE Case Study
The Partners
• Canadian Association of
Physicians for the
Environment
• Canadian Child Care
Federation
• Canadian Environmental
Law Association
• Canadian Institute for Child
Health
• Toronto Public Health
• Learning Disabilities
Association of Canada
• Ontario College of Family
Physicians
• Ontario Public Health
Association
• Pollution Probe
• South Riverdale Community
Health Centre
CPCHE Case Study
The Partnership
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Collaborative research
Social marketing
Community engagement
Policy reform
Information sharing
All done using constellation model
CPCHE Case Study
Info Sharing Network
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Content shared between all partners
Aggregated on central portal
Partners can also use on their own sites
Using common software for info
exchange
CPCHE Case Study
Why Share?
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More audience
More content
Less work
Broaden scope
• Mutual self interest
[screen cap:
pkrn library index with item that is on CPCHE]
[screen cap: full text of PKRN library item
that is also on CPCHE]
[screen cap: CPCHE library
page with item that is also on PKRN]
[screen cap:
CELA press release on CELA site]
[screen cap: CPCHE library
page with item that is also on PKRN]
[screen cap:
full text of CPCHE library item is also on PKRN]
[screen cap: full text of PKRN library item
that is also on CPCHE]
[screen cap: AA item manager with same
item listed in it - PKRN]
[screen cap: AA edit item with
same item from PKRN]
CPCHE Case Study
So what?
• 10 groups actively sharing information
• Massive new Canadian CEH resource
Clear case being made on CEH issues
• Creation of a credible voice
• Established political clout
• … couldn’t have done it alone
CPCHE Case Study
Key ingredients
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Vision. Integrity. Trust.
Picking partners well.
Patience – partnership takes time.
Constant attention and commitment.
Sharing the wealth.
Partnership development process.
Staff not housed in partner org.
Lessons?
What do ACTEW and CPCHE tell us?
Lessons
Principles
All partnerships …
• Shared vision
• Transparency
• Trust
• Communication
• Clear roles
Constellations …
• Information pools
• Multi-branded
• Opt in / opt out
• Flat structure
• Fluid leadership
Lessons
Does this work for I+R?
Break out …
• How might the constellation model be
helpful in an I+R context?
• What are the most useful elements and
principles?
• What would need to be added? What is
missing?
Lessons
Critical to Success
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Common problem
Motivation to act
All the right players
Virtual work skills
Communication
Clarity of roles
Clear information ownership
Lessons
Online Work Culture
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Timely
Constructive
Good culture of using e-mail
Collaborative writing skill
‘Ping’ level feedback
Collaborative Online
Partnerships
Mark Surman – mark@commonsgroup.com
Fiona MacCool – fiona@metastrategies.com