5 characteristics of successful intermediary organisations
DESCRIPTION
Presentation by Catherine Fisher (IDS) on 5 characteristics of successful intermediary organsiations, given at the 3rd I-K-Mediary workshop in Brighton, November 2009.TRANSCRIPT
5 characteristics of successful knowledge and information intermediary organisations
Presented at 3rd Workshop of I-K-Mediary Network
Catherine Fisher, Institute of Development Studies
5 characteristics
A clear purpose and a service to match
An implementation model that enables you to deliver
A favourable institutional environment and enabled individuals
Reputation and relationships
Ability to evolve, innovate, adapt and spot opportunities
But first a word on capacity
Everyone has capacity and it can increase and decrease
Capacity exists at different levels that impact on each other
- individual, organisation, sector, society
Different kinds of capability make up capacity
Elements of Capacity
1. A shared purpose and a service to match
Work out what problem your service is addressing and base all decision around that
Its ok to innovate and take risks recognise you are doing so
Always keep the bigger picture in mind to enable day to day autonomy and strategic innovation
1. A shared purpose and a service to match - how to uphold
Do initial research consumerate with the level of investment in set up
Have feedback loops (M&E) and ability to change in response
Create culture of debate and discussion in the implementation team and build in time for reflection
2. An implementation model that enables you to deliver
Based on the resources you have – human, financial, technical and organisational
Based on realistic assumptions about how people will interact with your service
Realistic long-term financial model
2. An implementation model that enables you to deliver - how to uphold
Combine new and existing staff resourcesWork to challenge ideas that technology will solve everything (typically information projects over invest in infrastructure and under-invest in people)
Don’t expect your service to generate revenue but some do by charging for certain services that subsidise others
3. A favourable institutional environment and enabled individuals
Right kind of support from senior management – strategic not interfering
Located within the right part of the organisation – not seen as service for the org
Competency based team given autonomy and invested in
3. A favourable institutional environment and enabled individuals – how to uphold
Make the case for what you do to senior management, positive communications
Recognise requirements for knowledge work may be different from other kinds of jobs, how far can you bend the rules?
Look at job descriptions from other organisations if competency based recruitment not typical
Include staff development in proposal budgets where possible
4. Reputation and relationships
You need trust and credibility with users and contributors – possibly through brand rather than direct relationships
Relationships to enlist support and protect space to operate – government, donors, senior management in your organisation
4. Reputation and relationships – how to uphold
Clear values and brand
Invest in ongoing relationship management with the people that matter
Make the case for what you do (examples of impact can help as can relationships with peers)
5. Ability to evolve, innovate and spot opportunities
Applies to both purpose of your service and its design and delivery
Recognise and respond to changing context for your stakeholders (eg changing technology, other services)
Recognise changing priorities for donors (eg rising topics, aid/financing modalities)
5. Ability to evolve, innovate and spot opportunities – how to uphold
Advisory board
Monitoring and evaluation and ability to listen to feedback
Professional development of staff
‘Outcomes based’ rather than ‘activity based’ relationship with donors (relates to measuring impact)
3. Reputation and relationships – how to uphold
Clear values and brand
Invest in ongoing relationship management with the people that matter
Make the case for what you do (examples of impact can help as can relationships with peers)
2. Established intermediaries have been joined by new kinds of hybrid intermediary actors
Libraries, extension and media still important
Everyone is an intermediary now!
But emergence of new, deliberate programmes that don’t fit into old categories
“my understanding of intermediary roles has been blown up! There are horizontal roles, vertical roles, one-way, two-way, multi-way, 360 degrees”
3. A range of intermediary roles – engaged and behind the scenes
Just in case and just in time
Both roles needed to make a difference
4. The origins of intermediary actors matter and shape how the role is played
Librarians, extension workers, researchers interpret and play the role differently
Cross fertilisation of ideas is powerful!
5. No universal acceptance that knowledge and information intermediaries are required
Some thought direct connections were more important , no need for brokers
Others question value of multiple perspectives
Just a new bunch of jobs?
Intermediaries ‘contribution
1. Making information edible
Summarising, synthesising or translating
Switching communication channels
Responding to info needs
2. Enabling access
Digitising information
Preserving information
Organising information
3. Creating demand for information
Promoting value of research
Information literacy/capabilities
4. Supporting marginalised voices to be heard
Showcasing less prominent voices
Searching out less obvious material
Using leverage to create spaces for engagement
5. Supporting marginalised voices to be heard
Showcasing less prominent voices
Searching out less obvious material
Using leverage to create spaces for engagement
6. Creating alternative framings
Bringing together non-mainstream material /voices
Highlighting different ways of seeing an issue
Intermediaries ‘contribution
Discussion questions
What examples do you know of this different kind of contribution?
In which areas is your service active and how?
Are there types of contribution missing?
Recommendations for intermediaries
Go beyond being a repository
Engage with political nature of the role
Collaborate for info flows
Develop standards and professionalise the role
Remember…
“…the champion for the issues and ideas emerging from the conference will be the I-K-Mediary Network…”
Lets discuss!