Weaving Activities
Annual gatherings that provide opportunities for NGL Alumni to
form deeper connections and learn from one another: The annual
gathering (“reunions”) play a critical role in insuring
that Alumni across cohorts begin to understand the work of the entire
network, and identify potential further collaborative work. RCLA is
supporting the organization of three reunions, the first of which launched
the formation of cluster and cooperative inquiry groups, described below.
Cooperative inquiries designed to provide intimate and sustained
opportunities for small groups of Alumni to work together around a
common issue or interest: RCLA is organizing the opportunity
for interested Alumni to participate in cooperative inquiries that
are structured to address questions NGL Alumni agree are valuable to
pursue. Cooperative inquiry is a participatory, qualitative research methodology
that yields new ideas about leadership questions of importance to the inquiry members.
Cooperative inquiry facilitation training that offers interested
Alumni the ability to fully own the cooperative inquiry process they
experience: RCLA has invited interested Alumni to participate
in a cooperative inquiry facilitation training program. This is a one-day
intensive training on cooperative inquiry and possibly an on-going apprenticeship
with a skilled senior facilitator who will be facilitating a cooperative
inquiry.
Cluster groups in which Alumni work together around
common issues or interests: These groups must pose a practice question of interest,
and organize specified shared work that will produce a document describing their findings. Unlike
cooperative inquiry, these groups are not facilitated and do not follow a formal research approach.
An Action Fund to seed projects generated through the above
networking activities. Co-operative inquiries, reunions, cluster
groups or the other network-building activities in which Alumni might
participate, sometimes generate follow-up activities such as new collaborations
among members of the group, the development of new initiatives, or efforts
to disseminate important insights gained through the process. A limited
Action Fund is a vehicle for supporting (or seeding) some of these additional
activities.
Opportunities for Alumni to disseminate what they are learning
from these network-building activities to larger audiences.
RCLA is creating other opportunities to extend the learning from the
inquiry groups to wider audiences. This includes a collaborative process
with NGL Alumni, who may co-present at select meetings or develop with
the RCLA other strategies for dissemination that might use RCLA’s
networks or their own networks to test the new ideas that are developed,
and to encourage further feedback.
A governance structure that supports active fellow participation
in decision-making about the program. RCLA is working with
an advisory group made up of two representatives from each of the five
NGL cohorts to ensure the relevance and importance of the network-building
activities provided as a result of this partnership. This group advises
on the design of the activities and works with RCLA to develop
the criteria and determine the process by which Alumni access the funds for
collaborative working.
A documentation committee that will help describe the effects of the weaving.
This committee will assist in developing the metrics and data that will describe
the weaving activities and the impact they have in solidifying the Alumni network.
A private website function that facilitates communication within the Alumni network. RCLA supports
a private website that allows Alumni to share up-to-date information about themselves and
their work, and is searchable so that they can connect with each other.
Additional intentional weaving activities: RCLA works to maintain and deepen
the collaborative interaction among Alumni by helping to make Alumni
aware of the work and skills of other Alumni, and identifying new opportunities
for cross-cohort collaboration.