Social Network for RSA Fellows

Collaborating towards a more fully networked RSA

In summary: if we want a better networked RSA, with more chances to connect and benefit from its many activities, we can’t just jump to a solution. We need a Fellow-led exploration of what’s possible, some experiments, and a chance to help shape new content strategies and networking activities.

Over the past four years there’s been enormous progress in improving communication between Fellows, staff and Fellows, and the wider constituency of the RSA. We have a dedicated staff team on the job, Fellowship council, working groups, Catalyst projects, videos, online platforms - and more.

Matthew Taylor rightly celebrated that in his blog post this week: Spread the news, we’re getting engaged

But if you follow discussion on Linkedin, or this site, Fellows still find it difficult to connect … many interest groups are dead … while the sheer volume of content produced on the main site and various social media channels by staff can be overwhelming.

The results of the Fellowship Survey show a strong demand for greater engagement, and recommendations to achieve this (see below). Networking with other Fellows was rated second only to being associated with the RSA, its values and work, in the important aspects of being a Fellow.

So is this another moan: Something Needs To Be Done (by Them)?

No - because I think the next stage of development will only succeed if there is more action by Fellows to complement - and collaborate with - the work of staff, and to help shape the use of the next online platform developments. From Matthew’s post, that would certainly be welcomed.

The diagram above is not one that’s specific to RSA. It‘s goes with the oft-heard story … “we are too hierarchical at the moment, with a few clusters. We want to move from ‘join us and get a newsletter’, beyond some groups that are themselves hierarchical, towards a network where people doing more connecting for themselves”.

But how to do that? I’ve put some links at the end of this piece referencing earlier discussions and attempts over the past few years.

It isn’t easy, particularly in the RSA. The RSA’s great strength is diversity of Fellowship, and breadth of vision … but that means there isn’t one focus of interest. It has a lot of traditions and a culture developed over 250 years. It isn’t a classic membership organisation, where staff are there to serve those paying the subs … or a crowd of volunteers expecting to do things for themselves with some support. It is a puzzling mix … and so a great place to experiment in the changes that are needed more widely in society.

My suggestion is that we collaborate in an exploration. It’s an idea developed from recent discussions about the role of regional digital champions and social reporters. Earlier still, the first ideas for a fully networked RSA were developed among North East Fellows in the Virtual Coffee House group back in 2005-2007. That’s worth reading as a vision of what might be possible - update version from Peter Churchill linked below

While the RSA's new technology strategy will provide further tools for Fellows and staff, experience shows these will not be enough on their own to promote more networking. And while Fellowship staff, council members and regional groups are active in developing better communications, networks only operate effectively when network members have the skills and motivation to participate, using their preferred methods.

The exploration will provide a way to try some small-scale experiments, research experience elsewhere, and develop an optimistic view of opportunities for the future. In practice the explorers may:

highlight existing good network building within RSA
find out from Fellows what greater networking they would welcome
report on what is planned by RSA staff and build on existing collaborations with staff
look at examples elsewhere
help build a core network of digital champions and network builders
map some networks to find the existing strong connections, and gaps
Start experimenting

As part of the process we will run some design workshops, inspired by one run by Fellows and staff in 2009.

The format for this exploration draws on experience of others run by social reporters for Big Lottery Fund, Nominet Trust, and other organisations - but we will develop our own approach as we go.

There’s an open Google doc with these idea here http://bit.ly/L8wCNV

We already have a core group of explorers. If you are interested, please add your name as a comment below, or in the Google doc. You’ll find on the doc that I have also added the idea that we might here have the base for a wider exploration of the role of networks and networking in society, if anyone else is interested. That reflects the ethos of the RSA: it isn’t just for our benefit, it is for social change.

First explorers

Dave Briggs dave@kindofdigital.com @davebriggs
Peter Churchill roundhay125@googlemail.com @roundhay125
Jemima Gibbons jemimag@gmail.com @jemimag
John Oakley john@wingonline.com @dauwkuk
Roxanne Persaud roxanne@commutiny.org.uk @commutiny
David Wilcox david@socialreporter.com @davidwilcox

Previous discussions and resources

Early RSA networks developments at OpenRSA
Workshop in 2009
Tessy Britton 2010: How could a network look after itself
Don Pinchbeck 2012: A ramble through the history of the Virtual Coffee House - and the ...
David Wilcox 2012: What might digital champions and reporters do to animate RSA networks
Peter Churchill: VCH Vision 2010
Results of Fellowship Survey

Recommendations from the survey

Here’s some of the survey recommendations that we might help with

Ensure uniformly high standard of intellectual debate and address identified areas for improvement; online communities may require more moderation and quality assurance
Involve parts of the Fellowship as an extended expert group for staff- and Fellow-led Projects
Leverage the existing high usage of social media by Fellows, particularly Linked-In and Facebook, to encourage more intra-Fellowship networking and collaboration
Encourage retired Fellows to be more engaged in a way that matches their retired lifestyles and make Fellowship more personally relevant
Tap into the intersection of Fellows’ interest to network, and the RSA mission, by shaping online and offline platforms accordingly
Provide clearer and more tailored paths to engagement, e.g. how can a Fellow engage with only little time at hand?

I've posted these ideas first in this RSAde group forum, but will promote more widely once people here have a chance to comment or contribute.

What do you think? Is this worth Fellows-led action? Do you wish to contribute ... and if so, where's the best opportunities to show what's possible?

Update: new post with further developments Next steps towards a networked RSA

Tags: networks

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by David Wilcox on May 30, 2012 at 13:35

I've blogged a longer piece on site

Why be an RSA Fellow - and how to make the most of it? Five bottles...

Permalink Reply by David Wilcox on May 31, 2012 at 9:44

Now followed up with a Storify on Opening up RSA http://storify.com/davidwilcox/opening-up-rsa

"What options for engagement should RSA offer online and face-to-face to Fellows, and to others who may wish to contribute? We first talked about that in 2007 through OpenRSA."

... but found you can't embed in Ning

Permalink Reply by Dr Graham Wilson on May 31, 2012 at 10:16

I don't quite understand why there is a need to go to storify, but the range of tweets and retweets that your thread there seems to have prompted does seem very worthwhile. What a shame they couldn't happen here.

Two points in particular, I understand the financial arguments in both directions, but I do wonder how the membership might change if a different model of payment was introduced? For example, if the annual subscription was £150 or 12 x £15. This MIGHT prompt more silent subscribers, once signed up - forgotten, but it might also prompt a greater proportion of those expecting more immediate engagement.

Second... I'm puzzled by the comment about everything being in London and the implication that it isn't possible to organise an event in Chelthenham. Bear in mind that I am still very much on the periphery of the RSA, but I'd have to ask, WHY NOT? Surely the kind of people attracted to Fellowship are the kind who are prepared to "just do it"? If so, what's stopping them from doing so?

All the best, Graham

PS the invitation to coffee is still open.

Permalink Reply by David Wilcox on May 31, 2012 at 10:44

Thanks Graham - much appreciating your contributions. I did say:

"Delighted to meet up. June 13 or 14 any good?"

but probably got buried

Storify seemed the easiest way to curate the tweets, including all content - is there a better one? I thought I could then embed as a comment under the blog post, so discussion could continue on rsafellowship.com, but it can't be done on this site. Easy on Wordpress, for example.

My point on engaging with RSA is that where the agenda is the outward facing one of promoting social/civic innovation (which I believe is what interests James Derounian) it is important that can involved non-FRSAs - we can't expect all potentially active citizens to become FRSAs. It could be that James(say) joins up and convenes a meeting, using the RSA brand, and invites non-FRSAs who want to do good stuff in Cheltenham. To be motivated to do that, anyone in his position would, I guess, need to feel that:

1. There is some benefit in using RSA as the convenor. Better draw, and support

2. Also that there's a good platform for follow-through. An FRSA, currently, could create a Cheltenham group on this site and invite non-FRSAs to join ... but that may change in future.

Of course you could say this social innovation agenda is not important ... but then it is what's in the Fellowship Charter, agreed after very long discussions.

Or you could say it is not up to the RSA to help convene meetings and provide online space for people who want to promote social innovation. But then, what does RSA bring to the party?

Permalink Reply by John Oakley on May 31, 2012 at 11:45

I would support a Wordpress site. It runs over a quarter of the world's web sites now and is practically unlimited in what you can do because of its architecture... hence its popularity and it already is used for the RSA blogs. It can display Tweets and can also tweet back at the author's desire. It can also include Facebook and other social platforms.

However, we can't and should not keep bring a cherry-picking solutions for their good bits. It is confusing to everyone. It may work in a controlled environment - as Stuart McCrae from IBM said the other day at the Digital Champions meet - but even he said that you should delete the less popular "experiments" quickly. SO if we start using a Wordpress site we should have a definite plan to retire one of the other systems e.g. the Nings, although now Ning.com is owned by Glam, most Ning-based groups are looking elsewhere too.

Storyify has a useful niche but doesn't seem to add anything that a Wordpress site could do so I am loathed to suggest bringing something else to the mix.

And to your last few points, we all have to have a clear understanding of the role of the RSA and its relationship with other organizations. If we just turn up at the party with our name that may be fine for the altruists amongst us but if I have a passion about something say Orchids for the Poor and get involved with a joint RSA/Orchids for the Poor group and I can satisfy my passion in that group I'm going to think twice about my 150 pound yearly donation when 150 pounds could buy a lot of orchids... Its a risky strategy in my mind UNLESS we have a compelling story about why RSA. I think too much openness at the moment when we are somewhat disorganized would be detrimental.

Lets put our house in order first.

Permalink Reply by Dr Bob Rollins on May 31, 2012 at 12:34

David,

You've made masses of relevant points in your various posts etc

I'm painfully aware that that, as a new member, I'm likely to make comments that longer serving Fellows will immediately recognise as having been discussed to death already. I just want to chip in some thoughts from a 'new Fellow' perspective which I think relate - if you think these are better discussed elsewhere just let me know and I'll cross post/tweet/ning or set up a new blog to follow up in a separate strand.

It's taken me (as a newish Fellow) longer than I expected to get my head around how some of the e-venues fit together. If groups are going to use different tools (I support that approach) I think that the groups should make clear how they are currently using Twitter/Storify/Wordpress/Ning/Group Discussion/Blog etc in some kind of statement at the top of the group, in the same way as 'Digital Engagement' group has a 'Remit and Activity' (I'd go further and suggest that there should be a bit more to a group 'template'. Suggested headings don''t have to be addressed if irrelevant but I'd have thought some kind of Remit/Activity/Context would be useful for most groups.) Done right this can act as 'advertising' to encourage new fellows to join a group. (If part of this information was made available publicly it might encourage more people to join the RSA).

Along with that, I still find myself with some pretty basic questions and (I'm pretty sure) some misconceptions about the roles and goals of the RSA. A 'new joiners' lounge' group or e-event where things like the niceties of whether mentioning FRSA status on Facebook or LinkedIn is regarded as 'business use' (or whether the notion of 'business' as distinct from 'social' has blurred into nonexistence).

Permalink Reply by David Wilcox on May 31, 2012 at 12:36

Thanks John - I see the following requirements, which I can map back to our earlier OpenRSA discussions

1. A short-term space for developmental discussion around network developments and social innovation space.

a core group space ... just better than the cc emails circulate among half a dozen of us at present. Could be Google group, Yammer ... but I doubt if it would get much use on Ning or Linkedin. Closed, but enthusiasts can ask to join. Nuts and bolts stuff mainly. OpenRSA used a Google group.
a public space for blogging about the positive development options highlighted in this thread, and in my post here. We had this http://openrsa.blogspot.co.uk/ but I would now favour Wordpress - could do openrsa.org
such other tools as are in general use, like Twitter. Storify allows you to curate tweets into Wordpress as I did here. People are going to use Twitter, and Storify provides a bridge. Without that you just have two strands ... or mostly one, because it is much more difficult to get people to comment in Wordpress than tweet. But only occasional use.

This would give us the tools/space for discussion and collaboration up to and after the workshops we want to run. They are not an alternative to what we then need ...

2. An interim solution for Fellowship at large, that is an improvement on the current Ning and Linkedin setup. That could emerge from discussion in 1. It is NOT OpenRSA.

3. Whatever emerges from the technology strategy

My interest is primarily how we can explore and develop the Charter vision of networks and social space for social innovation ... with whatever tech and other tools are necessary for that. I'm only interested in doing that in an open way ... because I think we need open innovation process and we need to involve people who are not FRSAs - yet. I don't think we'll get much engagement and traction in a closed space.

At the same time, there are complementary discussions needed on RSA strategy and tech strategy that I can see should be closed.

In summary, I'm proposing:

such small, closed space as the development group decides it needs. I'm personally easy on what that is
OpenRSA.org as a Wordpress blog to support develops around the workshops, and (hopefully) short term development process

The OpenRSA.org blog may provide some useful lessons for any interim solution ... but it isn't in any way a replacement

I want to focus on the social innovation space/process, using OpenRSA.org and such other tools as a are necessary, and hope someone else will lead on 2. above.

Permalink Reply by Dr Bob Rollins on May 31, 2012 at 13:11

John,

Absolutely agree that confusion is a problem (I write from a state of mild confusion at the moment).

I strongly support the model of allowing different technical solutions to be tried. Actually I think anything else would be likely to be as effective as Canute at the seaside.

I agree that tech solutions which don't work out should be retired from the context where they were being used.

I'm not clear whether you're advocating an RSA-wide suite of e-engagement technologies, though. I don't think that's necessary and I suspect that it will be hard to mandate. I'd support a model where, possibly at the group level, those decisions are made.

I think when a group is established it would be advisable to consider what e-engagement tools will be used by the group, this could be part of the form which is competed when the group is set up but should also be maintained to show if additional e-venues are used or if any are deprecated within the group. This might make it easier to see from the outside where particular tools are successful and where they are less so. Digital Champions might find this useful when engaging with groups.

Along with this free 'Darwinian soup' of technology in the groups I think there should probably be a core e-connection suite that RSA staff might mandate when hooking in to the hub(s) of the RSA) I'm still unclear about the staff size in RSA and how autonomous the regions are. This would help staff by not requiring them to be trying to stay on top of all the connection methods used in all the regions/groups/projects.

Digital champions might, then, assist in the sharing of successful practice between groups through a variety of methods.

I need to know what 'putting our house in order' means, I think influence by infectious success can work without the need for a 'big bang/big cleanup'.

I'd really welcome information about how RSA seeks to relate to other organisations, in your example, John, I wonder whether RSA/Orchids for the Poor would be comfortable supporting and enabling an existing individual or group, external to RSA but with common interests. Do RSA only help 'their own'?

Wondering about setting up a new discussion/group 'How can new Fellows be best helped engage with the RSA?' which would intersect with the more general 'fully networked' goal. Do any of you think this would be helpful or would be be counterproductive in some way?

John Oakley said:

I would support a Wordpress site. It runs over a quarter of the world's web sites now and is practically unlimited in what you can do because of its architecture... hence its popularity and it already is used for the RSA blogs. It can display Tweets and can also tweet back at the author's desire. It can also include Facebook and other social platforms.

However, we can't and should not keep bring a cherry-picking solutions for their good bits. It is confusing to everyone. It may work in a controlled environment - as Stuart McCrae from IBM said the other day at the Digital Champions meet - but even he said that you should delete the less popular "experiments" quickly. SO if we start using a Wordpress site we should have a definite plan to retire one of the other systems e.g. the Nings, although now Ning.com is owned by Glam, most Ning-based groups are looking elsewhere too.

Storyify has a useful niche but doesn't seem to add anything that a Wordpress site could do so I am loathed to suggest bringing something else to the mix.

And to your last few points, we all have to have a clear understanding of the role of the RSA and its relationship with other organizations. If we just turn up at the party with our name that may be fine for the altruists amongst us but if I have a passion about something say Orchids for the Poor and get involved with a joint RSA/Orchids for the Poor group and I can satisfy my passion in that group I'm going to think twice about my 150 pound yearly donation when 150 pounds could buy a lot of orchids... Its a risky strategy in my mind UNLESS we have a compelling story about why RSA. I think too much openness at the moment when we are somewhat disorganized would be detrimental.

Lets put our house in order first.

Permalink Reply by J ames Derounian on May 31, 2012 at 13:23

David Wilcox said:

Thanks Graham - much appreciating your contributions. I did say:

"Delighted to meet up. June 13 or 14 any good?"

but probably got buried

Storify seemed the easiest way to curate the tweets, including all content - is there a better one? I thought I could then embed as a comment under the blog post, so discussion could continue on rsafellowship.com, but it can't be done on this site. Easy on Wordpress, for example.

My point on engaging with RSA is that where the agenda is the outward facing one of promoting social/civic innovation (which I believe is what interests James Derounian) it is important that can involved non-FRSAs - we can't expect all potentially active citizens to become FRSAs. It could be that James(say) joins up and convenes a meeting, using the RSA brand, and invites non-FRSAs who want to do good stuff in Cheltenham. To be motivated to do that, anyone in his position would, I guess, need to feel that:

1. There is some benefit in using RSA as the convenor. Better draw, and support

2. Also that there's a good platform for follow-through. An FRSA, currently, could create a Cheltenham group on this site and invite non-FRSAs to join ... but that may change in future.

Of course you could say this social innovation agenda is not important ... but then it is what's in the Fellowship Charter, agreed after very long discussions.

Or you could say it is not up to the RSA to help convene meetings and provide online space for people who want to promote social innovation. But then, what does RSA bring to the party?

Hallo, James here - and thanks to David W for raising this topic. Just to say that I would be pleased to jointly convene a gathering with RSA-University of Gloucestershire on an engagement topic of mutual interest e.g. 'Breaking out of the ivory tower how & why universities should benefit society'

Previous 'Cafe Society' events in Cheltenham have proved very popular in bringing together interested members of the public with university staff.

James jderounian@glos.ac.uk

Permalink Reply by David Wilcox on May 31, 2012 at 13:42

Wow - this is really taking off!

Thanks Bob for joining us, and energetically too. On your points:

Rationalising, curating, etc is desperately needed I agree. But see 3.
A thread about 'How can new Fellows be best helped engage with the RSA?' would be very valuable, I think. It could be a new forum post here - or in my view warrants blog post in the main part of the site. It is more than digital engagement.
On system design I'm happy for you, John and others to lead the way. I would just say that this site and others are managed by RSA staff, not Fellows, so we can only make recommendations. The problem is that staff are very stretched, and while there is a long-term tech strategy, there is no content strategy that I know of, and no real focus for discussion on interim needs. Hence this discussion. What can we do? Create our own discussion and development space (I'm saying OpenRSA) that has better functionality than this, where we can figure what's needed and maybe model a bit. Should that be done jointly with staff as part of a planned process? Probably ... but I'm not sure that is on offer (back to staff overload). I think Fellows have to lead the way, warmly welcoming any staff support we can get, and hoping for come co-design.

Permalink Reply by J ames Derounian on May 31, 2012 at 13:44

Showing my ignorance....what does one actually do to become a FRSA?? Nomination by existing fellows?

James

Permalink Reply by David Wilcox on May 31, 2012 at 13:47

Thanks James - sounds good.

I think this is just the sort of idea we could float through OpenRSA.

Meanwhile, If you would like to do a guest blog post (I know how good you are at that:-) I would post it to the main part of this site. Or you can gladly do so yourself. This site is currently open for non-FRSA contributions (though that may change). Something on why RSA would be a good co-convenor would be most valuable.

J ames Derounian said:

Hallo, James here - and thanks to David W for raising this topic. Just to say that I would be pleased to jointly convene a gathering with RSA-University of Gloucestershire on an engagement topic of mutual interest e.g. 'Breaking out of the ivory tower how & why universities should benefit society'

Previous 'Cafe Society' events in Cheltenham have proved very popular in bringing together interested members of the public with university staff.

James jderounian@glos.ac.uk