Sustainable Networking and Collaboration among MDIs Mike Eldon Chairman The Dan Eldon Place Of Tomorrow

My private sector perspective Kenya Institute of Management Kenya Institute of Management –‘Reaching up, reaching out’ Kenya Private Sector Alliance and PPPs Kenya Private Sector Alliance and PPPs –Federations as Centres of Excellence Public Sector Reform Public Sector Reform –Consultants for Kenya… and Africa Global Business School Network Global Business School Network –Management Education and Research Consortium Multinationals, Rotary… Multinationals, Rotary… –National, regional, international collaboration the norm

Why should MDIs network and collaborate?

Under-resourced public service Under-resourced public service So busy, every day! So busy, every day! Pressure for sustainability Pressure for sustainability Competition Competition Limited research capacity Limited research capacity

Why should MDIs network and collaborate? Globalisation of knowledge Globalisation of knowledge Need for local approach & content Need for local approach & content Evolution of long term national visions Evolution of long term national visions Higher service expectations by citizens Higher service expectations by citizens Assertive business, media, donors… Assertive business, media, donors…

So far for AMDIN, in terms of collaboration results, of impact… What are the main achievements? What are the main achievements? What worked well to enable them? What worked well to enable them? What are the main disappointments? What are the main disappointments? What obstacles prevented success? What obstacles prevented success?

What do MDIs need to be good at to be good at collaborating and networking?

Using ICT collaborative tools Knowledge Management Managing virtual teams Facilitation Networking itself Focus on impact Performance management

Actualising the Kenya Development Learning Institute ??? ???

What else do MDIs need to be good at to be good at collaborating and networking? Common vision, values, goals Collaborative mindset Synergy Appreciating each others’ strengths & contributions Learning from each other Win-Win It’s the culture, stupid!

What does this add up to? A prevailing culture: the way we do things round here (if you want to do well in this environment do these things well)

Bottom line Make collaboration and networking performance part of a Balanced Score Card (individual, departmental, institutional, AMDIN) Recognising those who do this effectively, bringing significant personal & institutional growth Celebrate the positive deviants

Stages of Maturity Not started Not started Beginning Beginning Developing Developing Performing Performing Improving Improving Traffic lights and Dashboards

Monitor the progress StepStage 1Issue/objectives/KPIs defined 2Workgroup created 3Discussion started 4First wins 5KPIs fulfilled 6Next stage defined

Monitor Capacity Building More maturity stages

Roadmap to success – ICT Enabled What is the goal? – an effective MDI What is the goal? – an effective MDI What is the framework? – what do we need to be good at? What is the framework? – what do we need to be good at? Monitor against framework – how good are we at it? Monitor against framework – how good are we at it? Develop communities of practice Develop communities of practice Gather solutions – positive proof points Gather solutions – positive proof points Implement, monitor, learn and share

What is the framework? Working MDI CurriculumStaffEnvironmentFundingFacilities

Monitor against framework Traffic light based maturity model Traffic light based maturity model for each capability or success-enabler Assessment provides a compass for improvement Assessment provides a compass for improvement

Communities of practice Each institution (‘Place’) Each institution (‘Place’) Across institutions Across institutions Focused on capabilities and enablers Focused on capabilities and enablers Identify challenges and share solutions Identify challenges and share solutions Mainstream solutions Mainstream solutions Fast track progress Fast track progress

Human-facilitated and ICT-enabled Facilitate communities of practice Facilitate communities of practice Use ICT to capture member profiles Use ICT to capture member profiles Connect people to others Connect people to others Use M&E to internally monitor, Use M&E to internally monitor, externally report and benchmark

Building an Interest Matrix Peace & Security Political & Economic Governance Regional Integration Public Sector Reform Dr. Haile- Michael Abera XX M. S K JoypalXX Prof.AbdallaBujraXX

A small connected community with a healthy culture can transform & prosper ICT in Silicon Valley Education around Boston (MIT, Harvard) Online knowledge sharing can facilitate this synergy across AMDIN

Developing local and international communities of practice

The networking phenomenon

You never know if/when it will pay dividends Or, as the Ghananian proverb says: The time to make friends is before you need them

The networking phenomenon The more you do the disproportionately more powerful it is And as Robert Metcalf, the inventor of the Ethernet, stated: The utility of a network is the number of users squared

Me and e-networking, e-collaboration Courage Institute Courage Institute Business Daily Business Daily Kenya ICT Action Network Kenya ICT Action Network(KICTANET) The Leadership Hub The Leadership Hub Collaborative proposal writing, Collaborative proposal writing,consultation Rotary International Rotary International

My experience Now and then a point lights up You can’t predict which one Some burn very bright

Benefits of Networking Save time, money and effort by Save time, money and effort by doing what already works Find specific, relevant solutions Find specific, relevant solutions without needing a 3 year degree Achieve success together Achieve success together which may be impossible alone…

Building careers through collaboration and networking Collaborative research Collaborative research –How is it valued? –Lead author? Support? –Are you open, communicative, fair? Organising workshops, meetings… Organising workshops, meetings… –Reaching out –Making & sustaining connections –Presenting, chairing, hosting… –Resource mobilisation

What are AMDIN’s collaboration and networking vision and values? Ones that must be lived if collaboration and networking are to really take off (NB Why no Values statement to support AMDIN’s Vision and Mission statements?)

AMDIN’s collaboration and networking vision

AMDIN members…

AMDIN’s collaboration and networking values

Collaborative mindset Synergy Appreciating each others’ strengths & contributions Learning from each other Win-Win

Action Planning Mike Eldon Chairman The Dan Eldon Place Of Tomorrow

Who’s got to do what by when Objectives that are… Specific Specific Measurable Measurable Accountable Accountable Realistic Realistic Time-bound Time-bound

‘M & E’… or performance management? Monitor, evaluate and go to sleep OR identify deviations, re-plan, re-dedicate Hold on to the vision! Live the values!

Reviewing performance WhoWhenHowConsequence

Beyond ‘ticks in boxes’ InputsOutputsOutcomesImpact

Merchants of Impact Gates Foundation Gates Foundation –Hand-washing with soap Kenya Institute of Management Kenya Institute of Management –Company Of the Year Award From the ‘what’ to the ‘so what’

Why most plans go unimplemented

Too busy with ongoing operations Too busy with ongoing operations –Residual time… tends to zero Low priority Low priority –Optional extra… permission to fail Weak incentives Weak incentives –Why bother? No follow up No follow up –A fading memory

Transformative M&E Setting measures of success that feed back into transforming the goals themselves