If we address these aspects consciously and collectively, we will avoid potential conflicts
between members.
Communication and engagement
Communicating important decisions to the whole network is essential to keep everyone
updated and engaged. Just as there are various roles and access levels within the network,
there are different communication levels, since not everyone is interested in everything.
Having said that, it is clear that important agreements that affect the whole network must
be communicated timely and widely in the network. This would be an example of a topdown approach in communication, but you should provide additional down-top and
horizontal channels of communication within the network. In general, engagement is
stronger in networks where each member feels equally important.
In this sense, key decisions should be duly documented and all the relevant documents for
the network operations should remain accessible for everyone.
Learnings
In addition to the recommendations for collaborative work with data that we have already
provided, we present some general learnings that we have extracted from our experience
with partners and as network participants ourselves:
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Being part of a network entails big responsibilities. The quality of our data depends
on the work of every node in the network.
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Communication should be as horizontal as possible to ensure that no one feels
disconnected from the network.
-
Each member needs to understand how their contribution will support the network
and, on the other hand, how the network results will serve its particular goals.
-
The network goal must be of interest for every partner.
-
Credibility is a long-term collective goal, but it only takes one wrong step to lose it.
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