IDRC networks: an ethnographic perspective

A review conducted by the International Development Research Centre into the effectiveness of its own investments in development policy research networks.

The term network has become a catch-all for any activity that links people who share a common concern for a specific topic or issue. However, the success of any network depends on how its members relate to one another, and in turn, how they relate the network to their personal motivations, their culture and to the broader socio-political and economic contexts in which they function. Unfortunately, it is common to find networks which waste resources because they operate without ensuring that there is congruence between network goals and member expectations. Efforts must be made to allow users to realise their networking goals efficiently.

This review concentrates on the process of networking more than its structures. We talked with network members about the concept of membership and the capacity of donors to catalyse and facilitate networks. The aim was to increase understanding of what makes networking effective, for both members and donors, as a facilitator of development.

Among the principal themes and lessons which emerged is the idea that those networks which succeed in fostering sustained social change inevitably do more than simply link discrete units; they are more than associated data-bases or Internet connections. They are social exchange arrangements. While they may use new technologies to manage and facilitate communication, at the base they involve people actively sharing and collaborating toward concrete goals. In the rush toward technology-based networks, it is important to keep in mind that the potential of these systems to improve human well-being will be realised to the extent they promote and assist joint action. Effective networks add value to individual action by providing a platform for shared experimentation and learning across sectors, geography, professions and cultures.

The paper judges that networks tend to possess the following characteristics. ('The networks which succeed will be those which achieve a constructive balance among them [the characteristics], one suited to the purposes they seek and the environments in which they function.')

Network characteristics:

• Social arrangements.
  
• Forums for social exchange.
  
• Opportunistic - and hence capable of achieving more than specified mandate.
  
• Sustain capacities.
  
• Enable creativity and risk-taking.

Several 'network types' are then identified:

• Interface networks - especially good for linking small NGOs with international donors.
  
• Projective networks - encouraging members to pursue new lines of research.
  
• 'Platforms for action' - facilitating both implementation and advocacy.
  
• Non-traditional networks - playing on the capacity of networks to shift their form and function with great flexibility.
  
• Access networks - linking different sectors.

'Conditions of success' are listed as:

• Flexible internal management.
  
• Learning through diversity.
  
• Creating shared agreement.
  
• Managing change.

Ultimately, the review concludes that networks are certain to become increasingly significant 'as means of advocating, facilitating and rationalising (making more cost effective) the development agenda'. Nevertheless, there are many potential pitfalls relating to factors such as the structure, scope and sustainability of the network concept. It is important for donors such as the IDRC to support networks with a sensitive and long-term commitment.

Attached to this paper is a series of short background reports and case studies that offer concrete, specific conclusions.