Services

We offer a diverse spectrum of services. Our goal is to support social movements, organizations and networks to do the following:

• Gain a clear understanding of networked social movements and how they work
• Put theory into practice, the ‘how to’ of building networked social movements
• Collaborate in the design and building of tools and platforms for movement-wide infrastructure

We do this through presentations, trainings and collaborative work.

1. Trainings
   • Netlab 101: introduction to networked social movements: What is a decentralized, self organized movement network? What are they made of and how are they built?
     [1.5 – 4hrs]
   • Training For Trainers: How can your own leaders become well-versed in network methods, and be ready to train others?[1 month of weekly sessions]
   • Community of Practice [Ongoing monthly sessions to deepen the work]

   These can be done as face-to-face trainings or interactive webinars on-line.

   

2. Consultation & Design
   • Strategy and design: Collaborative process to develop a network strategy or network design for your movement.
   • Network roles & Infrastructure: What infrastructure must we build to support the growth of mass social movements? What are specific ‘network roles’ we need to play and how are they different than traditional organizational roles?
   • Building Movement Ecosystems: How are organizations, coalitions and decentralized movements very different things? What are each one’s strengths and weaknesses? How can they work together in a complementary way?
   • From Occupy Wall St. to Occupy Sandy: The birth, death and rebirth of a movement (and why networks don’t really die). Understanding social movement cycles, and how to anticipate and work with them to accomplish long term change.
   • Funding Networks: What are new ways to think about funding in networks? What is a social movement economy and how is it radically different than other structures (like the market or non-profit economy)? How can funders support movement networks without disrupting or destroying them?

     

3. Mapping
   • Network mapping: Can you clearly see the movement that you have? Can you clearly see the movement you want to build? Using personal interviews, online surveys and network mapping tools, we help gain detailed insight into what your movement network looks like, who is a part of it and who is missing, where it is weak and how it can be strengthened.[3 month process. Includes surveys, use of web survey site, generation of maps and metrics, session(s) to analyze maps with network and develop strategy for improvement)
4. Communications
   • Communications ecosystems: What tools and practices are needed to facilitate the expansion and momentum of a more networked movement? (Technology overview from mobile apps to movement-wide platforms; includes training on conference calling systems and/or Adobe Connect with breakout groups).
   • Platforms for self-organizing: What tools and practices and spaces facilitate people finding and building their own networks? What is crucial role of organizing in making technology actually work?
   • Movement-wide Infrastructure: Convening groups working on the development of network platforms, facilitating joint
5. Speaking
   • We offer keynotes on networks and movements
6. Content & Materials
   • We can white papers and articles, and case studies
   • We develop materials, videos, handbooks and toolkits on networks and movements