LO1: Multi-Actor-Teams
- Knowledge: Knows the core principles of co-creation and working in a multi-actor team
- Skills: Can appraise different viewpoints, knowledge types and competences of partners
- Competencies: Is able to manage a multi-actor innovation partnership
- Link to Content: Multi-Actor Team; Reference to Module I Principles of interactive innovation
LO2: Building partnerships I
- Knowledge: Knows different resources partners contribute
- Skills: Can appraise the different resources available in the network
- Competencies: Is able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of distributed resources and identify missing
- Link to Content: Social Network Mapping & Appraisal; Network Analysis
LO3: Building partnerships II
- Knowledge: Knows different actors/roles in multi-actor partnerships
- Skills: Can define different actors/roles in multi-actor partnerships
- Competencies: Is able to sensitize partners for their role in a multi-actor partnership
- Link to Content: Actor/role identification
LO4: Building partnerships III
- Knowledge: Knows different stakeholder personas
- Skills: Can appraise interest/needs/challenges of stakeholders in a multi-actor partnerships
- Competencies: Is able to sensitize partners for stakeholder needs/challenges
- Link to Content: ‘Personas concept’
LO5: Managing partnerships
- Knowledge: Knows different methods / tools to manage a multi-actor partnership / project
- Skills: Can identify change processes multi-actor partnerships might face
- Competencies: Is able to effectively address change processes (external and internal) in a multi-actor partnership
- Link to Content: Partnership management checklist; ‘Actions’; Triangle of Change
Introduction
Welcome to the „Successful Innovation Partnerships“ learning module. In the first three modules you already learned about CSA-related innovations, how to implement them and how to get from an innovative idea to an innovative project with concrete goals. We have learnt that the implementation of innovations depends heavily on the stakeholder environment and that it is therefore essential to involve important stakeholders at an early stage.
In this module we will present you different tools and methods which help you to build and manage innovation partnerships. The focus is on multi-actor approaches.
By the end of this module, you will know about the different tools and key concepts of innovation partnerships and how to implement them. You will be able to understand, create and manage multi-actor innovation partnerships.
Innovation Spiral Phase IV – Development
Developing new practices, collecting evidence, accessing resources from ‘outside‘
Phase IV of the innovation spiral is all about developing new practices – making experiments, creating experiences, collecting evidence.
In this phase, it is therefore essential to establish an ‘innovation partnership’ and bring in experts and other external assistance to put innovative ideas into practice.
Working in a multi-actor team
Multi-actor – What‘s that? (Explanation of terminology)
Multi-actor partnerships are collaborative processes involving a variety of actors to address complex problems / to develop innovative solutions together.
Multi-actor networks are partnerships of a variety of actors (e.g. companies, civil-society, science, political actors) that address challenges which require collaboration among relevant stakeholders.
A multi-actor approach involves all relevant actors with complementary backgrounds and expertise to create and share knowledge, best practices and innovative solutions responding to the needs of the users, farmers and foresters in a bottom-up approach.
How do you work with multi-actor approaches? -> Multi-actor projects
Projects with a multi-actor approach are very common in rural development and agriculture, especially when innovative solutions are developed
Projects with a multi-actor approach focus on taking opportunities or coming up with a solution to challenges that farmers or rural communities are facing
Multi-actor projects bring complementary partners together (e.g. partners with a scientific, practical or knowledge-based background)
That‘s why multi-actor projects can develop innovative solutions that meet actual needs
Roles in a multi-actor team – team roles according to Belbin
Action-oriented roles
- Shapers are the team members who drive the team forward.
- They can motivate themselves and their colleagues when difficulties arise.
- They are born leaders, which is why they are well suited to management roles.
- In crisis situations, they are the ones who quickly find a solution.
- Implementers keep their environment tidy.
- They are practical and good at turning ideas into action.
- They like to take action and are very disciplined.
- These people are often the backbone of a team because they support their colleagues with a lot of self-confidence.
- Completers are very focused and concentrated employees.
- They notice every detail and strive for perfection.
- They can be rather introverted.
- They are very valuable to the work environment as they always push their colleagues to deliver high quality work.
Knowledge-oriented roles
- Specialists have in-depth knowledge in their field of work and enjoy contributing to their area of expertise
- The Specialist also works better alone than in a group.
- Although this employee is more independent, they are of great value to the team due to their specific skills.
- The inventor is an innovative and creative thinker.
- They like to develop their ideas on their own before sharing it with the whole team.
- Inventors like to work alone and, although they may not be as open as other team members, they contribute valuable input.
- The evaluator thinks rationally and can put their emotions aside to focus on solving the problem.
- They perform best when their projects require extensive knowledge and strategic planning.
- They evaluate their ideas to determine if they are valuable and feasible and then take the necessary steps to realize those ideas.
Communication-oriented roles
- The coordinator is a team member with excellent communication skills.
- He is often found in leadership positions as he promotes cooperation and motivates the team to achieve its goals.
- Other team members look up to the coordinator and trust them to make decisions.
- Thanks to their extroverted nature, team workers are good at dealing with others and always have an open ear for their team colleagues.
- They can easily adapt to changes in their environment and know how to restore harmony in conflict situations.
- If a team colleague is overloaded or has a family emergency, team workers are immediately on hand to offer their support.
- The resource investigator likes to discover new opportunities.
- For example, he looks for new marketing opportunities for the company or discusses ideas for a new product launch with those involved.
- His positive demeanor makes this trailblazer a natural networker or a trailblazer for new business opportunities.
First Activity Module 4.IV
First Activity Module 4.IV- Team roles quiz
Which team role are you? Make the team role quiz and get an answer!
First Activity Module 4.IV – Reflection
Which strengths and weaknesses are you adding to a multi-actor team? Make a list.
After having made the team roles test – how do you value your participation/involvement in projects? Visualize your thoughts in short key points/mind map.
Building Partnerships
Participating in multi-actor partnerships offers numerous advantages. Most notably, these partnerships provide access to complementary resources, such as knowledge, skills, capacities, and sometimes financial support, from partner organizations. Additionally, they open doors to networks of people and organizations. Furthermore, collaborating with a diverse array of stakeholders and other projects helps refine and advance the initial innovation concept.
Building a strong and effective partnership involves different steps. A partnership often begins with a core group of partners who share a common opportunity or idea, initiating innovation activities such as funding proposals or market opportunities. These ideas typically emerge from exchanges within existing networks or working structures. Strategies to build the partnership include leveraging known networks to identify potential members, building on existing relationships, or reaching out to external agents like innovation support services. Finally, roles, responsibilities, and tasks should be clearly defined in a partnership agreement, based on the knowledge, skills, and competencies of each partner.
There are different tools that can be helpful for building (innovation) partnerships.
(Participatory) Social Network Mapping & Appraisal (developed as part of the H2020 project LIASON)
The tool can be used to assess the types/categories of actors involved in multi-actor teams and those who should be involved
Sensibilization of the participants to the categories of actors they are going to represent in multi-actor teams
Assess the strengths and weaknesses of collaborative relationships in multi-stakeholder teams 🡪identify and plan actions to capitalize on strengths and address weaknesses
Regularly assess changes in the strengths and weaknesses of the network, considering the actors (representativeness of the network and relationships within the network)
This tool can serve as an icebreaker when bringing a group of actors together for the first time, helping members establish their roles early on and fostering awareness of group differences, which can be leveraged later in the project (tool for the first project meeting).
- Write your name and an ‘actor identifier’ (e.g. researcher, farmer, consultant, SME) on a sticky note
- Cluster the sticky notes according to ‘group identifiers’ in a small group, draw a circle around the clustered post-its and assign them an actor category label
- Draw lines between your actor category and actor categories they are collaborating with (thick = strong collaboration, thin or broken lines = weak or non-existing collaboration)
- On the basis of the social network map developed in step 3 discuss topics like
- Cooperative relationships: What was done to build strong relationships?
- Collaborations: What actions can be taken to strengthen weak relationships?
- Building of new relationships: How can we build new relationships with actors / actor groups that are currently absent?
- Use the social network map in team meetings to remind the members to the place they are representing in the process, to update the map or to revisit discussions
The Network Analysis (Wielinga 2012)
This analysis tool visualizes positions of involvement by taking the perspective of people who join forces to realise an initiative / an innovation.
It helps to identify priorities for strengthening links and can be used for brainstorming about what relationships should be strengthened.
A completed Network Analysis displays the actors which are involved in a network:
- users served by the initiative,
- suppliers required to deliver something,
- links which connect partners with users and suppliers and
- partners who carry the initiative
The Network Analysis
- Place the initiative / innovation in the center (because it is the reason for the existence of the network) the initiative reflects your ambition
- Place factors that matter in a wide circle around the initiative/innovation institutions and other things that are needed to make things happen
- Add actors who can connect these factors and help to realize the initiative/innovation partners who represent the factors
- Place users in an outer circle in black people who will benefit if the initiative/innovation happens
- Place the suppliers in the outer circle in blue people/institutions who are the resources of things required for the initiative/innovation
- Link the partners with the suppliers and users the link are people who connect the partners with actors outside the ring
For all steps, be as specific as possible! Work directly with names and not just the institutions if you already know who might be responsible in person.
Second Activity Module 4.IV
The Network Analysis and the Social Network Map both display the linkage of actors/actor categories -> Collect advantages and disadvantages of the network analysis and social network map and compare them in a table.
Group exercise: Each of you has made the table with the comparison of the Network Analysis and the Social Network Map. Discuss and compare your results.
Actor/Role Identification (developed as part of the H2020 project LIASON)
The tool is used to identify a collection of tasks to realize your initiative / innovation, and the competencies required to undertake them.
It helps to comprehend the interests and capacities of participants in a multi-actor team.
It helps to recognize roles involved in progressing a team (who is good in doing what and who will do what?).
It helps to make decisions regarding who will take up what role (short, medium and long term).
The tool can be used periodically to query how participants are satisfied with their current roles and make changes where necessary.
Step 1: Brainstorming Tasks
Participants should brainstorm tasks for realizing the project/ initiative/ innovation by summarizing the task on a sticky note
Step 2: Clustering Tasks into Roles
– Participants should cluster similar tasks/tasks that need a particular skill set together
– After the clustering, each participant should choose a cluster and present it to the others
– After the presentation discuss the clusters in terms of completeness, accuracy of fit, etc.
Step 3 Allocation/Adoption of Roles
– Each participant should have 6 matchsticks
– Let them indicate their preferences to take a role (work on a task) by placing one or more matchsticks
– Discuss the place of the matchsticks and the allocation of the roles
🡪 agree to roles or whether you want undertake a role as a team (work on a task as a team)
Personas: Understanding our Stakeholders (developed as part of the H2020 project LIASON)
This tool helps to understand the circumstances, challenges, innovation needs etc. of stakeholders involved in an interactive innovation / multi-actor project.
However, not everyone can be directly involved in a multi-actor project. With this tool, you can therefore profile the range of stakeholders developing a ’persona template / profile’ to bring them to life 🡪 during the innovation process the personas can be modified and their range diversified.
Please keep gender and diversity issues in mind when creating the personas.
Personas – How to?
1. Brainstorming Stakeholders
- Let the participants brainstorm stakeholders/end-users who will use innovations/knowledge generated by the project/initiative.
2. Develop personas
- For each stakeholder type develop one or more persona profiles
- When creating the persona try to think of specific characteristics like a name, the age, address, living situation and family members etc. to ‘bring the person to life’
3. Use the Personas to Sensitize Participants to Stakeholders
- Use the developed personas as reminder of the circumstances, innovation needs and challenges of the project stakeholders a tool for appraising how well the interactive innovation process is responding to the needs of stakeholders
- Adapt the personas on new developments in the innovation process and use them to assess how the developments respond to the needs of the stakeholders
Third Activity Module 4.IV
Pick a project / initiative / innovation you’re currently working on at your farm. Use the ‘persona tool’ and develop one persona to identify the circumstances, challenges, innovation, needs of this stakeholder (the persona you develop should be a stakeholder interested but not directly involved in your project). Be as specific as possible while creating a profile for the persona.
Put yourself in the position of the stakeholder (the one which you chose for developing the persona) 🡪 What is important for you regarding the project? How can you benefit from the project? What should definitely be avoided?
Third Activity Module 4.IV – Group exercise
Persona lottery:
Each of you has developed a profile of one persona. Create two copies of your persona profile and distribute them among the others (so that at the end everyone has a persona profile of someone else and every persona profile is distributed twice).
Walk through the room and try to find your ‘persona double’. Discuss the characteristics of the persona with your partner and elaborate on them if necessary (what are the needs and challenges of this persona in relation to the planned innovation project, etc.).
In a second round do the same and try to find your second persona double.
Innovation Spiral Phase V – Realisation
Negotiation, strategic position, finding compromises
This phase is about implementing the project/ initiative/ innovation into practice. For the innovation to be implemented on a wider scale, actors must move. Therefore, negotiating, strategic positioning and hierarchical discussions dominate this stage.
To successfully pass through this phase it is important to work together and manage partnerships effectively.
Managing Partnerships
Introduction
Working in transdisciplinary groups from a diverse range of backgrounds brings together many ways of ‘thinking and doing’.
Working together effectively requires the decision for a management approach – whatever type of management seems suitable it will be important for the partnership working to define its management and leadership model from the onset.
One common form of partnership (multi-actor team) in agriculture are so-called Operational Groups (OG) as part of the EIP-Agri funding programme. An OG is a group of people with complementary knowledge (e.g. practical, scientific, technical, organisational expertise, etc.) who co-create practical solutions for agriculture, forestry and rural communities in an innovation project.
Another possibility to get interactive-innovation projects started (and funded) are Horizon Europe multi-actor projects and thematic networks.
Good project and partnership management is essential for these types of project groups. In the following you will get a short introduction to different management approaches and tools to evaluate the group dynamic.
Partnership Management
In transdisciplinary project groups in particular, it is important that the relationships between the partners and the rights and obligations of the members of the innovative partnership are clarified.
Particularly in relation to EIP-Agri, various handouts and checklists for Operational Groups (OG) have therefore already been developed by different institution.
A partnership agreement checklist provides a useful overview of the aspects, which are important in a formal or informal agreement among partners. This checklist can also be adapted and used for other multi-actor or innovation projects.
Actions: Identification, Proof, Phase
(developed as part of the H2020 project LIASON)
The tool helps to develop potential actions for the project/initiative/innovation to take 🡪 the actions are going to be plotted on a stairs chart to assess progress in implementing actions
The basis of the tool is that an outside expert evaluates the chosen actions and (if necessary) suggests alternative or further potential / actions
All actors can influence the decision-making process
How to?
- Preparation
- Brainstorm Actions
- All project members are asked to brainstorm actions, which are essential for the further realisation of the project
- to get inspiration, a field trip to a similar initiative/project can be organized beforehand
- discuss in the group which actions are appropriate to take (keeping in mind factors like cost-effectiveness, impacts, achievability)
- Let all project members note their suggestions on sticky notes
- All creative ideas can be introduced in this phase; the external expert is not yet consulted here
- All project members are asked to brainstorm actions, which are essential for the further realisation of the project
- Shortlist and Proof Actions
- At this point the external expert is joining the process taking the role of the ‘facilitator’
- The stairs chart is introduced (dividing actions in ‘easy-wins’, ‘mid-term’ and ‘long-term’ actions
- Let the participants assign the actions to the different categories 🡪 the stairs can be customized by entering dates (months/quarters/years etc.)
- Discuss the actions in the group. Does everyone agree?
- The external expert can add more / alternative actions which are discussed in the group afterwards
- The output of Step 3 is an agreed set of proofed actions, which where valued by participants by an outside expert
- Use of the Agreed Actions for Evaluation
- Through the involvement of an external expert neutral appraisal of the content of actions in provided
- Through this ‘peer-review process’ new expertise is introduced this can give confidence to project/initiative partners that they’ve chosen the right actions
- For evaluation purposes, the discussed actions should be periodically assessed (new actions may be identified)
Other effective methods for managing partnerships are the Triangle of Co-Creation and the Triangle of Change (both: Wielinga 2012), because they emphasize collaborative decision-making, shared goals, and adaptability, fostering strong and sustainable relationships.
The Triangle of Co-Creation (Wielinga 2012) helps to understand the roles and positions of actors in an innovative project
The ‘position’ of the actors in an innovation process are decisive for the success of the project
The model shows which roles and positions are already fulfilled and where there might be people needed
For a good process, all roles should be filled
The Triangle of Change (Wielinga 2012) visualizes positions regarding energy for change. The Triangle helps to
- Communicate about realistic changes with the others
- Find sufficient supporters who share an ambition
Especially in multi-actor and innovation projects, change processes are very common. Notice that everyone deals with change differently. Some are inspired by change, whilst others while others are more afraid of change, as this means possible adjustments to the project/initiative. The Triangle of Co-Creation and Change visualizes positions (activists – change agents – managers – gate keepers – suppliers – free actors) regarding energy for change, and indicates a logical sequence for mobilizing actors .
Triangle of Co-Creation/Change
Have ambitions, see opportunities, want to solve problems -> they generate energy
Take responsibility for the structure
Deliver components that are needed to develop the initiative
They oppose existing structures, but do not connect
Consolidate positions and limit risks, focus on competences and money
Have limited capacity for taking risks, they mainly focus on their on safety (more than common purpose)
They have the capacity and the position to do whatever is needed to create and/or maintain essential connections
Appraisal of group dynamics
(developed as part of the H2020 project LIASON)
In a multi-actor approach to interactive innovation many people with different knowledges and perspectives come together each actor feels different about sharing his/her knowledge and perspectives
This tool helps to assess relationships in multi-actor groups 🡪 the focus is on trust, willingness / openness to share information, effectiveness of the facilitator and the satisfaction as group member
It’s an approach to create a safe environment for all group members
It simplifies actions to improve the group functioning
Ingredients to work successfully in a multi-actor-project:
- Membership and organization (‘we are all members’)
- Trust and security
- Social and emotional dynamics (enjoyment and fun)
- Solidarity (support)
- Facilitation and Learning Drivers (either within or external to the group)
Guide for Facilitators: How to assess group dynamics?
Distribute a „self appraisal sheet“ to the participants containing the following points:
- Do you have shared goals in the group?
- Is the schedule of meetings clear?
- Do you feel comfortable talking truthfully?
- Do you think members feel comfortable challenging others in the group?
- Are the meetings enjoyable?
- Are the activities relevant/interesting to all members?
- If you were to pick one word to describe this group, what would it be?
- (add other questions of interest to you)
Fourth Activity Module 4.IV
You learned about four different tools which help you to manage partnerships . To remind you of the differences and advantages of each of the tools, summarize each of them in two to three key points. Reflect: Which tool is most helpful for your current multi-actor-project and why?
Group Work Activity: Applying the Triangle of Change
Objective: To understand and apply the Triangle of Change model to your current project or partnership challenge.
Instructions:
1. Discuss the Challenge
Think about a challenge you are currently facing in your multi-actor-project / innovation project or may face in the future.
2. Apply the Triangle of Change
- Forces of Change: Identify the internal and external forces of change
- Stakeholder Roles: Discuss the roles and interests of different stakeholders involved in or impacted by the change (see roles/positions). Think about which roles are being performed by the actors involved in your project. Also think about roles you might need for the project to address the change. Assign the persons to a position.
3. Group Discussion
Discuss Solutions and potential strategies to manage the partnership through the change process.
