Building networks for collaboration
Networks are essential for addressing complex challenges, offering a foundation for collaboration, innovation, and problem-solving. They enable people to exchange knowledge, access resources, and build trust—key elements for tackling shared goals in areas like sustainability, health, and community development. However, poorly designed networks can place unnecessary demands on time and energy, underscoring the importance of thoughtful design and management.
This page is designed for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers who want to create or strengthen networks to address complex situations. Whether your focus is on interest-based networks (e.g., sharing knowledge and ideas) or relationship-focused networks (e.g., building trust and collaboration), you’ll find resources to help you understand and support effective network development. From building and mapping networks to working across organisational and disciplinary boundaries, these resources provide practical insights and tools for fostering meaningful connections that drive change.
Building and supporting networks – recent developments
Network effects: How to rebuild social capital and improve corporate performance
This McKinsey article (2022) highlights how organisations can rebuild social capital—trust, shared values, and relationships—to improve performance in a post-covid hybrid work era. Strengthening social capital boosts collaboration, decision-making, and resilience, essential for thriving in today’s workplace. Key strategies include fostering trust through transparency, enhancing connectivity with collaborative tools, and building a sense of purpose and belonging.
Building integrated networks to develop teaching and learning: the critical role of hubs
This 2021 paper by Lynn Taylor and colleagues explores the role of mentoring and relational trust in fostering professional learning and collaboration, particularly within educational settings. It highlights the importance of structured reflection and learning networks in driving individual and organisational growth. These principles are equally relevant for businesses and organisations seeking to enhance collaboration, build capacity, and foster continuous improvement.
The role of farmer networks in supporting adaptive capacity
This 2023 article by Alissa White et al. highlights how farmer networks help small, diversified farmers in the Northeastern U.S. build adaptive capacity by facilitating knowledge sharing, resource access, and collaborative problem-solving. Key features include creating spaces for exchange with peers and experts, responsive to farmers’ emerging needs, and fostering innovation to address climate risks.
Foundational networking resources
Connected Communities: How social networks power and sustain the Big Society
This 2010 report by Jonathon Rowson and colleagues critiques traditional community regeneration methods that focus solely on geography. By emphasising social networks, it highlights how fostering trust and belonging can combat isolation and build resilient communities.
Social network analysis
Olivier Serrat discusses the power of social networks and introduces social network analysis in this 2009 paper, focusing on actors and relationships within a specific context. Describes the benefits that networks can bring to their members and related organizations and how they can be made visible.
Building Smart Communities through Network Weaving
This paper by Valdis Krebs and June Holley investigates building sustainable communities through improving their connectivity ‘internally and externally’ using network ties to create economic opportunities. Improved connectivity is created through an iterative process of knowing the network and knitting the network.
Communities of practice and networks: reviewing two perspectives on social learning
This 2005 paper by Sarah Cummings and Arin van Zee examines two different approaches used to describe and analyse similar phenomena: “networks for learning” and “communities of practice”. The paper points out how these two concepts come from different traditions and strands of thinking, and goes on to highlight fundamental similarities in the two approaches which stem from their respective focus on social learning. Also see the 2011 page Communities versus networks? from Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner.
Networking for learning: The human face of knowledge management?
This article is by Niels Keijzer, Charlotte Ørnemark, and Paul Engel. It is intended to contribute to the debate on networking for learning by exploring its potentials and limitations. It draws substantially on discussions and resource materials shared through the Pelican Initiative, as well as other literature and practical examples, and seeks to identify some entry points into this field for policy-makers and development practitioners.
Potential Human Rights Uses of Network Analysis and Mapping
Here is Skye Bender-deMoll’s report to the AAAS Science and Human Rights Program on network analysis and mapping. The goal was to give a non-academic introduction to network concepts and related fields, survey some relevant academic and humanitarian projects, and make some proposals. The report also includes good visual examples. Skye’s blog is at skyeome.net – covering curiosities of culture, communication & networks.
Introduction to social network methods
This on-line textbook by Robert Hanneman and Mark Riddleintroduces many of the basics of formal approaches to the analysis of social networks. This book aims to provide a very basic introduction to the core ideas of social network analysis, and how these ideas are implemented in the methodologies that many social network analysts use. The book is distributed free on the Internet in the hope that it may reach a diverse audience, and that the core ideas and methods of this field may be of interest.
Boundary organizations in environmental policy and science: An introduction
This 2001 paper by David Guston explores boundary organisations, which facilitate collaboration between scientists and decision-makers by bridging the gap between research and policy. These organisations help manage the divide through accountability, shared authority, and dual-purpose activities, fostering productive interactions between science and societal needs. The concept is widely applicable, including in business and organisations, where navigating the interface between knowledge generation and practical application is critical.
Explore related resources on Facilitation and Cross-sector partnerships and collaborations to deepen your understanding of network dynamicsAn accompanying page provides links to a range of resources that collectively cover Team building, communities of practice (COPs) and learning groups.
