What tools and for what purpose? (depending on the network's evolution)
Card's author : Outils-réseaux
Card's type of licence :
Creative Commons BY-SA
Description : There are many tools for networking, collaborative tools many of which are available with free software. They offer very open fields of application, but sometimes it is difficult to find one's way in this jungle of tools and functions.
A Network's Life
The creation of networks: 5 basic steps
These steps occur simultaneously. They guide the way for new arrivals.
Tools for each of a network's life stages
**Process**
**Function**
**"Small arrows"**
**Preferred tools**
Creation
Creation of the network's identity
Grouping the arrows of the same colour
General discussion list and dynamic mapping of the network members
Information
Exchanging information between network members
Grouping the arrows pointing in the same direction
Themed discussion lists, forums, news
Transformation
Establishing collective projects
Surfacing of the projects' "big arrows"
Workshops and tools to support projects
Outreach
Interaction with the surroundings
The action of project arrows on other surrounding arrows
Disseminating data on a website (using CMS: dynamic content integration)
Consolidation
Opening and following the dynamic
Permeability (dashes) to new members and conservation of internal dynamics (spiral)
Onboarding, classing information, presence of a history
Creation of a network
This first stage is about giving visibility to the sense of belonging to the network. It is important that each new actor is immediately made visible, for his or her sake (existing in the network and being recognized within) and for that of others.
The essential tools for this first stage go through a round of presentations in a face-to-face meeting. Directories Mappings
Description: tools to conduct on-line surveys. Some process replies statistically (graphs, percentages). Framadate Google Forms Limesurvey
Network information
Saying “I am part of a network” is not enough to be a stakeholder; it is also necessary to say what we are passionate about, what we expect to do in the network, and with whom we would like to do this. For this, the network's members must be able to exchange information effectively, talk to one another, create groups based on shared interests and give visibility to the topics of discussion that could then lead to future projects.
This stage -which is actually an ongoing process- is identified at the start, when projects are created and set up. It is really a transformation at the heart of the network, since it starts creating an organisation and starts to be operational through its projects.
The necessary tools for this stage are those that allow working together on projects, and are a whole array of collaborative tools to share documents and information, co-write, exchange, synchronise and think together.
Now the network has visibility through the projects it hosts and facilitates and interacts with its environment.
This interaction can happen at different levels: interaction with the public within the projects' frameworks, interaction with institutional partners that support and encourage projects, interaction with other networks to exchange or transfer skills and experiences…
This stage aims at ensuring that, even if the network has survived the 4 first stages with some of its members, it is open to new members.
At this stage, tools are more methodological (the network history, charter, guides for new members, manuals on how to participate...).
However, there are some tools that help visualising the activity of a network with a lot of content more easily.
