The Roadmap

Once created, your community proceeds through the four-phase Roadmap:

Preparatory Phase

Here is where, with our help, you put in place and train your community’s managers/moderators (“Facilitation Team”), identify the members of your leadership group (“Advisory Group”), create your website and install the service platforms, subscribe the initial members, and prepare for the community launch event.

Start up Phase

Launch your community with the Share and Consult services, grow your membership, and set and monitor provisional performance targets. This phase closes with the Advisory Group determining “Proof-of-Concept” (i.e., the performance indicators warrant its continuation), and if positive moving to the Transition phase.

Transition Phase

Membership grows, trust builds and performance tracking continues.  The Collect repository captures knowledge shared, Consult takes on major-issue discussions, the Collaborate service is introduced, impact indicators are monitored, and your first face-to-face “Annual Forum” is convened. Performance is again assessed to confirm that continuation is warranted and to introduce any course corrections. And the Advisory Group agrees to sustain community operations as a self-financed, self-governing entity. 

Institutionalization Phase

Community activities continue and grow, performance and impact are tracked, and the final Engage service is introduced.  The Advisory Group develops by-laws and phases in the new financing arrangements, concluding the Roadmap with the successful establishment of sustainable community operations.

You can expect the Roadmap to take up to two years to complete: three months for preparation, six months for start up, six months for transition, and six to nine months for institutionalization.