By Michelle Shumate, Rong Wang, Katherine R. Cooper, Jack L. Harris, Shaun Doughtery, Joshua Miles, Anne-Marie Boyer, Zachary Gibson, Miranda Richardson, Hannah Kistler
This report focuses on managing networks in a changing environment. Although the research described concludes during the emergence of COVID-19, the findings suggest that dramatic disruption is not exceptional. We focus on three activities that are essential to managing change:
- Managing changing network membership. One of the key challenges for network leaders is the changing membership of their networks. Some networks faced challenges of incorporating new organizations or at least new representatives into existing network agreements. Others faced declining membership as member interest waned and as the direction of the network shifted.
- Managing funding shifts. Eight of the 26 networks in this research reported a significant loss of funding during the three years we studied them. This section describes how the networks adapted to a shifting funding environment and the results of their efforts.
- Managing network leader transition. In many of the networks we studied over three years, the senior leader of the network left. In some networks, the change was marginal – new leadership stepped into the gap, and the network continued to function. However, in other cases, the leadership transition led the network to regroup, reconsider its priorities, and then decide how to move forward.