We’ve connected with practitioners who are interested in convening their own place-based HJP networks – be that at the state and territory level, or more locally. This has us thinking about the value of these local learning and practice development initiatives, and the ways in which Health Justice Australia can best support them. As we continue to explore this work, we thought we’d share a few of our go-to tips on building and sustaining effective networks and communities of practice.
Moving from isolated to collective impact
Mark Cabaj and Liz Weaver give an updated version of the five original conditions for Collective Impact in their paper Collective Impact 3.0. If you’re pondering coming together with your peers to start an HJP network, this article could be a game changer for you.
Focus on high leverage activities
As an HJP network, working out where to start and which challenges to address first will always be tough. Cabaj and Weaver suggest that you think about the complex systems you are trying to change and make a realistic assessment of where the local actors have knowledge, networks and resources. You can then think about what common goals can be made.
Remember to stay flexible so that network practitioners can pursue different pathways and ideas to achieve the goal. And finally, the best quote of all, give each other ‘permission to work as loosely or as tightly as required’.
Systems change in complex contexts
In this scoping paper, Building a culture of learning at scale: learning networks for systems change, Fiona McKenzie focuses on factors that can help to inform systems change efforts in complex contexts. Dividing the work into 11 tips under the headings ‘mindsets, relationships, processes, and structures’, this paper provides a simple framework for building collective wisdom.
If you need more support, please email partnerships@healthjustice.org.au.
