Infographic: Why Buy Local?

By Kristin Wolff | Published: August 18, 2009

Because it pays.

Infographic: Why Buy Local?

From Local First in Grand Rapids, MI. (These people have a sense of humor – they are on “Wealthy Street.”)

Posted in Treasures, Visualization | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Are We a Field?

By Kristin Wolff | Published: August 18, 2009

Irvine Foundation/Bridgespan Group Identify Five Elements of “Field” of Practice

fieldframe

The h3 Field Framework Report identifies five characteristics of a field of practice:

  • shared identity
  • standards of practice
  • knowledge base
  • leadership and grassroots support; and
  • funding and supporting policy

Hard Questions

These questions are more difficult to answer than they appear in fields that are either emergent (e.g., social innovation) or those characterized by many different goals – such as workforce development in which meeting economic prosperity for people, firms, and communities is the goal, but strategies may differ quite markedly. So too all of the elements that define it as a field.

Examples

The Irvine Foundation explore Multiple Career Pathways as a field here. And Lucy Bernholz addresses Digital Media and Learning here.

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Eleven Resilience Concepts for Rural (!?) Communities

By Kristin Wolff | Published: August 18, 2009

Building Resilience in Rural Communities Toolkit:
Eleven Resilience Concepts

Rural Resilience Toolkit via University of Queensland and Univeristy of Southern Queensland

The result of a three-year project in the Community of Stanthorpe (Queensland), the Rural Resilience Toolkit identifies 11 concepts central to community resilience. They are:

  1. Social Networks and Support
  2. Positive Outlook
  3. Learning
  4. Early Experience
  5. Environment and Lifestyle
  6. Infrastructure and Support Services
  7. Sense of Purpose
  8. Diverse and Innovative Economy
  9. Embracing Differences
  10. Beliefs
  11. Leadership

Toolkit Contents
The toolkit contains a case study and literature review on each of the 11 concepts (and a great list of references). The idea is to infuse these concepts into existing programs while also building new programs around them. The project aims to promote positive adaptation, and reflects a diverse public-private partnership described in the toolkit.

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Leading Tribes in the Post-TV World

By Kristin Wolff | Published: August 17, 2009

Seth Godin and Tribes on TED

“The Beatles did not invent teenagers.”

You don’t need everyone. You need the ones who care – the true believers. And the web connects you to them.

Leading Change

If you are in the change business, ask three questions:

  • Who are you upsetting?
  • Who are you connecting?
  • Who are you leading?

Then start a movement.

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Michael Wesch: “The Crisis of Significance”

By Kristin Wolff | Published: August 17, 2009

People love learning things that matter.

People want to learn what’s significant.

Michael Wesch creates significance for the University of Manitoba, and for anyone who wants to understand the relationship between the new media ecosystem and the kind of learning we need now. It’s a bit long, but engaging enough to entertain, and instructive enough to make you feel like you just participated in a great class. Which is the point. You did.

More.

Click here to investigate Michael Wesch’s other remarkably insightful videos.

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Agile Development as Model for Government Policy Making

By Kristin Wolff | Published: August 17, 2009

Agile Policy Making?

We were so excited to see Joi Ito’s post about agile development as a (potential) model for policy-making, we hardly know where to start. Maybe a thank you for Reid Hoffman’s perspective on early releasing – well timed as we are still wincing at the bugs in a recent launch of our own project (WeToo).

Three More Reasons

Here are three more reasons we think the agile approach holds promise for government:

  1. It encourages collaboration among policy makers, giving everyone a stake because no single idea is advanced and then “rolled out.” Iterative policy is collaboratively owned by people who want to see it work (and improve).
  2. It encourages collaboration between policymakers and the citizens, businesses, and communities policy is meant to benefit—because policy makers understand that they are working toward the intended impact and not simply “to implement” a particular approach.
  3. It provides a potential vehicle for not just responding to the needs of citizens, businesses, and communities, but for cultivating the information, knowledge, and networks that help them meet their own needs. Agile models encourage  “platform building” and collaborative action over the development of expert-led management systems.

That’s Wicked.

The agile approach is particularly well suited to wicked problems—and what public policy issue worth its salt isn’t wicked?

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