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This page is about two complementary perspectives: the evaluation of networks, and how a network perspective can inform the design and evaluation of development programs

• Coming events: about network analysis (22/07/07)
• The evaluation of networks (16/06/07)
• The use of social network analysis in evaluation (28/04/06)
• The use of network analysis in development projects(16/11/07)
• Wider references on network analysis (16/08/07)
• Specialists websites and Blogs (18/08/06)
• Journals (11/06/05)
• Editorial Comments, from Rick on the Road
• Network models of development projects: An introduction ( (20/04/06)

Check out the NetworkEvaluation email list. Moderated by Rick Davies

Try Mark Round's Social Network Analysis swiki 
a social search engine (=  features of Google + Wikipedia)

1. Coming events

• Networks: Innovation & Effectiveness Sept 10-13th, University of Greenwich, London  This is a four-day series of workshops examining tools and techniques for enhancing innovation and collaboration within and between organisations.  It combines practitioner and researcher perspectives with short courses on using network, collaborative and creative techniques. The workshops centre on the notion that organisational performance can be enhanced by judicious combinations of strong and weak networks. In general, weak ties are a source of novelty and creativity but strong ties are needed to turn creativity into marketable innovation. Explorative performance (scope economies) is often enhanced by extensive external ties and effectiveness often by dense concentration of internal ties (scale economies). The ability to learn, or absorptive capacity, is enhanced by combinations of both.  But the particularities of such combinations - their effects and their generation - have only begun to be examined by researchers and practitioners. (22/07/07)

• The Graduate School in Social Sciences and the Department of Sociology Of Catholic University of Sacro Cuore of Milan in collaboration with the Department of Social Sciences of the University of Pisa and with AIS - Section of Methodology  organise the: Workshop on the Analysis of Network Data via UCINET and NetDraw Prof. Martin Everett University of East London  The workshop will be held from 26 to 28 September, 2007 at the Catholic University of Sacro Cuore, Room N010, via Necchi 5, Milan, Italy. Forty places are available for students. The workshop, as well as the demonstration software used (Ucinet and Netdraw), are free. The aim of the workshop is to provide a grounding in social network analysis. During the morning sessions (from 10am to 13pm) the main concepts and the basic techniques of social network analysis will be presented. In the afternoon sessions (from 14pm to 16pm) the research projects of the participants will be presented and discussed in order to give assistance to those who have already collected empirical data and require specific help or advice for their data analysis. The afternoons will therefore give participants the chance to apply the theoretical concepts and the techniques learnt in the morning to real data. Because of the limited availability of places potential students are advised to send their applications to the administration office
  (elisa.bellotti@unicatt.it) by 30 July, 2007. The full program and the application form are available from the
  administration office (elisa.bellotti@unicatt.it).(09/07/07)

• A five day intensive course on theories and methods for understanding human social networks: University of Melbourne, Australia, 25 - 29 June 2007  Lecturers: Professor Pip Pattison and Associate Professor Garry Robins, School of Behavioural Science, University of Melbourne.  The intensive comprises two University of Melbourne postgraduate subjects, 512-988 Introduction to Social Network Analysis and 512-989 Statistical Models for Social Networks. Taken together, the two subjects constitute an intensive five-day introduction to theories and methods for understanding human social networks and their role in social and organisational processes. The full intensive involves 36 hours of total contact time, including lectures, seminars and practical classes. It will be held at the University of Melbourne from 25-29 June: 512-988 runs from 9am, June 25 to 12.30pm, June 27 and 512-989 runs from 1.30pm, June 27 to 5pm, June 29. Students may complete one or both subjects, in either assessed ornon-assessed mode. (posted 08/01/07)

•  The 7th POLNET International Summer School on the Analysis of Political and Managerial Networks will take place at Tilburg University, The Netherlands, June 17 - 22, 2007. The seminar is a basic introduction to social network analysis. It is intended for MA and PhD students as well as researchers interested in theoretically driven empirical research on networks in the social sciences. The aim of the Summer School is to introduce scholars to the analysis of networks who are conducting or planning to conduct quantitative studies of networks in the fields of policy, management and organisational science. By using a concrete data set of relationships among a set of actors, the Summer School will introduce UCINET and Visone as methodological tools for analysing these data. Details on fees, deadline, etc. will be provided soon.  (Posted 13/12/06)

• The next annual conference of INSNA (International Network of Social Network Analysis) will be held in Corfu, Greece, in May 2007. Submission deadline is January 30, 2007. The International Sunbelt Social Network Conference is the official conference of the International Network for Social Network Analysis (INSNA). Located in the scenic Dassia Bay of Corfu island in Greece, Sunbelt XXVII will provide an interdisciplinary venue for social scientists, mathematicians, computer scientists, ethnologists, and others to present current work in the area of social networks. Workshops and conference sessions will allow individuals interested in theory, methods, or applications of social network analysis to share ideas and explore common interests. (13/12/06)

• Call for Papers: 3rd Conference on Applications of Social Network Analysis (ASNA 2006) 5/6 October 2006, University of Zurich (Switzerland) The 3rd conference on Applications of Social Network Analysis (ASNA 2006) is
  hosted by the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich. After the big success of our last two conferences in Zurich we expect again around 80 participants from all around the world, diverse scientific background and different carer stages. The keynote speaker of this year is Steve Borgatti (Boston College). The conference languages are English, German and French and contributions can be made in the form of: - research designs, - project presentations, - discussion papers, - research results. We are interested in all kinds of contributions originating from the advanced researcher to the master student. The deadline to send in an abstract of no more than 300 words is August 1. We will inform you until August 15 whether your contribution has been accepted or not. Until September 15 you will have to deliver your full paper. Every paper will be discussed by another presenter, which means that by presenting you also agree to be a discussant for another paper.  Please note the following deadlines: - Abstract by August 1 - Registration by September 1 - Full paper by September 15  Additional information will be provided on the conference website: www.ipmz.unizh.ch/asna Best regards from Zurich, Thomas Friemel, Research & Teaching Assistant, IPMZ - Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich, Andreasstrasse 15, CH-8050 Zurich, SWITZERLAND, Tel. +41 (0)44 635 20 61
  Fax +41 (0)44 634 49 34 (Posted 15/06/06)
  

• Politics & Interlocking Directorates: A meeting to discuss current research and future collaboration. University of Barcelona 28th & 29th September 2006.  The Research Group on Power and Privilege (EPP) of the University of Barcelona will be hosting a two day informal meeting of researchers working in the area of politics and interlocking directorates. Our particular interest is understanding the political effects of the social networks of business executives and the directors of large corporations. However, we are interested in hearing from anyone who is applying social network analysis to understanding interlocking directorates or political power and who would be interested in some form of ongoing international collaboration. Preliminary Agenda Day 1: Sharing our current research.
  Day 2: Opportunities for collaboration  To register or for more information, please contact Joseph Rodriguez
  jarodriguez@ub.edu  **Please note that we have also established an email list.  To join just email:
  politicsandinterlockingdirectorates-subscribe@yahoogroups.com  (Posted 12/06/06)

• The 6th International Summer School on the Analysis of Political and Managerial Networks (POLNET) will take place in Konstanz, Germany, from July 31 - August 4, 2006.  www.polnet-school.info  The summer school provides a sound introduction to social network analysis. It is intended for PhD and MA students as well as researchers interested in theory-driven empirical research on networks in politics, organizations, and management. (Posted 07/03/06)

• Melbourne 13-Jul-06 Sydney 4-6pm 18-Jul-06 Brisbane 15-Aug-06 Making social network analysis more social. Social Network Analysis (SNA) is experiencing a re-surgence. SNA has real power in making that which is invisibile, visible, often in a surprising fashion. For example I was working with an organization who thought they knew their innovators. Those people everyone had been talking about, of course. Imagine senior management’s surprise when the social network maps produced names they had never or seldom heard of! Common practice in SNA has often meant that many projects end with a report being written (and shelved) with little follow through action for the organization. The problem is the reliance on pure analysis. There is another way. One which is focused on making sense and meaning, leveraging a groups combined intelligence and experience. A sensemaking approach. One focused on helping organizations to design their way to action. In this interactive seminar Andrew will:     *  open with an activity culminating in a 'live' social network     * explore key concepts and common approaches of social network mapping and analysis     * discuss application areas such as: innovation, integration across silo’s and agencies, emerging leaders     * move to getting the most out of SNA through a sensemaking approach  DownloadDownload pdf brochure (posted 22/06/06)

• Social Network Analysis: Second Forum on Advances and Empirical Applications Leeds University Business School, 30th June - 1st July 2006 Description The ‘Social Network Analysis: Advances and Empirical Applications' forum provides an interdisciplinary venue for social scientists, political scientists, mathematicians, computer scientists, ethnologists, and others to present current work in the area of social networks. The forum provides a unique opportunity to discuss recent innovations in social network analysis and its application to social science data. All are welcome to submit papers for presentation. The forum has strong links with the Social Network Analysis (I) and Social Network Analysis (II) course run at the Essex Summer School in Social Science Data Analysis and Collection (8th July - 18th August 2006).  Students of these courses (past and present) are encouraged to apply, as are those with in an interest in learning about, and contributing to the field. The Forum will be held at Leeds University Business School, situated on the Western Campus at the corners of Clarendon and Moorland Roads. (Posted 06/04//2006)

• Social network analysis course 27th to 29th June 2006 A three day course between the 27th and the 29th of June of an introductory-intermediate level.This is specifically aimed at the relevance of SNA to organisational behaviour.This course will be principally taught by Steve Borgatti.  Seminars will be held at the Department of Management of Bristol University.  Accommodation assistance can be provided through the University conference service.There may be some bursaries available for PhD students. Further details at:http://www.efm.bris.ac.uk/management/social_network/

• 22nd European Group on Organization Studies (EGOS) Colloquium Bergen, Norway, July 6 - 8, 2006 STANDING WORKING GROUP 2 - BUSINESS NETWORK RESEARCH: COMPETITION within COLLABORATIONS IN BUSINESS NETWORKS Studies that emphasize interorganizational collaborations in business networks often neglect the potential, occurrence, or measurement of competitive elements. Our session seeks for papers that study collaborative networks, yet bring to the fore some assumptions, concepts, structures, trends, or the evolution of competitive features. See http://www.egosnet.org/conferences/collo22/colloquium_2006.shtml (Posted 24/10/05)

• From David Lazer's Complexity and Social Networks Blog"A quick mention of The International Workshop and Conference on Network Science that is coming up in late May. It has a first rate set of folks putting it together (I would note, btw, that a majority of their organizing committee are former presenters in the CCCSN series). There is some support available for doctoral students/postdocs. Here's the blurb on it:  The International Workshop/School and Conference on Network Science will bring together leading researchers and practitioners in network science - analysts, modeling experts, and visualization specialists with graduate students from many different research areas for interdisciplinary communication and collaboration. The primary objective of the Workshop/School and Conference is to facilitate interactions between social and behavioral scientists and the many other disciplines interested in and utilizing network science. The event will be held over a two week period at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, during May 2006. The first week, the Workshop/School, will feature tutorials (which present basic, educational material) focusing on a variety of network science research areas. It aims to present and support experimental, theoretical and applied network research by educating the research community on standard network data, tools, and powerful computational resources. The Conference comprises talks by social and behavioral scientists, information scientists, biologists, statistical physicists, mathematicians and statisticians. Registration deadline: April 21, 2006   Abstract Submission deadline: March 31st, 2006"

• For the first time, the ICPSR “summer program” will offer a short course in the spring of 2006. Social Network Analysis: An Introduction Instructor: Stanley Wasserman, Indiana University April 7,8,9 For more information and to apply/register go to:  http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/training/summer/spring.html  This condensed and consolidated workshop will provide an excellent introduction to the theory and use of network analysis methodology. It is particularly useful for those who do not have the time in their schedules to attend the longer traditional ICPSR Summer Program courses on this topic.
  Henry Heitowit, Director, Educational Resources, ICPSR, P.O. Box 1248, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, 734/763-7400
  Fax: 734/647-9100, heitowit@umich.edu, (posted 07/03/06)

  
  

• XXVI International Sunbelt Social Network Conference in Coast Plaza Hotel at Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 25-30 April, 2006. The International Sunbelt Social Network Conference is a major forum for social scientists, mathematicians, computer scientists, ethnologists, and others to present current work in the area of social networks. It provides an opportunity for individuals interested in theory, methods, or applications of social networks to share ideas and common concerns. (posted 24/10/05)

• Social and Ecological Networks: Theories and Applications PhD-course January 23-26, 2006, Stockholm, Sweden Network theories are increasingly used in analyses of both social and ecological systems. However, there have been few attempts to bring social and ecological network theory together. In this transdisciplinary PhD – course, the state-of-the-art of ecological and social research utilizing network perspectives will be presented. The course will focus on similarities and differences between network approaches in ecology and social sciences and we will discuss the potential benefits and limitations of using a network approach as a novel tool to analyze linked social-ecological systems. The course is open to PhD-students in ecology and social sciences. Venue: Centre for Transdisciplinary Environmental Research, Stockholm University, Sweden. Course fee: 1000 SEK (incl. all lectures and printed material) Application: Send your application before December 15, 2005, to Anna Norman anna@ctm.su.se . In your application include a short description (half a page) of your own research.(Posted 08/11/05)

• Applications of Social Network Analysis 2005 Supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, the VAUZ conference fund, the Center for Comparative and International Studies, and the University of Zurich. 20/21 October 2005, University of Zurich "The conference wants to initiate cooperation and scientific exchange between the community of social networkers in Zurich, Switzerland and abroad. We invite you to present research designs, discussion papers and research results. The conference invites papers from all disciplines with the only prerequisite that they must make use or address social network analysis. Two internationally known keynote speakers will be invited. Languages: German, English or French Conference fee: 30 Euro Organizer: Dr. Uwe Serdült, Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Universität Zürich (serduelt@pwi.unizh.ch)(Posted 20/06/05)

• The 5th POLNET Summer School on the Analysis of Political and Managerial Networks will take place at Tilburg University, The Netherlands, September 18-23, 2005. The seminar is a basic introduction to social network analysis. It is intended for MA and PhD students as well as researchers interested in theoretically driven empirical research on networks in the social sciences. The aim of the Summer School is to introduce scholars to the analysis of networks who are conducting or planning to conduct quantitative studies of networks in the fields of policy, management and organisational science. By using a concrete data set of relationships among a set of actors, the Summer School will introduce UCINET and visone as methodological tools for analyzing these data. Participation Fee: 300 EUR (including reader and methodology handbook) Application Deadline: June 15, 2005 (extended upon request) Participants from Central and Eastern European countries may qualify for financial support. Please click the menu on the left for more information about the application! (Posted 11/06/05)

• University of Oxford Centre for Criminology Social Network Analysis: Advances and Empirical Applications Forum OXFORD, July 16-17 Multidisciplinary Centre for Social Sciences The Manor Road Building Manor Road, Oxford OX1 3UQ +44(0)1865 274444
  The ‘Social Network Analysis: Advances and Empirical Applications' forum provides an interdisciplinary venue for social scientists, mathematicians, computer scientists, ethnologists, and others to present current work in the area of social networks. The forum provides a unique opportunity to discuss recent innovations in social network analysis and its application to social science data. All are welcome to submit papers for presentation. The forum takes place following the completion of the first week of the two week Social Network Analysis course taught at the Essex Summer School in Quantitative Analysis (11 - 22 July). Students attending this course, as well as students who have attended previous sessions, are encouraged to apply. The Conference will be held in the new Oxford University Multidisciplinary Centre for the Social Sciences." (posted 11/06/05)

• The 12th International Conference on Multi-Organisational Partnerships, Alliances & Networks University of Glamorgan Pontypridd, South Wales Wednesday 22nd - Friday 24th June 2005 "... the overall aim of this gathering is to advance the understanding of the nature of multi-organisational partnerships, alliances and networks by providing an international platform for the exchange of experiences, ideas, practices and methodologies. Multi-organisational forms are researched within a variety of academic disciplines and practised in a wide range of contexts including, for example, service delivery partnerships, social issue partnerships, community collaborations, strategic alliances, joint ventures, industry networks, public private partnerships, supply chain relationships and so on. This conference then is intended for those directly engaged with or otherwise interested in practice related to multi-organisational relationships within and across all sectors.....we will particularly welcome contributions that deal reflexively or self-critically with our roles as net-workers, researchers, developers, practitioner researchers, and teachers. We hope for contributions in a variety of modes that re-present in different ways the variety of ideas, experiences and methodologies referred to above. These may take the form of presentations, papers, talks, videos, lectures, debates, roundtables, films, games, dramatic representations, metaphors, artworks, contests, exhibitions or any other modes that might intrigue, engage and provoke the imagination of others. The overall theme for MOPAN 2005 is 'Engagement' and the following streams are proposed: * Community and Civic Engagement * The Dynamics of Engagement * Network Social Responsibility * Engaging in knowledge practices in drifting environments * Learning Networks and Innovation in Resource Utilization * Interpreting Engagement within Networks * Engaging around, within or through disparities * Framing and reframing in multi-organisational contexts * Hearing stories of practice - Multi-Organisational Networks-in-Action * It works in practice...but does it work in theory? - Translating across Boundaries * Networks & the User Experience - Seamless Services or Chaotic Survival? For full details of streams please visit our web site http://www.mop-a-n.net/ (posted 06/01/2005

2. The evaluation of networks

• Social Network Analysis and Non-Profit Organizations. Non-profits each exist in a social network. While many other sectors have at least the possibility of performing their services in a vacuum, non-profit organizations very rarely operate without a large constituency of donors, volunteers, community partners, and also exists with an unusual scentral ense of being 'in the public eye', operating as they do as guardians of a public trust. With in mind, let us examine some of the major concepts of Social Network Analysis as it relates to non-profits....(16/06/07)

• Civil Society on the Web: Lessons from a Network of 1001 International Organisations. Gonzalez Bailon, Sandra, University of Oxford, UK. [to be present at the he 3rd conference on Applications of Social Network Analysis (ASNA 2006) is hosted by the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich. 5/6 October 2006] This paper challenges the view that the Internet has democratised access to public opinion, allowing peripheral organisations to spread a previously silenced voice. While it might be true that the Internet brought a decrease in the costs associated with political organisation, visibility is still the capital of just a few, exhibiting a rich-getricher effect that is not independent from the positions that organisations hold offline. The analysis from which these conclusions are drawn is based on the citation network that 1001 international organisations build on the web. The assumption in using this data is that the patterns of connectivity between sites (or how organisations link to other organisations) provide information about their affinity or partnerships and about their relevance. This assumption is similar to that used in the analysis of scientific citation networks, namely that citations allow identifying clusters of teams and that a high citation is an indication of impact (yet not of intrinsic worth). Two sets of analyses are presented: first, information is given on the overall structure of the network, showing that it is indeed governed by a centre and a periphery; then, the centrality scores of organisations are correlated with exogenous attributes (budget, staff, year of foundation) showing that they are not independent: the most favoured organisations online are also the most favoured organisations offline. The political consequences of this asymmetrical access to the public sphere, as mirrored on the web, are assessed in the conclusions. (Posted 11/08/06)

• Evaluating International Social Change Networks: A Conceptual Framework for a Participatory Approach. Ricardo Wilson-Grau and Martha Nunez. April 2006. To be published in Development and Practice. Sections: Introduction; The operational complexity of an international social change network; A conceptual framework for the functioning of a network; Assessing a network's qualities - From evaluation indicators to organisational strengths and weaknesses; Assessing results in an international social change network; The case for a participatory process (Posted 20/05/06). Of possible interest: Rick Davies comments on the earlier 2003 version of this paper

• Does your strategic planning make a difference? Andrew Rixon. 2005. This brief paper outlines how social network analysis (SNA) was used to assess the change resulting from the use of "Open Space Technology" as a strategic planning tool by a research organisation. A SNA survey was sent out to participants before and after the meeting. The focus of the survey was on who the participants throught "felt passionate about the theme under discussion" The paper identifies and analyses the changes that were observed via the follow up-survey.

• Measuring while you manage: Planning, monitoring and evaluating knowledge networks. Heather Creech
  Version 1.0 Copyright © 2001 International Institute for Sustainable Development. Contents:  I THE CHALLENGE OF NETWORK EVALUATION, II THE CASE FOR EVALUATING NETWORKS' III OVERVIEW OF AVAILABLE METHODOLOGIES, IV FRAMEWORKS FOR NETWORK PLANNING, MONITORING AND EVALUATION, A. PLANNING FRAMEWORK, Stage1: Proposal development, Stage 2: The first network meeting, Detailed Planning Framework, Example of a Network Planning Framework for the Climate Change Knowledge Network, B. MONITORING FRAMEWORK: PROGRESS JOURNALS,  Quarterly Progress Journal for each Network Member, Quarterly Progress Journal for Network Coordinator, C. EVALUATION FRAMEWORKS, 1. Annual Evaluation, 2. Evaluation Report to Funder at end of grant, V FURTHER RESEARCH, (Posted 07/03/2006)

• Network Development by Means of Network Evaluation? – Explorative Insights from a Case in the Financial Services Industry Jörg Sydow Free University of Berlin Abstract: "The paper reports on the case of a network of industrial insurance brokers which has been subject to a longitudinal study over a period of ten years. Among other things, the development of this network has been observed with respect to when and how it was evaluated, and which effects this evaluation had on the evolution of the network. In this respect, it is one of the still very few studies that investigate evaluation practices in interorganizational networks. The case shows that, on the one hand, ‘reflexive monitoring’ (Giddens) is a common practice and a necessary condition for organizing and managing networks. On the other hand, more formal evaluation procedures, which are supportive to network development at some point in time, may neither always be possible nor even be necessary. This insight does not contradict the thesis that increasingly, we are moving towards an ‘auditing society’ (Power). However, it puts some question marks on general demands for more or less permanent evaluation of organizational forms. With regard to evaluating practices, and as would suggest itself from the structuration approach on which the analysis is based, the case questions all too linear understandings of network evolution." (posted 09/07/05)

• Report on the Expert Group Meeting on Cluster and Network Development with Special Emphasis on Monitoring and Evaluation Issues Abstract "UNIDO has been implementing technical cooperation projects based on a cluster and network development (CND) approach since the mid 1990s. UNIDO has adopted this approach as one of its strategies for contributing to the development of small and medium enterprises in developing countries, as a means of promoting sustainable and equitable growth. Projects implemented to date have adopted monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems and several have undertaken evaluations, both internally and externally. The design and implementation of evaluation instruments that are able to provide objective and relevant results is an important priority of most donors and development agencies. In order to facilitate this, the Committee of Donor Agencies for Small Enterprise Development has set up a Working Group with the task of establishing common M&E guidelines. The Expert Group Meeting (EGM), held in Delhi from 9 - 14 December 2002, was the first step towards the development of these UNIDO guidelines. This report describes the outcome of the EGM." (posted 09/07/05)

• NETWORK EVALUATION FROM THE EVERYDAY-LIFE PERSPECTIVE - A TOOL FOR CAPACITY BUILDING AND VOICE Liisa Horelli A Paper presented at the Fifth Conference of the European Evaluation Society, Three Movements in Contemporary Evaluation: Learning, Theory and Evidence, Seville, Spain, October 10-12th, 2002 The emergence of informational network societies and globalisation have posed new challenges to regional development and its evaluation. One of the strategies to meat the challenges is the creation of development networks of competitiveness by the “big actors”, such as universities, enterprises, and the public institutions. Even the actors of everyday-life, women, the young and elderly people, have began to construct networks, not of competitiveness but those of social cohesion. Both types of networks share an involvement in the new knowledge or learning economy as well as the application of management tools that enable the monitoring and self-evaluation of the intended progress. The latter also serves as a tool for capacity building of and voice for the participants. The aim of the article is to discuss some concepts and methodology of a type of assessment called network evaluation from the everyday life perspective. It is based on personal experience with several assessments and on a meta-analysis of a case study on a regional youth network, in the Finnish North Karelia." (posted 09/07/05)

• Networking for Learning: What can participants do? Arin van Zee & Paul Engel, ECDPM on behalf of ICCO, April 2003. Contents: 1. Introduction, 2. What are we talking about?, 2.1. What do we mean by networking for development?, 2.2. The relevance of networking, 2.3. The process of networking, 3. Characteristics of successful networks, 3.1. Introduction, 3.2. Success: maintain pertinence and ensure added value, 3.3. Participants: daring to share, 3.4. Management & Governance: facilitation and participation, 3.5. Financial resources and role of the donor, 3.6. Monitoring & Evaluation: a learning approach, 4.1. Why invest in networking knowledge for development?, 4.2. How to invest in networking knowledge for development?, 6 Literature (Posted 21/12/2004)

• The above paper also refers to and uses "United we stand? A study of networks involved in sustainable development" by Claudia Ranaboldo and Teobaldo Pinzas, ETC Andes & ICCO. October 2003 Contents headings: INTRODUCTION, AN OVERVIEW OF INSTITUTION NETWORKS, THE EVOLUTION OF NGO NETWORKS IN LATIN AMERICA, A FRAMEWORK FOR THE ANALYSIS OF NGO NETWORKS, A BALANCE OF LESSONS LEARNED: ELEMENTS THAT MAY INFLUENCE NETWORKS IN A POSITIVE WAY, PERTINENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY, Pertinence in between innovation and scaling up, Sustainability: searching for a new consensus between networks and agencies, ADDED VALUE, Specialisation, Emphasising mutual learning and advocacy, Strengthening institutions and new critical mass, STRUCTURE, PARTICIPATION AND MANAGEMENT, Small and flexible structures, Importance of communication strategies, Adjustment of decision making processes, Decentralisation as territorial social capital, Qualified, responsible and committed participation, Planning, monitoring and evaluation: learning focused processes, FINAL THOUGHTS SELECTION CRITERIA, Networks Included in our Study. (Posted 21/12/2004)

• Criteria for the evaluation of public action taking place within networks: Some implications of network governance for the Netherlands Court of Audit. Paper for the 6th conference of the European Evaluation Society, (30-9-2004 till 2-10-2004). By Marcoen Roelofs, Audit Department II European Affairs & Government-wide Performance Audit Division Netherlands Court of Audit, Lange Voorhout 8, P.O. Box 20015, 2500 EA The Hague, The Netherlands ABSTRACT: The Netherlands Court of Audit (NCA) has to evaluate if public money is spent according to the rules (compliance), to what extent formulated goals are achieved (effectiveness) and to what extent this is done in an efficient way (efficiency). Especially in the audits concerning effectiveness and efficiency, the NCA struggles with the classical problems of all evaluation, e.g.: · the difficulties of identifying the influence of public policy among a multitude of social and economic factors · the lack of clearly defined goals and products in the public sector, · the lack of reliable data relating money to products and effects, · the lack of clear and generally accepted norms concerning the quality of public action on a concrete level. In this paper we will focus on a part of the latter aspect: what norms are appropriate to the evaluation of public action when this takes place in a network? We will argue that Government increasingly collaborates with other actors (public and/or private), not only in the execution but also in the elaboration of policies. If this is the case it is not useful to evaluate public action as if it were undertaken in a vertical one-way model. However, one has to account for this kind of public action from the same basic values that apply to the whole public sector: democratic accountability, compliance with the rules, realisation of goals with a good cost effectiveness. We formulate seven norms that do take into account the particularities of public action within a network. " Posted 09/11/04)

• Network aspects of the evaluation of INASP-Health. As a supporting member of the evaluation team I was asked to address the following question: "What are the issues and challenges in evaluating a network activity? What are approaches and tools could be used by INASP-Health and other networking initiatives to review their work?" My brief report in response is attached. Note: This was used as one of the inputs into the overall evalution of INASP. It is not the evaluation. (Posted 15/04/04)

• Thinking about networks of policies: I have just returned from XXXX in west Africa, where I have been working on PRSP M&E. One of my continuing concerns while there was to get a handle on the complex context in which PRSP M&E activities are taking place. As in most countries the PRSP exists in a complex policy context, it does not stand on its own. It links into, or is expected to link into, a number of other policies and associated implementation processes. (...continues)" See Rick on the Road blog, April 13th posting

• Network without Centre: A case study of an organizational network responding to an earthquate. (1998) Aldo Benini email abenini@starpower.net Benini, A. (1999). Published in Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management 7(1): 38-47.(Posted 10/12/03)

• SOCIAL CAPITAL IN NETWORKS AND ONLINE COMMUNITIES: A DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE Third Draft Version:15 July 2003 Sarah Cummings, Richard Heeks and Marleen Huysman "Abstract The paper examines whether the concept of social capital can be applied to facilitate our understanding of online networks in development. It first argues that knowledge and learning are important to development and development actors. Much of the knowledge development and social learning in development takes place in networks. These networks, now increasingly going online, have thus an important role to play in facilitating social learning and the improvement of development practices. Although there seems to be a general feeling that these online networks are a positive force in development, there are many unknowns about these networks, partly because they are in their infancy. New ideas and tools are needed to facilitate our understanding of these networks. The concept of social capital has been applied to examine the functioning of groups and societies. More recently, it has also been applied to development and online networks outside development. Given this background, it may also offer a useful approach for increasing understanding of online networks in development. With this objective in mind, three non-development approaches for examining social capital in online networks and communities are reviewed. Elements of these approaches, into which development-related aspects are incorporated, are combined to produce a framework which aims to facilitate the analysis of social capital in online networks in a development context." (Posted 10/12/03)

• Evaluation in a Complex Adaptive System April 30, 1998 Glenda H. Eoyang, Thomas H. Berkas. "Evaluation is a central issue in all organizations. Many standard evaluation tools, techniques and methods rely on basic assumptions about linear organizational dynamics (predictability, low dimensionality, system closure, stability and equilibration). Some of these assumptions are not valid when a system enters the regime of a complex adaptive system (CAS). New strategies are required to evaluate human systems as CASs. New tools, techniques and methods must integrate assumptions about the dynamical nature of the CAS. This paper summarizes the characteristics of CASs from an organizational perspective. It identifies properties of an evaluation system that are consistent with the nature of a CAS. It describes evaluation tools and techniques that promise more effective evaluation of human CASs. Finally, it describes the role of the evaluator in a CAS" (Posted 26/09/03)

• A Review of Collaborative relationships between Government Agencies and Community Organisations by Bob Williams, Aug 2003 http://users/actrix.co.nz/bobwill. This paper looks at (a) core issues facing networks, collaborations, coalitions and partnerships, (b) three factors effecting how well a network operates (the "fit"of a network, the management of networks, and the context of a network). With each one he lists relevant evaluation questions. Link directly to the paper will be posted here as soon as the paper is revised (Posted 26/09/03)

• Towards a Conceptual Framework for Evaluating International Networks (2003) By Martha Nuñez and Ricardo Wilson-Grau See also Rick Davies's response to "Towards a Conceptual Framework..."
• Please note: The 2003 paper has now been removed and is replaced by a 2006 version

• PARTICIPATION, RELATIONSHIPS AND DYNAMIC CHANGE: New Thinking On Evaluating The Work Of International Networks Working Paper No. 121 ISSN 1474-3280 Madeline Church Mark Bitel Kathleen Armstrong Priyanthi Fernando Helen Gould Sally Joss Manisha Marwaha-Diedrich Ana Laura de la Torre Claudy Vouhé 2003 Development Planning Unit University College London 9 Endsleigh Gardens London, WC1H 0ED dpu@ucl.ac.uk Available at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dpu/publications/working%20papers%20pdf/WP121.pdf (Posted 26/08/03)

• Evaluation of Community Networks. (1998) Kim Gregson. Abstract We reviewed 14 published evaluations of community networks with an eye to their usefulness to community network developers. We also examined the goals and mission statements of 84 web-based community networks and found no core set of goals applied across all of them, which makes it more difficult to develop general goal-based evaluation measures. Based on our review of the published evaluations and our reading of the evaluation literature, we developed a set of recommendations for future community network evaluations. (Posted 02/08/03)

• IDRC Networks: An Ethnographic Perspective Anne K. Bernard Evaluation Unit Corporate Affairs & Initiatives Division September 1996 This report was prepared by the Evaluation Unit at the International Development Research Centre.
  The review has focused expressly on interactive research and capacity development networks, as distinct from those electronic and data exchange arrangements which are more simply concerned with facilitating the storage and movement of information. .....the focus here is on those research networks concerned with enabling people to work together to generate and utilize knowledge and develop skills; networks characterized by the broad range of connective mechanisms they use and their support to direct interpersonal exchange. The review has integrated data from several sources: 8 commissioned papers on specific aspects of networking (see summaries appendix 1); 84 interviews with network coordinators, IDRC programme staff and other donors (see list appendix 2); file reviews of 30 IDRC network projects; and a literature review (Rowan and Bernard 1993) undertaken to place the questions and issues in a wider context. Its design and methodology have been qualitative, with data collected and analyzed in terms of a series of interpretive questions: why and how networks work; for whose benefit; under what conditions; and with what effect.

• Measuring the Unmeasurable Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of Networks. Edited by Marilee Karl with Anita Anand, Floris Blankenberg, Allert van den Ham and Adrian Saldanha. Published in 1999 by Women's Feature Service. New Delhi, India. Tel 91-11-4629886, 4632546. Fax 91-11-4611138. Email wfsdel@giasdl01.vsnl.net.in 250 pages. ISBN 81-90 1005-0-6.(Posted 06/11/05)

3.The use of social network analysis in evaluation

• THE NETWORK APPROACH TO EVALUATION: UNCOVERING PATTERNS, POSSIBILITIES AND
  PITFALLS Paper prepared for presentation at the Australasian Evaluation Society International Conference South Bank, Brisbane 10-12 October 2005 by Dr Robyn Keast and Professor Kerry Brown, School of Management, Queensland University of Technology Contact: rl.keast@qut.edu.au  Abstract In recent years there has been a noticeable shift in evaluation paradigms away from positivist, individualist  and atomistic explanations of phenomena to those seeking a more relational, contextual and systemic understanding. This growing shift in interest to the interrelationships or networks of connections between entities is apparent in fields as wide ranging as epidemiology and the study of disease contagion and transmission, the defence sector and dismantling terrorist networks, the establishment of collaborative industry and knowledge ventures and the development of integrated social service delivery systems. However, while the network notion offers the prospect of conceptualising these interconnections, the abstract nature of such descriptions, often referred to as merely as ‘metaphors’, have not afforded the detailed insights and operational nuances necessary to unpack these entities sufficiently to harness their inherent benefits. A growing theoretical, methodological and computer software base is providing enhanced capacities to uncover the actual topologies or patterns/network of connections between entities – elements, people, organisations or communities and deliver a more fine grained analysis of their elements. In this way network analysis differs from conventional evaluation and research modes since its focus is on the interrelationships of entities not the characteristics of individuals. In this paper, we review and analyse the emerging capacity of the network paradigm and network analysis as an evaluation method and show how this model can be successfully applied to a range of evaluation arenas. In doing so, we outline a framework to guide network evaluation, establish some key network indicators and highlight key methodological aspects and pitfalls." (28/04/06)

• A network approach for researching partnerships in health. Jenny M Lewis Department of Political Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Australia. Australia and New Zealand Health Policy 2005, 2:22 "The last decade has witnessed a significant move towards new modes of governing that are based on coordination and collaboration. In particular, local level partnerships have been widely introduced around the world. There are few comprehensive approaches for researching the effects of these partnerships. The aim of this paper is to outline a network approach that combines structure and agency based explanations to research partnerships in health. Network research based on two Primary Care Partnerships (PCPs) in Victoria is used to demonstrate the utility of this approach. The paper examines multiple types of ties between people (structure), and the use and value of relationships to partners (agency), using interviews with the people involved in two PCPs – one in metropolitan Melbourne and one in a rural area."

• New Directions for Evaluation Volume 2005, Issue 107 ,  Special Issue: Social Network Analysis in Program Evaluation  Issue Edited by Maryann M. Durland, Kimberly A. Fredericks. Published Online: 2 Feb 2006

•  Mapping the Distribution of Expertise and Resources in a School: Investigating the Potential of Using Social Network Analysis in Evaluation William R. Penuel Willow Sussex Christine Korbak SRI International Paper presented at the Joint Conference of the Canadian Evaluation Society and theAmerican Evaluation Association, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 2005."This paper describes results of a study investigating the potential of using social network analysis to evaluate the capacity ofa school to undertake a schoolwide educational reform. The goal of this method is to use data about teacher collaboration within schools to map and explain the distribution of expertise and resources needed to enact reforms. Such maps are of great potential value to school leaders, who are responsible for instructional leadership in schools; but they also include information that can potentially bring harm to individuals and school communities. In this paper, we describe interview findings about potential concerns teachers might have for collecting and sharing social network data. In addition, we describe some of the procedures we undertook to protect participants’ rights and minimize potential harm that could arise from sharing information about collegial interactions with evaluation researchers in a subsequent study in our project. (28/04/06)

• Network Perspectives In The Evaluation Of Development Interventions: More Than A Metaphor. [Full text also at www.mande.co.uk/docs/nape.doc] Rick Davies, for the EDAIS Conference November 24-25, 2003 New Directions in Impact Assessment for Development: Methods and Practice. "In this paper I argue the case for the use of a network perspective in representing and evaluating aid interventions. How we represent the intentions of aid activities has implications for how their progress and impact can be assessed. Because our representations are by necessary selective simplifications of reality they will emphasise some aspects of change and discourage attention to others. The benchmark alternative here is by default the Logical Framework, the single most commonly used device for representing what an aid project or programme is trying to do. Five main arguments are put forward in favour of a network perspective as the better alternative, along with some examples of their use. Firstly, social network analysis is about social relationships, and that is what much of development aid is about. Not abstract and disembodied processes of change. Secondly, there is wide range of methods for measuring and visualising network structures. These provide a similarly wide range of methods of describing expected outcomes of interventions in network terms. Thirdly, there is also a wide range of theories about social and other networks. They can stimulate thinking about the likely effects of development interventions. Fourthly, network representations are very scalable, from very local developments to the very global, and they can include both formal and informal structures. They are relevant to recent developments in the delivery of development aid. Fifthly, network models of change can incorporate mutual and circular processes of influence, as well as simple linear processes of change. This enables them to represent systems of relationships exhibiting varying degrees of order, complexity and chaos. Following this argument I outline some work-in-progress, including ways in which the conference participants may themselves get involved. Finally I link this paper into its own wider web of intellectual influences and history. " Posted 29/10/03)

4. The use of social network analysis in development projects

• The use of Social Network Analysis in Innovation Research: A literature review Fabrice Coulon, PhD Candidate1 Division of Innovation - LTH Lund University, Sweden. Abstract The purpose of this paper is to review the innovation research literature which has made an explicit use of social network analysis methodology in order to provide empirical support to innovation theories or conceptual frameworks. The review introduces social network analysis then discusses why and how it has been used in innovation research so far. This paper argues that studies using social network analysis tend to focus too much on change in the relationships between interacting units or nodes of the network to the detriment of change within units/nodes. Therefore, a combination of case study and social network analysis can offer a solution to that problem by providing the best of bothmethodologies. (16/11/07)

• "Power Mapping: A Tool for Utilizing Networks. Overview: Someone who is interested and involved in promoting positive social changes, through service, advocacy and other vehicles, often needs to think about context and relationships within the spheres she/he works. Power Mapping is a conceptual strategy of determining whom you need to influence, exactly who can influence your target, and whom you can actually influence to start
  the dominoes in motion. It is a valuable tool for individuals actively working with communities, providing a simple framework and a set of tools to better understand and leverage relationships and networks." (12/09/07)

• Network Mapping as a Diagnostic Tool, by Louise Clark. (Also in Spanish) "This publication was made possible with support from the FIT-DFID Programme, Bolivia to the FIT 3 (RedCampo) Project – Boosting the Production and Marketing of High-Value crops through ICT-enabled Information Networks – A project implemented by InforCom of the Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical – CIAT, to support the Bolivian Agricultural Technology System – SIBTA (Sistema Boliviano de Tecnología Agropecuaria). The results of this action-research project have demonstrated the utility of social network analysis as a diagnostic tool to improve understanding of how information flows among the different actors involved in agricultural supply chains." Contents include: 1. Who this manual is for.,
  2. Introduction to Social Network Analysis (SNA)., 3. SNA as a diagnostic tool.., 4. Social Network Analysis: Step by step. Step 1: Survey design. Step 2: Data collection. Step 4: Preparing the database to be transferred to Netdraw..
  Step 5: Using Netdraw., Step 6: Try for yourself.. 5. The 2-mode network. Step 1 Survey structure. Step 2: Preparing the database.. Step 3: Transferring the data to Ucinet, Step 4: Visualising 2 mode networks with Netdraw..6. A flexible tool."  (16/07/07)

• Social_capital_and_social_networks_in_third_world_communities. A list of online references, at the INSNA SocNet Mailing List WIKI (Posted 23/03/07)

• Networks and Capacity. A theme paper prepared for the study ‘Capacity, Change and Performance’ Suzanne Taschereau and Joe Bolger. September 2006. This paper aims to contribute to the conceptual understanding of capacity and capacity development in networks and to explore implications for practice.  The paper is now out in final draft and is about to be published . The paper responds to the following questions:
  1. What distinguishes networks from other organizational forms?
  2. What capabilities are needed to make them work effectively?
  3. How do these capabilities develop over time?
  4. What are some of the implications for addressing capacity issues in
  networks, including choices of intervention strategies?
  The paper draws on in depth cases undertaken in the context of the ECDPM study on Capacity, Change and Performance and on the broader literature on networks that is grounded in development practice.  A number of core
  capabilities that are needed to make networks work effectively are reviewed and supported with examples. (Posted 23/10/06)

• Application of Social Network Analysis to Understand De facto Conservation of Agro Biodiversity on farm – a Case of Kaski Nepal. Poudel, Diwakar, Shrestha, Pratap K. Basnet, Arjun, Sthapit, Bhuwan R. Subedi , Anil Nepal. [to be present at the he 3rd conference on Applications of Social Network Analysis (ASNA 2006) is hosted by the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich. 5/6 October 2006] This paper explores the application of social network analysis approach to understand the de facto conservation of local crop genetic resources in the community and implication of such networks and nodal farmers for enhancing biodiversity on farm. The study was conducted in Begnas and Khola ko chhew village of the Kaski in in situ conservation project sites, which employed network data collection through a sociometric survey using snowball-sampling technique. Information on sex and socio-economic stratum of the farmers, the varieties, and the means of flow of materials was colleted. The findings of the ‘farmers’ network analysis’ suggest that the major portion of the rice seed flow in the community occurs in exchanging and bartering system. More than 50% of the rice seed flow is occurring in the form of exchange, followed by gift and purchase Such informal seed flow occurs through the nodal farmers creating farmers’ network of seed. The study suggested that there exist large networks of farmers with many farmers in the links, small networks (few farmers connected to the links), and sub networks (many smaller networks in the larger network) for the seeds and information in the community. The farmers’ network is found very helpful in supplying seeds and genetic material to all the farmers of the different social and economic stratum reaching to the poor and disadvantaged members of the community. The farmers’ network works in the principle of social interdependence and culture and customs of the society rather than economic incentives. (Posted 12/08/06)

• Sitki Corbacioglu and Naim Kapucu, “Intergovernmental Relations in Response to the 1999 Marmara Earthquake in Turkey: A Network Analysis,”   International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters. Volume 23(3): 73*102. Abstract This research examines the intergovernmental coordination to reduce vulnerability of local communities to disasters. Turkeys exposure to seismic risk is very high and achieving intergovernmental coordination in response operations is a challenge. The formal bureaucratic structure of the disaster management inhibits timely collective action in complex disaster environments. The paper examines one of the most destructive regional disasters of the last century, the 1999 Marmara earthquake. The research uses data from content analyses of news reports, interviews with public and nonprofit managers, and direct field observations. This analysis was carried out using UCINET 6.0 social network analysis software program. The results of the network analysis have shown that there is a problem of communication and coordination among public agencies in response to the disaster. Moreover, the integration of organizations from different jurisdictions and other sectors was problematic in the response operations. The results of the study reveal the leverage points for improving intergovernmental collective action from the perspective of complex adaptive systems theory. (AA) (Posted 04/08/06)

• Social Capital, Networks And Economic Development. An Analysis of Regional Productive Systems. María Semitiel García, Reader in Economics, University of Murcia, Spain. The book includes a first theoretical part, discussing the use of the network methodology to analyse economic systems and economic development, and a second applied part, analysing regional productive systems. There is also a discussion about the relationship between social capital and economic development. In general, the book is structured as follows:
  1.- Introduction
  2.- The Network Perspective and the Concept of Productive System
  3.- Data Characteristics and Methods Explanation
  4.- Regional Productive Structures and Production Systems
  5.- Regional Productive Systems and Development Processes
  6.- Conclusions. (Posted 16/07/06)

• Learning from doing participatory rural research: Lessons from the Peak District National Park  Dougill, A.J.*, Fraser, E.D.G. , Holden, J., Hubacek, K. , Prell, C., Reed, M.S. , Stagl,S and Stringer, L.C. Abstract  "Understanding the socio-economic and environmental implications of rural change requires the active participation of many research disciplines and stakeholders. However, it remains unclear how to best integrate participatory and biophysical research to provide information useful to land managers and policy makers. This paper presents findings of a RELU scoping study that has formulated and applied a research framework based on stakeholder participation and adaptive learning to model rural change in the Peak District National Park in the north of England. The paper describes a learning process that integrates different types of knowledge to produce future scenarios that describe possible economic and environmental changes due to a national review of burning practices on heather moorland and blanket bogs. We stress the need for using social network analysis to structure stakeholder engagement and outline how a range of participatory approaches can facilitate more inclusive environmental planning and policy development." (28/04/06)
• Communication network analysis as a tool for participatory intervention to reduce mercury exposure – Brazilian Amazon Mertens F, Mergler D, Saint-Charles J, Lucotte M, Passos CJ, Morais S and Gaspar E. International Forum on Ecosystem approaches to human health, Montreal, Canada, 18-23 May 2003.

• Social capital and connectedness: Issues and implications for agriculture, rural development and natural resource management in ACP countries 2003 Review paper for CTA Jules Pretty CTA Working Document Number 8032 Contents: Summary, 1 Why connectedness is important, 2 What is new about the social capital concept? , 3 Social capital and livelihood asset, 4 Implications for development assistance, 5 Improvements in social capital in seven agricultural and natural resource sectors, 6 Methodologies for operationalising social capital, 7 Priorities for technical assistance, Annexes: Summary of recent social capital formation in agricultural and rural resource management sectors.,  Criteria for the measurement of the evolution of social groups, References,Acronyms and abbreviations.

• Network Approaches to Global Civil Society. Helmut Anheier and Hagai Katz. "...our focus is on global civil society as a transnational system of social networks and, methodologically speaking, on analysing global civil society through the lens of network analysis. We are interested in finding out how useful the various approaches and tools of network analysis are for describing, analysing and understanding global civil society." Being Chapter 4 of Global Civil Society 2004/5 Anheier, Helmut, Marlies Glasius and Mary Kaldor (eds.). London: Sage, 2004 (Posted 05/12/05)

• Network Epidemiology: A Handbook for Survey Design and Data Collection (International Studies in Demography) Martina Morris (Editor) Hardcover 252 pages (March 18, 2004) # Publisher: Oxford University Press # Language: English # ISBN: 0199269017 Book Description For epidemiologists and public health professionals, the global epidemic of HIV/AIDS has provoked a fundamental re-examination of public health practices and the research needed to support them. This book documents and explains one of the remarkable breakthroughs in behavioural research design that has emerged to confront this new challenge: the network survey. It represents a paradigm shift in behavioural epidemiology, broadening the focus from the traditional "knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP)" of individuals to mapping the relational networks that spread infection, and constrain behavioural change. Eight pioneering network studies from around the world are reviewed, with an introduction that lays out the basics of network survey design, and a glossary of network terminology. (Posted 06/11/05)

• Community Networking and Social Capital: Early Investigations Christina Prell Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Contents * Introduction o Overview: The Need for a Youth Database * Community Networking and Social Capital * Social Network Analysis and Social Capital o Common Networking Terminology o Social Network Analysts' View of Social Capital * Method o Survey o Analysis * Results * Discussion o In-degree Centrality o Betweeness Centrality * Conclusions * Footnotes * References * Abstract This paper draws upon an ongoing study pertaining to the early development of one component of a community network in the city of Troy, New York, USA. The component under study is that of a database to be distributed via a community network. Community networking literature posits a relationship between social capital and community networking, stating that community networking should positively affect levels of social capital in a community. This article begins exploring this relationship through reviewing the social capital concept as presented in the literature. Measures are developed from the field of social network analysis and applied to a group of community members involved in this database project. Results show high levels of in-degree centrality correlating with trustworthiness and resource exchange, and betweeness centrality correlating with trustworthiness. Although in-degree centrality proves to be the more useful measure for purposes of studying community networking and social capital, discussion is given to the surprising results found for betweeness centrality. Introduction Community networking refers to the use of compute (posted 06/09/05)

• Social Networks in Ghana by Christopher R. Udry Yale University udry@yale.edu Timothy G. Conley University of Chicago tim.conley@gsb.uchicago.edu May, 2004 Abstract: "In this chapter we examine social networks among farmers in a developing country. We use detailed data on economic activities and social interactions between people living in four study villages in Ghana. It is clear that economic development in this region is being shaped by the networks of information, capital and influence that permeate these communities. This chapter explores the determinants of these important economic networks. We first describe the patterns of information, capital, labor and land transaction connections that are apparent in these villages. We then discuss the interconnections between the various economic networks. We relate the functional economic networks to more fundamental social relationships between people in a reduced form analysis. Finally, we propose an equilibrium model of multi-dimensional network formation that can provide a foundation for further data collection and empirical research." (Posted 20/06/05)

• International NGOs and the Role of Network Centrality in Humanitarian Aid Operations: A Case Study of Coordination During the 2000 Mozambique Floods [ Authors: Moore S.1; Eng E.2; Daniel M.3 Source: Disasters, December 2003, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 305-318(14) Publisher: Blackwell Publishing ] Abstract: "In February 2000, Mozambique suffered its worst flooding in almost 50 years: 699 people died and hundreds of thousands were displaced. Over 49 countries and 30 international non-governmental organisations provided humanitarian assistance. Coordination of disaster assistance is critical for effective humanitarian aid operations, but limited attention has been directed toward evaluating the system-wide structure of inter-organisational coordination during humanitarian operations. Network analysis methods were used to examine the structure of inter-organisational relations among 65 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in the flood operations in Mozambique. Centrality scores were used to estimate NGO-specific potential for aid coordination and tested against NGO beneficiary numbers. The average number of relief- and recovery-period beneficiaries was significantly greater for NGOs with high relative to low centrality scores (p<0.05). This report addresses the significance of these findings in the context of the Mozambican 2000 floods and the type of data required to evaluate system-wide coordination." Posted 18/05/05)

• Making Humanitarian Relief Networks More Effective: Exploring the Relationships Among Coordination, Trust and Sense Making Paper prepared for Delivery at the Annual Conference of the Association for Research on Non- Profit and Voluntary Associations Los Angeles, California November 18-20, 2004 Max Stephenson Jr., Co-Director Institute for Governance and Accountabilities School of Public and International Affairs Virginia Tech 201 Architecture Annex Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 U.S.A. 540-231-9932 mstephen@vt.edu
  Abstract Effective coordination of humanitarian assistance activities remains an elusive prize. This paper briefly addresses some of the reasons for what is widely perceived as a coordination dilemma in humanitarian affairs and then argues for a new conceptualization of the issue. Rather than continue to ask that more authority be vested in a single organization to secure coordination by control from the top, this article contends that it may be timely to consider whether relief organizations involved in addressing an emergency should be re-conceived as constituting social networks and efforts made to secure changes in their respective organizational cultures that encourage coordination across institutional boundaries. Since such labors imply the need to trust across organizational lines, the article explores what forms and types of trust might be employed to encourage improved coordination among relief institutions and how those relationships could themselves be conceptualized." (posted 18/05/05)

• Third World Quarterly Publisher: Issue: Volume 25, Number 5 / July 2004 Pages: 839 - 855 Networks as transnational agents of development Leroi Henry, Giles Mohan, Helen Yanacopulos Abstract: "The term network has become a hallmark of the development industry. In principle networks have the potential to provide a more flexible and non-hierarchical means of exchange and interaction that is also more innovative, responsive and dynamic, while overcoming spatial separation and providing scale economies. Although the label 'networks' currently pervades discourses about the relationships between organisations in development, there has been surprisingly little research or theorisation of such networks. This article is a critical evaluation of the claims of developmental networks from a theoretical perspective. While networks are regarded as a counter-hegemonic force, we argue that networks are not static entities but must be seen as an ongoing and emergent process. Moreover, theory overlooks power relationships within networks and is unable to conceptualise the relationship between power and values. These observations open up a research agenda that the authors are exploring empirically in forthcoming publications". (Posted 03/08/04)

• Mapped In or Mapped Out?: The Romanian Poor in Inter-Household and Community Networks by Maria Amelina , Dan Chiribuca , Stephen Knack Price: $ 15.00 English Paperback 96 pages 7 x 10 Published July 2004 ISBN: 0-8213-5888-X SKU: 15888 Publishers say "It has been observed in Central European countries in general and in Romania in particular that during transition strong social ties connecting relatives, immediate friends and associates have become stronger, while the weak ties connecting individuals and households through professional and social associations have become weaker. In this context, the poor are reported to be falling out of both types of associations.
  This title analyses patterns of economic and social interactions that sustain the poor or, alternatively, isolate them yet further from other households, from the communities in which they live and, by extension, from social networks and economic opportunities. The study also assesses interactions of the poor with local and central government in terms of the level of trust and satisfaction with public officials, the level of involvement in public actions and public decision-making and the ability of local governments to respond to the needs of their poorer constituency, especially in providing social assistance and other Minimum Income Guarantee benefits. " See also
  Better a Hundred Friends than a Hundred Rubles?: Social Networks in Transition-- The Kyrgyz Republic by Kathleen Kuehnast , Nora Dudwick Price: $ 15.00 English Paperback 80 pages 7 x 10 Published June 2004 ISBN: 0-8213-5898-7 SKU: 15898 Publishers say "The study of social networks in post-socialist countries is an important tool for bridging the policy gap between macro-level economic strategies and micro-level interventions. Better a Hundred Friends than a Hundred Rubles? examines the impact of economic transition and poverty on social networks in the Central Asian country of the Kyrgyz Republic. The findings of this study illustrate the notable impact of poverty on the form and function of informal social networks of the poor and non-poor. They reveal the dynamics of how the poor both disengage from and are isolated by and from the non-poor. The study further describes how the social networks of poor and non-poor households have polarized and separated in a process that parallels the sharp socioeconomic stratification that has taken place since national independence in 1991. It also examines not only how the networks have separated, but also how each has changed in character. " Posted 15/07/04)

• (This course has been and gone, but it may come again) Course on network development for agricultural innovation at at the International Agriculture Centre, Waageningen, Netherlands. (Rethinking research, agribusiness, extension and farmers linkages) (61/40) Period: 01 March 2004 - 19 March 2004 Closing date for application: 15 January 2004 Fee for this course: € 2900 Code: 61/40 This course focuses on the growing importance of networks to the agricultural sector as a result of changes such as: greater market orientation; privatisation and decentralisation of government services; sustainability of resource management, quality concerns and global trade regulations; livelihood issues; changes in extension; research and development and attention to value adding and niche markets. Analysing these trends readily reveals a vast number and diversity among the groups, organisations and categories of players involved and affected by agricultural development. Where once state funded research and development dominated agricultural production and innovation processes on the countryside, nowadays the nature of such processes is rather dealt with as a complex of interaction networks between producers, service suppliers, marketing groups and businesses, policy makers, advisory services and a range of highly differentiated research arrangements. Strategic partnerships between the private sector and the public sector have become increasingly important. Communication flows have become ever more important enabling transparency for relevant research and development, interactive policy making and effective advisory support with efficient mobilisation and use of natural and human resources. In order to be conducive, institutional arrangements turned out to be highly dependent on effective networking between the different players. However, such networks often are only partially developed or function poorly. In this complex setting this course offers an opportunity to understand the process of change in a wider context, to explore new approaches for agricultural innovation and to develop skills and expertise necessary to improve the networking capacity of all the organisations involved. (03/05/04)

• NETWORKS OF PROTEST ON GLOBAL ISSUES IN GREECE 2002-3 Moses A. Boudourides Iosif A. Botetzagias. For presentation at the ECPR Joint Sessions of Workshops, Uppsala, April 13-18, 2004 Workshop No 8 “The Changing Structure of Civil Society"Abstract "Since the late 1990s, civil society allover the world has exhibited an intense pattern of protest