Description


 * Objectives **

The Foundation has set clear objectives for The Networked NGO project. For the Foundation to consider the project a success, grantees and the technical assistance team will deliver the following concrete outcomes. Grantees will engage in peer discussions about integrating social media effectively into their communications strategies. The Foundation is committed to the idea that grantee organizations can learn from each other – from challenges and missteps as much as from accomplishments and wins – so success means organizations sharing both. Through the 4-day workshop in-country and subsequent online and conference calls, grantee organizations will start to embrace the practices of Networked Nonprofits and begin to institutionalize social media strategies and integrate them into their broader strategy for communications on population and reproductive health or girls and girls and women’s empowerment. Social media practices are just that – they get strong and stay strong with practice – so success means consistent application and learning. With Ms. Kanter’s guidance, grantees will design and implement a small action learning project. But smart is as important as strong, so success also means deliberate integration of social media strategies with the organization’s broader communications plan and learning from doing in small steps. Grantee organizations will measure what matters. Social media are loaded with metrics to track changes in users’ online networks and communications. But not all metrics are equally valuable, and choosing the measurements that matter can be complicated. The Foundation sees this initiative as a social media pilot that includes measurement to help organizations improve practice and results, and document value. Success means using metrics to learn how to improve practice effectively, both to identify obstacles and track progress.
 * A Peer-to-Peer Learning Exchange
 * Networked NGOs and Social Media Integrated Into Organizational Communications
 * Grantees Implement A Modest and Realistic Action Learning Pilot
 * Purposeful Measurement to Inform Replication

The project has three distinct learning goals:
 * To understand the basic steps and frameworks for integrating social media to further their communications work in population and reproductive health that aligned with institutional goals
 * To learn practical tips and best practices for using one or two relevant social media platforms or tools to support strategy
 * To create an opportunity for peer support and learning on social media best practices for NGOs doing work in population and reproductive health or women/girls’s empowerment aligned with institutional goals.

Ms. Kanter’s method is help NGO’s take a common sense approach to integrating social media into their practices with small steps and meeting grantees where they are at. The method ensures that grantees take small steps and that social media is not overwhelming.

There are three components:

This component will include an online survey to assess participants maturity of practice of working as Networked NGOs and using Social Media. The assessment model is based on work developed by Beth Kanter as part of Visiting Scholar. Participants will be required to complete a brief online survey
 * Planning/Assessment **

The in-country training will take place over 4 days:
 * In-Country Training **
 * Day || Theme ||
 * 1 || ** Introduction **

Principles of Being A Networked Nonprofit ||
 * 2 || ** Social Media Strategy Integration **

This day will cover the basics of integrating social media into an overall communications plan, including objectives, audience, content and engagement, measurement, staffing, and culture change. ||
 * 3 || ** Overview of Social Media Tools and Techniques **

This day will cover the practical aspects of getting started with basic social media tools. ||
 * 4 || ** Practicum: Designing An Action Learning Project and Using the Wiki **

Following the training, participants will implement a small action learning to apply the skills they’ve learned. Each participant will design a project that they feel they can realistically implement over the course of several months. ||

There will be several sessions that are designed just for organizational leaders, a mix of leadership and staff, and leadership, staff, and implementers. There will be “hands-on” laptop time for participants where they immediately put into practice some of the practical instruction.

An important part of making a training “stick” is including action, getting to the doing. Following the in-country training, Beth will facilitate monthly peer exchanges through conference calls to provide coaching and support. Organizations will design the specific content for their action learning project but it must include:
 * Peer Exchange: Action Learning Projects **
 * Support an organizational program or communications objective
 * Integrate one appropriate social media platform/tool/technique
 * Improve an area of current social media practice
 * Be a focused, manageable experiment to implement

We anticipate that in addition to the monthly phone calls, each organization will allocate approximately 1-2 hours per work on their on their action learning project. In addition to the Peer Exchange conference calls, the program will have a closed Facebook and an open project wiki so the learning can be shared with a broader group of Packard grantees and PRH organizations.
 * ** Call ** || ** Theme ** ||
 * 1 || Define objectives, audience, and measurement for action learning project ||
 * 2 || Identify content and engagement strategy ||
 * 3 || Continued implementation, measurement ||
 * 4 || Continued implementation, measurement ||
 * 5 || Continued implementation, measurement ||
 * 6 || Reflection on Results ||

The Foundation’s expectations of grantee organizations will achieve the outcomes described in the beginning. To reach those, the expectations are:
 * What does the Foundation expect of you? **
 * Grantees will complete the online participant assessment in a timely manner. This is a brief online questionnaire that should take you know longer than 15-20 minutes to complete
 * Attend and engage fully in the four-day in-country training.
 * Design an modest action learning experiment that can be implemented over the six months
 * Allocate at least 2 hours per week of staff time on the action learning project
 * Attend the monthly conference calls and be ready to discuss and share what you’re learning
 * Participate in the secret/private Facebook group
 * Add your insights to the wiki journal following each conference call – this can be one or two sentences