Networking Together in the Future

Facilitator: Christopher Szecsey, CORE Group Consultant

This plenary session provided a final opportunity for identifying possibilities for follow-up regional network - strengthening. Participants were invited to share their best experience with networking, and identify the factors that make networking successful. Participants were then asked to self-select to emerging common interest areas in the region, join with others to assess interest in participation, and plan follow-up regional networking.

Participants identified and reported in plenary a number of factors they thought important in maintaining strong linkages, whether a formal working group or a looser network of connections. These factors include:

• The network/connection responds to a felt need – either a common goal or a common threat
• A simple, focused concept around which participants are organized, and shared vision for what the group can achieve
• Trust, transparency and teamwork
• A sense of leadership arises from one or more individuals, a coordinating support provided by an individual or coordination unit

Throughout the event, participants had been given the opportunity to identify those interest areas where they felt networking and information sharing would have positive benefits. The input received from participants was used to designate interest area groups that participants were asked to self-select into.  Groups formed, discussed priority areas for information sharing, designated a lead and exchanged email addresses.