{"id":12399,"date":"2011-08-25T09:36:34","date_gmt":"2011-08-25T13:36:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/researchimpact.ydsinc.ca\/rir-connects-you-on-line\/"},"modified":"2021-11-23T15:55:38","modified_gmt":"2021-11-23T20:55:38","slug":"rir-connects-you-on-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/researchimpact.ca\/fr\/archive\/rir-connects-you-on-line\/","title":{"rendered":"RIR Connects You – Online and In Real Life \/ RIR vous met en connexion – en ligne et en personne"},"content":{"rendered":"

By David Phipps (ResearchImpact, York)
\nA recent blog about community engagement for social innovation allows RIR-York to engage in some self reflection.\u00a0 We’re doing okay but we have room to grow by better using our online spaces for KMb while reinforcing our commitment to collaboration in real life.<\/em>
\nUn r\u00e9cent billet portant sur l’engagement pour l’innovation sociale offre au RIR-York une occasion de se questionner sur ses pratiques. Les choses vont bien pour nous, mais il y a place \u00e0 l’am\u00e9lioration en faisant un meilleur usage des espaces en ligne, tout en renfor\u00e7ant notre engagement \u00e0 collaborer en personne.<\/em>
\n\u00ab\u00a0Community engagement and civic participation are key elements of effective social innovation.\u00a0\u00bb That’s how this blog<\/a> by Tim Glynn Burke starts out.\u00a0 The blog was written for the Project on Social Innovation<\/em> at the Ash Centre for Democratic Governance and Innovation<\/a> at the Kennedy School, Harvard (thanks @powerofsocinnov<\/a>).\u00a0 The blogreviews a report by Diana Scearce (who previously wrote a wonderful article<\/a> about social media and social innovation in the Stanford Social Innovation Review – very highly recommend it) so you are reading a blog about a blog about a report\u2026 but that’s how good news spreads.
\n\"\"<\/a>
\nThe authors point out five common behaviours of social innovators.\u00a0 They are reproduced along with a score card measuring the KMb Unit at York University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Actively listening to online conversations and openly asking for advice<\/td>\nYork listens actively online mostly via twitter<\/a> but also in comments on Mobilize This!<\/a>. We routinely approach our community and other partners to listen for advice on needs and services. We could do better by listening to our communities online, but few are there.<\/td>\nA-<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Creating environments, in person and online, where helpful connections can from<\/td>\nThe raison d’\u00eatre of York’s KMb Unit is to create connections. We do this very well in person.\u00a0 We are exploring this online but few of our community partners are there.<\/td>\nIn person: A+<\/strong>
\n Online: C-<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Deliberately connecting people with different perspectives<\/td>\nThe best solutions come from diverse perspectives but solutions derived from diverse perspectives take longer. KM in the AM usually has 10-15 community, municipal and academic voices around the table.<\/td>\nA<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Helping people directly help each other<\/td>\nThe raison d’\u00eatre of connections made by York’s KMb Unit is to support the co-creation of solutions. An example of this is the collaboration<\/a> between the binning community and UVic. Not all of our efforts result in collaborations but all of them result in connections.<\/td>\nB+<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Giving enough direction for individuals to take effective and coordinated action<\/td>\nYork’s KMb Unit is a resource to collaborations formed with our faculty and students.\u00a0 We make the connections.\u00a0 We foster the collaborations. We do not usually get involved in the projects themselves.\u00a0 We are available for advice and input from our KMb collaborations upon request but don’t presume to give direction unless asked. Should we be more prescriptive in our direction? You let us know.<\/td>\nB+<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"\"<\/a>This is self scored. It is not peer reviewed, so take the scoring with a grain (okay, a pillar) of salt.
\nIt appears that we are on track to deliver services that support the co-production of social innovations but we have space to improve in transacting these services online.\u00a0 York’s KMb Unit is online and we are exploring these tools. When our community and municipal\/Regional partners get online, we will be there to meet them.
\nImagining the future, Scearce sees more interconnectedness, more decentralization and more transparency – all of which are enabled by social media. She also warns about making the community too tight knit and resistant to outside perspectives. Especially as we experiment with social media mediated KMb we need to re-commit our efforts to KMb in person, on the ground and in the community. We cannot let the privilege of social media marginalize those living a real life. Indeed, those engaging via social media are skilled at connecting.\u00a0 Those who aren’t have an even more urgent need for KMb.
\nThe report ends with some advice for those who are supporting community engagement for social innovation:
\n–\u00a0 Let go of your expert mindset and embrace the openness of network\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n