fitt toolbox network management scorecard

www.FITT-for-Innovation.eu

Tudor – Network ScoreCard Suite

FITT

(Fostering Interregional Exchange in ICT Technology Transfer)

2 | 05.01.2009 Name / Event Partner Logo

Managing a network

Managing an organization based on collaboration (cluster, network...) is a challenge. It requires to :

- Balance strategic focus and emerging issues

- Create immediate and middle-term creation of value to ensure the sustainability

- Define and assess a non financial performance

The Network ScoreCard Suite is a method designed to support networks management through the collaborative development of management tools.

- The approach of the NSC Suite relies on 3 principles

- It comes in 3 steps

- And provides 3 outputs.


A participatory approach (1/3)

The NSC Suite is based on a participatory approach:

- Fostering the emergence of a clear and shared strategic vision

- Fostering the involvement of participants

- Creating links and trust among participants,

raising their cooperation capacity

- Raising awareness on performance issues

- guarantying the coherence and legitimacy

of outputs


An integrated approach (2/3)

The NSC Suite integrated approach covers the management cycle of a network

NSC Suite 1:

STRATEGIC VISION

NSC Suite 2: Plan of action

NSC Suite 3:

ScoreCard


A structuring approach

A four-dimension approach of performance

- raising awareness on non-financial value creation,

- balancing immediate and long term performance (lagging and leading indicators)

Members

Who are our members?

External context

How do we interact with our environment?

Benefits

Which added value do we create for our

members?

Organization

How do we organize ?


NSC Suite: 3 steps

NSC Suite 1: Strategic vision

Values

« we are »

Strategic objectives « we want to »

Operational objectives

« we have to »

Strategic map

NSC Suite 2: plan of action

Identification of

activities

Planification

Priorisation

Plan d’action


NSC Suite 1: Strategic vision

The first step consist in elaborating a clear and shared strategic vision

Structured in three levels:

Values: “we are”

Strategic objectives “we want to”

Operational objectives: “we have to”, coming in four dimensions:

Benefits: Which added value is created to members?

Members: who are the members and what is their level of cooperation?

External context: how does the network interact with its environment?

Organisation: how is the network organized?

In which operational and strategic objectives are aligned


Strategic Objective 1

Strategic objectives

« we want to »

Values : We are « ….. »

Op

erat

ion

al o

bje

ctiv

es :

« W

e h

ave

to»

Operational objective 7

Operational Objective 4



Operational Objective 3

Operational

objective 1

Strategic Objectives 3

Strategic Objective 2

Operational

Objective 2

Output NSC Suite 1: strategic vision



The second step consists in operationalizing the strategic vision

The participants identify and plan relevant activities to carry out the

strategy

Description of the activity

Responsible person, partners to mobilize,

Deadlines or frequency

The activities are prioritized


Output of NSC Suite 2: plan of action

PriorityName of activity

Objectives of activity

description of activity

Tasksresponsibl

eanimator

concrete output

frequencydeadline

participants

externalresources



The third step consist in building a ScoreCard to assess the

achievement of the strategy

Participants identify and build indicators to assess the level of

achievement of their strategy, mainly:

What is the criteria for assessing that an objective is achieved

What is the expected level of performance?

The animator gathers indicators in the ScoreCard, a system of

indicators creating a global and balanced vision of performance

A responsible is named for the exploitation of the ScoreCard


Output of NSC Suite 3: ScoreCard

Strategic objective 1 Strategic objective 2 Strategic objective 3

Operational objective 1 Indicator B-1 Indicator B-1

Operational objective 2 Indicator B-2

mem

ber

s

Operational objective 3 Indicator M-3

Operational objective 4 Indicator E-4

Operational objective 5 Indicator E-5

Operational objective 6 Indicator O-6

Operational objective 7 Indicator O-7

ben

efit

s

Objectif stratégique

Objectif opérationnel

org

anis

atio

nex

tern

al c

on

text


Who?

Stakeholders

• Key stakeholders of the network

• Founding members, Members of board, Animator, Historical members...

• Animator, Guardian of the method, moderator

Facts & Figures

Co-developed 2006 with a network, in the framework of the TINIS project

Experimented on three networks at different stages of their lifecycle

YAJUG: Yet another Java user Group: emerging network around the Java technology

CASSIS: network of consultants around the CASSIS label

CLUSSIL: club for IT security

LISA: College of Chief Information Security Officers


Network Scorecard Suite

PRO’s

• Improves network management

• Tailored-made tool for networks

• Support to network sustainability and performance

• Support to network communication

• Internally: with members

• Externally: towards external partners

CON’s

• Time consuming for TTO

• Follow up:

• Short-term: exploitation of ScoreCard needs some support

• Middle-term: need for some yearly reviewing of indicators


Why is a Scorecard useful for networks

Challenges of network management:

1. Balance strategic focus and emerging issues

2. Create immediate and middle-term creation of value to ensure the sustainability

3. Define and assess a non financial performance

The collaborative elaboration of the network ScoreCard Suite has an impact on the structuring of the network itself:

• Crystallisation of individual expectations in a clear and shared strategic vision

• Progressive enrolment of founding members in the management of the network

• Raised reflexivity towards performance issues

• Stabilisation of the network organization


Lessons Learned

Difficulty to convince networks of the relevance to get involved in the NSC Suite

Preliminary interviews help understand the critical issues for a network in

particular, adapt the language

Prove the potential benefits

Some issues/objectives/indicators are recurrent among all networks

Animator progressively gains in experience and quality of support is

improved


Suggested Readings

Link to bibliography:

Network ScoreCard Suite User Guide (French)

Link to code book:

Network

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strategic vision nsc

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strategic map nsc suite

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