Purpose Check List

Purpose/Outcome

What is the desired outcome for the group? What is the INTENT?

The network I coordinate is the Small Ruminant Network. The Regional network, the Caribbean Small Ruminant Network (CASRUNET) was established in 2000 as part of the PROCICARIBE system. Just like the whole PROCICARIBE system, CASRUNET became dormant, although not entirely inactive, since 2003. Last year CARDI established the CARDI Small Ruminant Network (CARDISRNet) as an internal mechanism for the SR kindred spirit. An active CARDISRNet will be the springboard to revive CASRUNET. The Small Ruminant Network, including both the CARDISRNet and CASRUNET, therefore, has a unified purpose and outcome. The group aspires to generate and/or acquire information and knowledge on the production, processing and marketing of small ruminants, share the knowledge and then deploy at the enterprise level for use by the stakeholders.

Does it have a mission or a vision that you can communicate to potential members?

The mission is to bring about increased production and trade in small ruminant products, by-products and services in order to capture a modest share of the 70-80% import market for small ruminant products.

Are the benefits measurable and visible to members and potential members?

The ultimate benefit of increases in small ruminant products and services are measurable and visible

Is the outcome determined by the organizer? Group members? Both?

Both the organizer and the group members have critical roles to play ensure the outcome is achieved

If the group is part of a larger organization, is it consistent with organizational goals and culture?

CARDISRNet is part of CARDI. CASRUNET is part of PROCICARIBE, a system coordinated by CARDI. Hence the Small Ruminant Network is consistent with CARDI’s goals and culture

Is the group's purpose something that can only be done/accomplished online? Will it replace something offline? Or is it some combination?

It will be a combination. Online sessions will be used to establish the platform and agree on the mandate. Generating and/or acquiring information and knowledge, sharing and then deploying will be accomplished using both F2F and online communication

Target Audience

What kinds of participants (target audience) do you want to draw in or need to participate?

How would you describe them?

“Kindred spirit” with a stake in a successful Caribbean small ruminant industry

What is the gender, professional, linguistic, cultural make up of the group?

The group is gender-neutral. It comprises university graduate professionals with expertise in livestock science, especially small ruminants, biotechnology, technology transfer and group dynamics, rural development, veterinary science and agribusiness. The smaller subset of CARDISRNet is English speaking. The wider group, CASRUNET, includes participants from the French territories but they are proficient in the English language.

How motivated are your participants to participate? What is "in it for them?"

The group is anxious for a successful Caribbean small ruminant industry and, hence, I consider the members motivated

Do they have adequate computer equipment and Internet access to have a satisfactory experience on your system? Do you tell them the minimum requirements up front?

Everyone in the CARDISRNet has computer and internet facilities. Most of the CASRUNET members have or do share computers but not all have effective internet connectivity

Do you want your community to be public or private? If private, what determines eligibility?

Our community is public

What is the ideal size for your group? Is there a limit to how many members can participate? Do you have a sense of how your community can expand if there is greater interest?

Eight persons have been identified for CARDISRNet. CASRUNET involves about 20 participants. I do not anticipate the core membership of the group to be more than 25 persons. I am sure others may sign in and out depending on the topic of discussion

Where might you find potential participants?

The membership is drawn from CARDI, Ministries of Agriculture and Farmer Groups

How might you communicate with your participants to market your online interaction space? (Remember: If you build it, they may not come!)

The membership is not entirely new to the idea of online communication. Emails have been used before to announce and share ideas. However, for a sustainable online community members will need to be properly sensitised and prepared. A survey of online intent and participation might even be useful

Are you building from an existing pool of participants? Or drawing in new people?

Basically building from an existing pool.

Type of Member Interactions

What kinds of discussions/interactions do you want to foster?

Are they more like ongoing discussions or question & answer?

I believe initially there will be a lot of Q & A, but ultimately the interactions are going to settle on specific discussions and also “how-tos”

Are they focused or wide-ranging?

The purpose of the group prescribes a focused interaction.

Are they started by you or by the members?

Mostly by me

Are they intellectual? Social? Sensitive? Controversial?

Intellectual discussions of technical and socio-economic content

Are they focused around information such as documents or other static content?

They will be focused around document-based information, as well as intrinsic experiences and knowledge on the ground.

Will they generate content/knowledge that needs to be captured?

Yes they will

Do they need synchronous (same time) and/or asynchronous (different time) interactions?

My little experience with this workshop suggests that the online experience will be asynchronous

Time Frame

How long do you want the online interaction to last?

Are there specific timelines or a project to be accomplished?

Where project planning is involved there will be specific timelines. Other than that the group will continue as long as it fits CARDI goals

Is it an ongoing online interaction space for conversation?

Yes, especially as it relates to sharing experiences.

Is it time delimited?

To the extent that it is consistent with CARDI’s goals and culture

Guidelines, Rules and Governance

What kind of rules or governance do you want for your online interaction space?

Will there be strong and defined rules, or more general and/or casual guidelines?

For purposeful outcome there should be strong and defined rules

How will you communicate this to your members?

First, existing members will determine the rules and this will be communicated to any new member

Will there be problem resolution processes? How will you share that process?

This is a good point. I’ve seen certain listserv discussions turning personal. The problem resolution process will be defined as part of the rules.

If this is a work team, what processes and agreements will you need?

Obviously the CARDISRNet is a work team and most of the interactions will be informed by CARDI’s programme of work and its processes.

Do members have to agree to a "Terms of Service" or other form of agreement before becoming members?

I do not think that will be necessary

Who makes decisions in the community about the online interaction space?
The online interaction space owner? The members? Both? How?

Both CARDI and the network members. The mechanism would vary. Some decisions would be based on consensus; others by “decree”.

Who will host or facilitate in your online interaction space?
If not you, how will the hosts/facilitators be trained?

As a coordinator of the network, I will facilitate. The vice-coordinator is Norman Gibson, who is also part of this training workshop. So we are fortunate to have two key persons of the network trained.

What will be their responsibilities?

The responsibilities of a facilitator as being passed on to us in this workshop

How will they be supported and/or compensated?

The best support is good hardware, software and reliable internet connectivity – ISP, preferably with an alternate ISP

What kind of reporting will you have them do to monitor as needed?

We in CARDI have established reporting protocols - weekly, quarterly and annual reports and I think that should be adequate