Systems Innovation
We advocate for localization models, systems innovation and policies that support the responsible and sustainable use of technology in the hands of local leaders.
- Our Work
- Systems Innovation
Inclusive Networks Model
Part of our mission is to contribute to systems change in the #Tech4Good space as well as the international aid and development sectors. We do so by creating a replicable model for localization and that facilitates a shift in power at scale.
Co-creating, facilitating and supporting the Flying Labs Network over the past 8+ years has given WeRobotics hands-on and lived experience of a new approach to localization. One that moves from local to global, then back to local. One that builds on sharing and collaboration as key values.
Carefully documenting our innumerable learnings and experiences, failures, and successes along the way and then sharing them in various formats has been the first step towards creating this model. And while we make new learnings and keep on improving our approach, today we have a well-defined model that is ready for replication and adoption. We call it the Inclusive Networks Model.
The video here gives you a glimpse into the world of the Inclusive Network that is at the base of this model, the Flying Labs Network, and how we continuously co-create, share and collaborate to improve the Network model, through yearly retreats to jointly define and decide on strategies forward, for example.
You will need to give cookie consent in the Experience option to see this video. Click the cookie link at the bottom right of the page to change your preferences.
Who is the Inclusive Networks model for?
Our model is a strong fit for international and global organizations who want to push their localization and #ShiftThePower efforts a step further and/or try out a bottom-up and decentralized power approach to localization. Along our journey, we have also learned that our model can be a fantastic fit for local social enterprises that want to scale their work to more geographies and take their work global.
What does the model entail?
The Inclusive Networks model is made up of 3 key parts:
- A framework that facilitates the decentralization of power between local and global actors. This framework builds on a social franchise and network approach. Its directionality is from local to global, which in essence allows for local efforts, expertise and initiatives to be globalized. The framework also clearly describes sharing and collaboration contributions.
- A framework for shared governance, addressing accountability for the decentralized power setup. This framework defines joint values, accountabilities and contributions in a measurable way, and includes a proven and practical monitoring and evaluation approach.
- A first version of the adoption package. This package contains support to create the adoption strategy, including detailed processes for successful facilitation, coordination and improvement of the model and its frameworks, based on our 8+ years of experiences and learnings. This package also gives full access to our success and failure stories as well as a number of templates, in order to support efficient replication and adoption.
Where can I learn more on the model and its impact?
To publicly share our experiences and learnings, we have co-authored these three reports to date:
- Localization - A Success Story: a detailed study published together with Flying Labs in 2022 summarizing our experiences and learnings 5 years after the first implementation of our model. The study also contains numerous links to other resources, such as blog posts and more.
- Glocalization - From Local to Global and Back Again - From Local to Global and Back Again: a report published in January 2024 that delves into the directionality of our model and shares examples and feedback from Flying Labs.
- Power Footprint: a report co-authored by WeRobotics, Camber Collective and Disrupt Development that offers a fresh perspective on power within the development sphere.
How can our organization adopt and/or adapt the model?
We offer our services to support a wide range of organizations, from INGOs to local nonprofits, social entrepreneurs and network consortia, in their journey of either fully adopting our model, or adapting parts of it to complement their current localization or scale journey. Reach out to us to learn if the Inclusive Networks model can fit your organization's needs and how we can collaborate with you on your journey.