The 2013 EEN Pacific Forum Network Ken Vance-Borland and Judy Soule, The Conservation Planning Institute, Corvallis, OR Debbie Gowensmith, Groundswell Consulting, Denver, CO. kenvb@consplan.net Revealing the Network A social network analysis (SNA) of the participants in the Environmental Evaluators Network Pacific Forum provides a window into how the network could become stronger and more effective. It also provides an example for exploring the potential for SNA to be a tool for environmental evaluation. Why SNA for Environmental Evaluation? The complexity of environmental problems and projects – multiple stakeholders, competing goals, complicated biological and physical interactions – means that people figure large in success. A network approach is well-suited to such complexity. Working in a network fashion, which encourages information flow, relationships, knowledge transfer, shared leadership, and innovative solutions, is gaining ground in the environmental fields, after showing success in health fields. Registered Participants – Collaborations in Past 3 Years This network map shows all the answers that 69 out of the 81 forum registrants gave when we asked them who they have worked with in the past, who they want to work with in the future, and who they get ideas from. They named 160 people in addition to the forum registrants. Weaving the Network When we show just your relationships of collaborations during the past three years, we see opportunities for network weaving. Answers you gave to three questions about future interests are shown in these maps. They represent many opportunities for you all to connect on a range of focus areas. One simple network weaving strategy is called “closing triangles” in which one person knows two people who don’t know each other, and introduces them. A second strategy is forming self-organized peer-learning groups on topics of common interest. We invite you to identify ways you could practice these network weaving strategies, and then give it a try. DiscussionTitle This map shows your answers to the question: With which one of the various tools, strategies and/or approaches below would you most like to gain greater experience? Who is interested in the same approach as you? Are you willing to talk with any of them about that? What can social network analysis contribute to environmental evaluation? Among the many questions addressed in environmental evaluations, it’s likely that some of them are about relationships. Relationships are central to program and organizational effectiveness, and SNA is a systematic tool for investigating patterns of relationships. Are any of these topics relevant to your evaluations? Please tell us how you think SNA could be useful for environmental evaluation. Acknowledgements: We thank Ariel Vance-Pearson for producing this poster. *Stakeholder engagement *The spread of innovation *Programmatic or organizational ‘reach’ *Capacity to adapt to change *Emerging leadership *Bridging cultural divides *Power and influence *Diversity and inclusiveness *Intra-organizational, inter-organizational, or cross-sectoral collaboration This map shows your answers to the question: In which one of the following competencies would you most like to develop greater skill? Who wants to develop the same skill as you? Would you like to be ‘learning buddies’ with any of them? This map shows your answers to the question: In which one of the following topic areas would you most like to be active in the coming three years? This map identifies (by shape) those who are willing to coordinate activity around these topics: Circles=willing; squares=other. Who is interested in the same topic as you?