SNA to Strenghten Collaboration on WCF Cocoa Livelihoods Programs

SNA of Communication Between Partner Organizations in WCF Cocoa Livelihoods Program: Leveraging Networks to Build Better Collaboration 

(Katrina Stanislaw- not taking 2nd half of module)

Overview:

Global cocoa-chocolate production is threatened on the three dimensions of sustainability: economic, social and environmental. These factors have complex interlinkages including but not limited to: (i) price of cocoa beans on the world market; (ii) availability of labor/dedication of human capitol to cocoa cultivation; (iii) vulnerability of cacao trees to pests; (iv) changes in the necessary cultivation environment due to global climate change. The combination of these threats have led major corporations including manufacturers like Mars and Hershey to team up with processors like Barry Callebaut and nonprofits including The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Together these organizations, under the auspice of the World Cocoa Foundation, have created the WCF Cocoa Livelihoods program. The objective of this program is to improve marketing efficiency, improve the efficiency of cocoa production at the farm level and improve farmer competitiveness.

Industry participation is not altruistic; it is based on an assessment of systemic threats to these corporations’ bottom lines. The challenge of sustainable resource management across different commodities requires this level of corporate engagement. To better understand how this program is working, an SNA of partner organizations would allow a sharper and more detailed picture of how organizations are managing collaboration. Specifically, this SNA will look to isolate how information flows between organizations. Understanding these communication patterns is essential to furthering the scope and scale of this program and designing future programs.

Hypothesis:

Understanding communication patterns will allow actors within organizations to identify relevant parties that must be included in the process. By understanding these connections, those involved can be brought together to more effectively: 

• Share successes and best practices
• Discuss failures in programs or in communication
• Identify further areas of shared interest to shape program development

Additionally, important parties with low centrality measures can be identified to assess if and how they need to be drawn into the process. In particular, this is relevant for individuals with authority whose buy-in is needed, as well as key actors working in programs can contribute expertise.

SNA Design:

Interviews will be conducted with individuals in marketing, development and program units at private sector corporations including Hershey, Mars and Barry Callebaut, relevant staff from The Gates Foundation, and staff from organizations involved in program implementation. Questions will include:

• Areas in which they work (geographic and program)
• Which partners organizations they are contact with, as well as:   Frequency of contact; Means of contact
• Prior experience in collaboration on sustainable natural resource management 
• Perceptions of WCF Program Livelihoods successes and failures

In designing the survey the questions will be geared to analyze Centrality, Betweenness and Eigenvector as key network measures for the purposes of this study.

Using SNA to Drive Collaboration:

From analysis of the SNA recommendations would be presented to WCF Cocoa Livelihoods Programs partners to refine a more thorough and efficient process of collaboration with greater impact. Building on these results, a follow-up SNA would be conducted in 6 months time to evaluate the impact of changes in communications patterns and continue adapting processes. 

Transferable lessons from this research would be compiled to help build impactful cross-sector collaboration on sustainable natural resource management in other sectors.

(For more information on WCF Cocoa Livelihoods Program visit: http://worldcocoafoundation.org/wcf-cocoa-livelihoods-program/)