Once you have confirmed your focus and have an initial network – what do you do next? You need to start to get tangible – but what does that mean? In practice, this will vary according to who you are and what you’re aiming to achieve, but it could include activities like:

Set up your first official public meetings:

  • Set up several events to meet the wider community, spread the word, build momentum, and start to build a profile.
  • These could be ‘open call’ (meaning an open-house, a meet-and-greet or hosting a meetup – e.g. an event open to the community).
  • Remember: early meetings shouldn’t seek to promise a solution – managing expectations is important.

Come up with concrete asks.

  • Communicate your aims, and ask for experts to join you.

Organise communications.

  • Start a spreadsheet tracking community members.
  • Start an email group to share initial meeting notes – use these to disseminate into the community/share what you will be working on.

Top Tip: Create an editorial calendar to track consistency/commitment (i.e. sending 1 email per month, hosting 1 meeting per quarter etc).

In this video, SDG Advisor Kali Taylor shares her personal experiences on how to get others to actively contribute.

Download Video Transcript

Now go to the ‘Practical Steps’ section of your Blueprint document and add some notes. As you do, consider these prompts:

What is absolutely necessary to start working on this initiative? 
Who has been asked for concrete feedback and what was the main takeaway? 
How does my community gather and connect? Is it working or should I try something different? 
What is the best way to gather the community around this new idea?
What is the plan to stay organized and accountable?
What is the main outcome for the first meeting? 

Please consult these links and additional resources to learn more:

  • Learn more about how to innovate with better meetings here
  • Here is a comprehensive guide / tool covering integration and collaboration
We’re always interested in benefitting from the experiences of others. If you have any case studies or other learnings you would like to pass on to us, please send them to SDG Lab Geneva.