STEPWISE APPROACH HOW TO SET UP AND RUN A SIG / ZONE

If you want to initiate a new SIG please read the following paragraphs and get in contact with the SIG ZONE Editor

Ms. Anne Jubert
e-mail: sigsupport@knowledgeboard.com

1. Define the Topic
2. Communicate about it
3. Approval of the SIG
4. Launch and operation
5. When the SIG has come to an end

1. Define the Topic
Prepare a description about the potential SIG topic. Describe what you aim to discuss or to achieve. This description will be published at the SIG Zone, first as an expression of interest and then later - if established - as the objective of your SIG. Thus:

• Prepare a list of questions you are thinking about and transform them into a brief description/abstract


• State your goals. Think of a mission statement


• Give a brief 'state of the art' or describe the status how things are (if applicable)


• Define the envisaged outcomes (e.g. discussions, meetings, workshops, document, book, etc.)


• Take care that the description is brief, attractive, easily understandable, and stimulating for joining your group. Be precise. A concrete and pragmatic description of your problem will attract people much more than complex and generic meta level descriptions. Also note that it is a draft - others shall comment it and it shall evolve over time.


• 1-2 pages should be enough.


• You do not yet have a clear vision of what you want to achieve? Then discuss with others about it - this might be the start of a small group.

2. Communicate about it
In parallel to the definition of the topic, you need to identify others who are interested in it in order to form a group. You will notice that this is a very iteractive and communicative process. Other will have slightly different interests and you may adapt your topic. Thus you will need several loops of topic definition and communication - the aim must be to achieve consensus for the group.

How do I find the right people?

• Identify people in your direct environment and those with whom you have spoken about the topic already (e.g. colleagues, project partners, friends). Get in contact with them.


• Identify thought leaders and others already networking around the topic and try to involve them. Thought leaders legitimate the group, even if they only participate marginally.


• The SIG ZONE Editor will publish you topic as an expression of interest and bring you in contact with people interested.


• We can also announce you request in the newswire sent to more than 2000 members.


• We can search the KnowledgeBoard's Who is Who for identifying people with similar profile.


• Word of mouth: talk to people at events. We will do the same for you.


• Emails are forwarded easily by everybody. But they are more anonymous and less obligatory. Face-to-face or telephone conversation create more obligation.

When you have an initial list of members, provide this to the SIG ZONE Editor for showing a critical mass.

3. Approval of the SIG
The SIG is formally approved by the SIG ZONE Editor and an agreement signed to recognise the input expected from the SIG Editor and the KnowledgeBoard consortium in return. The criteria for approval are:

• the SIG is in the overall domain of KM and supports the aims of the KnowledgeBoard community


• there are other members in the community that would like to interact with you on the subject


• no other existing SIG within KnowledgeBoard has similar goals


• the leader or joint leadership is credible

4. Launch and operation
The SIG is then formally launched. The SIG ZONE Editor will arrange that a ZONE for the SIG is set up (i.e. the frame for entering information, incl. access rights, etc.). The SIG leader will then start to publish documents in the SIG. We support you in announcing the SIG to a large number of members. Interaction will take place via the discussion forum. Documents can also be exchanged via the discussion forum.
The launch is a critical phase as its challenge is to turn the SIG into a vibrant group. People want to be stimulated, networked, approached, acknowledged etc. Discussion needs to be stimulated: Propose your questions or goal descriptions and ask for comments (e.g. ask "what do you think?" - "And you?" - "Have you experienced the same?", "Do you have a solution for me"? a.s.o.). Note:

• New groups often need some time to develop relationships and enough trust to ask for help and discuss important issues!


• The leader should not play the role of a gatekeeper!


• Keep in mind the saying - "If you don't ask you won't get an answer!"

Keep track of what is going on. You should document intermediate results and achievements in your ZONE. This will ensure a good future usability, will ease further developments and reduce the efforts of getting acquainted to the SIG if someone new joins the group. Thus

• summarise, prepare and publish intermediate results for the SIG


• summarise discussion threads and pick up unanswered thoughts again

Keep your SIG site dynamic and post new content and provide new editorials regularly. This will create trust and confidence in good site maintenance and will create sort of flavour such like "there is really something going on"!

Each new SIG Editor will receive a set of guidelines to help with moderating discussion and managing content within the SIG.

5. When the SIG has come to an end
Once the discussed problem is solved or the interest is saturated, time has come to conclude the work, clean up and make the results available to the European KM community beyond the group's existence. Therefore the SIG should prepare a short summary comprising information about the SIG's

• topic and target


• duration


• group members


• story and results

Get in contact with the SIG ZONE Editor Anne Jubert in order to plan how to 'archive' the SIG and where to make which results available.

For more questions about SIGs, refer to the FAQ.