VUCA, a widely adopted term first used in a military context, stands for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. This is a useful model for understanding the current global context, considering the significant changes in play as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Designing an innovative approach to a virtual international ‘gathering of gatherings’ means acknowledging these circumstances and creating the right framework conditions so that individuals can contribute their experience and skills in in ways that are meaningful and valued.

It will also mean the focused development of participation dispositions that are compatible with this dynamic way of thinking and working, allowing for diverse experience and cultural perspectives.

Exploring new ways to connect

Public sector organisations and influentials, public-purpose innovators and policy-makers will participate in virtual and mixed foramt events if they are not just a webinar-style streamed event from a central point but a comprehensively interconnected program of regional/local events across time-zones unified within an overarching thematic framework – a kind of worldwide ‘knowledge festival’ to gather and mobilise responses to the 2020 crises.

Core principles & practices

The co-founders of X360, Allison Hornery and John Wells, are building on their experience of ‘connected dialogue events’ together with their network of peers around the world. Their collective vision and methodologies are grounded in the following.

Networked, not merely distributed

On the scale being developed, projects won’t succeed if designed and managed just as top-down programs. ‘Distributed’ implies releasing from the centre; ‘networked’ implies a collective interaction.

Participatory

Participants at all levels – from lead partners to in-room attendees – are the people who will make this successful. We need their input and they will need ways they can shape and contribute.

Project management vs creative development

While risk management and other such factors will be accounted for, a conventional project management methodology is not applicable here in the design of a world networked event. The successful design, production, promotion and hosting of this project will call for creative development principles and practices interwoven with effective and dynamic management processes.

Project coordination cannot be only command/control

Such open participation also calls for unusual forms of governance that respect the rights & responsibilities of influencers & participants while also providing firm guidelines with policy conditions & protocols as well as ‘creative power of veto’.

Levels and interconnecting spheres of governance

The diverse jurisdictions and types of organisations that will be included will require a corresponding effort around innovating a multi-context governance framework.

Levels and interconnecting spheres of participation

Much of the value that organisations and individuals will gain from this event will be shaped by how they exchange with peers across cities, time-zones and professional disciplines.

A commitment

The public sector and public-purpose innovation communities are diverse, and we want the experience to offer a range of participation modes to ensure that anyone can be part of mass participation and dialogue projects in a way that makes sense for them and provides a legacy of enduring value.