# Forming collectives Our path to better sustainable outcomes depends on forming and amplifying collectives. Forming collectives enables us to mobilize distributed wisdom, resources, and capabilities that no single organization can achieve alone. We build on existing collectives where they thrive, and catalyze new ones where gaps exist. Relationships form the backbone of effective collectives. Trust between members determines how quickly they can mobilize when opportunities or challenges arise. Strong relationships transform latent potential into coordinated action, enabling collectives to respond at the right moment to create change. [Collectives](/undp-accelerator-labs/references/glossary.md#collective) transform individual agency into collective power. When actors exercise their agency together – combining their knowledge, resources, and influence – they create "power with" rather than "power over."[\[1\]](#endnote-1) Collectives manifest in multiple forms across ecosystems: from neighborhood groups tackling local waste to national coalitions driving policy change, from temporary task forces addressing urgent crises to enduring alliances working on systemic transformation. Some remain dormant between moments of need; others maintain continuous activity. Together, they accomplish what none could achieve alone. ## What we do to make big steps forward ### Working in the middle ground to connect diverse actors We position ourselves in the [*middle ground*](/undp-accelerator-labs/references/glossary.md#middle-ground)[\[2\]](#endnote-2) – the dynamic space between two ends of the [ecosystem](/undp-accelerator-labs/references/glossary.md#ecosystem). On one end are institutional structures (governments, academia, multinationals); on the other are grassroots actors (local innovators, social entrepreneurs, community organizations). By bridging these worlds, we enable exchanges where institutional actors gain access to local insights and frugal innovations, while grassroots actors access resources, legitimacy, and pathways to scale. These exchanges accelerate R\&D by combining different types of knowledge, capabilities, and perspectives that rarely meet otherwise. ### Identifying and mapping key actors in the ecosystem We actively seek actors with agency, critical knowledge, or critical relationships: those who are creating change, hold essential expertise, serve as gatekeepers to communities, or occupy positions that can unlock resources and remove barriers. Through stakeholder mapping, we identify who has a stake in maintaining or transforming current systems, understanding their motivations and unique value and where interests and goals are aligned or misaligned. We map relationships between actors, examining connections, influence flows, and existing capabilities within and across groups. This reveals the ecosystem's hidden architecture: who holds power, who bridges different worlds, and where untapped potential lies. Understanding these dynamics helps both us and the collective see which connections matter most, enabling them to bring together the right mix of people to create real change. ### Being mindful of our role in distributed leadership We invest deliberately in activities that build trust and deepen relationships: creating spaces for authentic dialogue, facilitating shared experiences, and ensuring early wins (e.g., getting specific stakeholders to the table, influencing decisions, shifting how people frame the problem) that demonstrate what's possible together. We recognize that sustainable collectives thrive on distributed rather than centralized leadership. Our role is intentionally transient: we join collectives as peers but may step forward to catalyze their formation by helping identify key actors, facilitate initial connections, and support articulation of shared purpose. As the collective develops, we shift to a supporting role, creating space for the collective to find its own way forward, with different members stepping up to lead as needed. {% hint style="info" %} #### Reflection questions These reflection questions help us identify key actors, understand their motivations and relationships, and create conditions for collective learning and action. * Who are the actors whose agency, knowledge, or relationships are most critical for this collective? Where might we find them? * Who is missing? Which potentially valuable goals, perspectives, experiences, abilities and needs are not represented? * What shared purpose or common ground could bring diverse actors together? What would motivate them to participate? * What would success look like from each stakeholder's perspective? * How do power dynamics and existing relationships between actors affect their ability to work together? What are the potential risks of power imbalances? * How do we create flows of knowledge, innovations, and ideas between actors in different realms (e.g. institutional, grassroots)? * What conditions or activities would deepen relationships and enable collective learning and collaboration? * How might this collective connect with others to amplify impact? What role could it play in the broader ecosystem? * When should we step forward to catalyze action, and when should we step back to let others lead? How do we recognize these moments? {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} #### Methods and enabling technologies * [**Ecosystem mapping**](/undp-accelerator-labs/doing-r-and-d/6.-r-and-d-methods-and-enabling-technologies.md#ecosystem-mapping) to reveal existing collectives and identify where new ones could naturally form based on relationships and shared interests * [**Community mapping**](/undp-accelerator-labs/doing-r-and-d/6.-r-and-d-methods-and-enabling-technologies.md#community-mapping) to reveal community bonds and social ties that provide foundations for collective work or reveal where it is already happening * [**Participatory workshops**](/undp-accelerator-labs/doing-r-and-d/6.-r-and-d-methods-and-enabling-technologies.md#participatory-workshops) to create spaces where actors build relationships and align on common challenges * [**Sensemaking workshops**](/undp-accelerator-labs/doing-r-and-d/6.-r-and-d-methods-and-enabling-technologies.md#sensemaking-workshops) to help diverse actors collectively interpret complex challenges and develop shared understanding for action * [**Storytelling spaces** ](/undp-accelerator-labs/doing-r-and-d/6.-r-and-d-methods-and-enabling-technologies.md#storytelling)to build connections and shared identity through sharing narratives that connect individual experiences * [**Solutions mapping**](/undp-accelerator-labs/doing-r-and-d/6.-r-and-d-methods-and-enabling-technologies.md#solutions-mapping) to discover grassroots innovators working on related problems and to form solution collectives * [**Ethnographic research**](/undp-accelerator-labs/doing-r-and-d/6.-r-and-d-methods-and-enabling-technologies.md#ethnographic-research) to deeply understand different actors' perspectives, motivations, and contexts while building the trust needed for collective work * [**Foresight**](/undp-accelerator-labs/doing-r-and-d/6.-r-and-d-methods-and-enabling-technologies.md#foresight) to co-create shared visions of possible futures that align collective action * [**Digital platforms**](/undp-accelerator-labs/doing-r-and-d/6.-r-and-d-methods-and-enabling-technologies.md#digital-platforms) to enable continuous collaboration and collective learning across locations and time {% endhint %} *** ## Notes 1. See Power Cube (2011) [↑](#endnote-ref-1) 2. See Cohendet, Grandadam, & Simon (2010); Cohendet, Grandadam, & Suire (2021) [↑](#endnote-ref-2) --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://bas-leurss-personal-organization.gitbook.io/undp-accelerator-labs/doing-r-and-d/5.-r-and-d-practices/forming-collectives.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.