RSA Networks, a partnership between the RSA and NESTA, was launched in 2007 as a project to catalyse a new relationship between the RSA and its 27,000 Fellows. It aimed to support Fellows in developing new networks to deliver sustainable social change.

The partnership with NESTA offered the RSA the opportunity to objectively reflect on its own progress, explore different types of collaborative innovation and identify connections between these collaborations and successful innovation.

What we learned

NESTA recently commissioned a handbook-style report to help share the learning from our RSA Networks project. The report sets out what we hope will be a useful set of lessons for those who want to learn more about supporting networked innovation or managing change. A series of videos filmed throughout the project will be available for download from this website soon. 

Here’s a sneak preview of the report contents:

Principles for networked innovation

• Start with relationships not transactions
• Be clear about the invitation
• People need to be seen and heard
• Follow exciting leads
• The online presence is integral to the mission
• Understand patterns of participation
• Not every networked idea is a good idea
• Revel in reflected glory
• Let networked innovation models change the hierarchy
• Don’t lose the human touch when going to scale

Principles for managing disruptive change

• Embrace chaos
• Co-design change
• Prototype, incubate, learn
• Mix mavericks and managers
• Go beyond staff compliance

Download the full report (PDF, 326KB)

View NESTA RSA Evaluation videos

These videos were filmed between November 2007 and July 2008 during the evaluation of RSA Networks. They were filmed and edited by Simone Jaeger and are presented alongside an ethnographic evaluation written by Sophia Parker and Eleanor Ford. This evaluation was commissioned by NESTA in partnership with the RSA. 

A new Vision for the RSA, and an ambitious Agenda
Criteria and definition, and collaboration and ownership
Chaos, coalescence and leadership
Balancing leadership in networks and hierarchies, and what success will look like