Through our work supporting the Gates Foundation’s Networks for School Improvement Community of Practice, we have had the opportunity to dive deep into understanding the capacities that make an intermediary successful in running a networked improvement community. We spent the better part of last fall reviewing our initial research on the topic, analyzing our data from over two dozen capacity assessment interviews, and pressure-testing our emerging framework with NSI leaders, expert support providers from our network, and foundation staff. The result is the Intermediary Capacity Framework (ICAF). We would love for you to review it and take it for a spin by considering how the capacities apply to your work!

If you have 5-10 mins, take a look at the ICAF capacities and definitions in this document.

If you have 15-20 minutes, settle in and read through the capacities, definitions, and look-fors while considering whether those look-fors describe the work of your intermediary, your hub, or other hubs that you know.

If you really want to dive in, you can view this Trello board and work with your team to engage in your own virtual card-sorting exercise to collaboratively assess your strengths and areas for growth. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you want us to help you with this!

If you do any of the above, we’d love to hear it – drop us a note anytime!

In the coming months, we’ll be developing a full white paper to further discuss each capacity area and its importance in the networked improvement process. Stay tuned for more!