Circular Contract

Why do "new economy" or multi-stakeholders collaborations fail too often ? Even though we all want to contribute, change the world, bring our best to society, collaborating in a balanced way is a challenge. Why is this ? 100% of the projects that I have had the pleasure of seeing bugged on 1 aspect of collaboration. While everyone is motivated to contribute to common good, in search of meaning, open-minded and open-hearted, putting lots of time and resources, the time of "fatigue" comes sooner or later. This is a real problem because everything has to be reinvented, with the energy and resources of each one of us. But if we are not able to calibrate a simple and viable project collaboration, we cannot hope to reinvent the rest of the economy. Some major reasons: - Different cultures, priorities and intentions or interests of each stakeholder/participant - Fear of losing the acquis - Lack of confidence in self, in others, in events - Complexity and risk - Regular update of context, business model, stakeholders, financials - Fear of the unknown - Education we had, in competition rather than in collaboration - Lack of self-knowledge and therefore the difficult to complement each other consciously - Time management and inefficient priorities - The unspoken, and lack of balanced communication - Unclear inputs and outputs of each stakeholder - Difficulty of measuring the exchange of different types of resources (knowledge, entrepreneurial efforts, buildings, money, networks, ...) ... The need for models of collaboration contracts is required, to clarify cooperation, intention, and resource exchange.

Here is the proposed process, developed by partners at UHDR and confidential forums and field experiences to change actors (stakeholders will recognize themselves - thanks to them!).

The next economy is based on the sharing of resources, whether we like it or not: projects that contribute to a sustainable future, while offering a clear place to its actors. A team where knowledge, networks, entrepreneurial energy, tools and processes, finance, materials first, all calibrated to a common noble quest. But how to pay, reward each stakeholder, how to manage multiple stakeholders, how to manage updates to the project, and the egos ...?

Step A - the test phase: the short term; first reflections and meetings ... done to the extent of the possibilities of each one. Art. WHY 0. Clarify the purpose of the project, the heart of the initiative, what we want to contribute to, vision, mission of the project, which vital functions of society it will contribute to. The basic intention of the alliance. Art. 1. Founding values, human at the core, non-negotiable, that will be consolidated upon in case of conflict or discussion Art 2: Name of the parties. This is generally 2, 3 or even more stakeholders. Art 3: History of the agreement and environmental-contextual elements, general and particular. Art 4: Resources and excellences of everyone put together - and exchange possibilities.

Step B - the validation phase: the medium term; Article 5: The famous "what's in for me? Which value everyone expects in return of the offering of resources Art 6: aspects on which everyone needs to be reassured Art 7: draft vision of the future project Art 8: roles and responsibilities, management and governance. The quality of collaborative space to the project's success. Risk sharing that everyone is willing to take. The management in cases of repositioning of the project, at the coming "refresh click"

Step C - enhancement phase: the long term; Art 9: Resource Exchange (knowledge, buildings, networks, communication, money, teams, etc.) and the needs of stakeholders being met, qualified and quantified. How each stakeholder is rewarded for his contribution resources - whatever it is, how, and in which legal form. This is where, creativity can go its course: trade in kind, alternative currency, in time, mentoring, and knowledge, and access to marginal resources,... Art 10: The method and regularity of monitoring, control, management, and measurement of success. Art 11: qualified and quantified targets in time - goalsetting. Art 12: The systemic explanatory diagram, how the whole worth more than the sum of the parts. Article 13: The management and allocation of risks and responsibilities, relative to customers and / or stakeholders. Art 14: The duration of the contract and the conditions of rupture. The plans in case of dissent or failure of one of the contractors. Art 15: Date and signatures.

The 3 phases do not have to be filled-in at once. The bottom line is that its circular. We all know that multi-stakeholders collaborations have to be iterated numerous times. At every "click point of refreshment", which can happen dozens of times, a new cycle has to be calibrated, with discussions based on the articles 0 and 1.

Michel de Kemmeter www.uhdr.net [email protected]