Originally written for the Torchbox blog.
I led research with Start Network to explore how its global network of 140 NGOs collaborates, communicates and shares knowledge in time-critical environments. This included interviews and surveys with participants from organisations across the UK, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines, Kenya, Palestine and India.
The findings informed recommendations for Start Network's member platform, but they also surface patterns that will feel familiar to anyone working across distributed teams or complex partnerships: how to make shared knowledge usable, how to meet people where they are, and why consistency often matters more than novelty.