Shaping Governance for Impact

·3 min

The Problem

Governance plays an essential role within communities of practice, establishing a regulatory framework that guides strategic decision-making and provides clarity and transparency in processes. Many communities emerge organically, driven by shared interests and informal connections. This can lead to governance that, if present, may be challenging to implement, resulting in ambiguities that impact the sustainability and effectiveness of the community and the well-being of its members.

How to Approach It

Governance must address the singularities of each community. It should be as robust as necessary and, at the same time, flexible enough to adapt to the nature of collaboration between people and organizations with dynamic priorities and contexts. As Jo Freeman states in her essential work The Tyranny of Structurelessness (originally published in 1971):

Any group of people of whatever nature that comes together for any length of time for any purpose will inevitably structure itself in some fashion (…) For everyone to have the opportunity to be involved in a given group and to participate in its activities the structure must be explicit, not implicit. The rules of decision-making must be open and available to everyone, and this can happen only if they are formalized.

The Working Model

Working in alignment with the values of community, autonomy, and versatility supports MetaDocencia’s aim to build scientific and technical capacities responsibly and with a local perspective. MetaDocencia offers its experience to work with communities seeking to design and implement transparent and functional governance that reflects their priorities and commitments.

Whether through direct consulting or jointly funded external projects, MetaDocencia will guide the work to:

  • Learn about governance models
  • Foster community dialogue to build consensus
  • Define values, mission, and vision
  • Customize community guidelines to drive safe spaces
  • Organize work guidelines for the team and board
  • Explore decision-making models and how to implement them
  • Design and draft governance documents incorporating community learnings

Background

MetaDocencia rebuilt its governance in 2022 through a collaborative learning and design process. This current governance model, transparent and centered on MetaDocencia´s cultural and regional context, facilitates strategic decision-making and activity development.

The process included 32 activities in which 10 team members actively worked synchronously for over 55 hours across 4 months. It was accompanied by 8 open community meetings, where 7 leaders and specialists from organizations around the world shared their experiences. This process culminated in MetaDocencia’s new governance and a revised approach to work, marked by the redefinition of internal teams and a renewed Advisory Council (AC). Since 2024, the governance documentation is formally reviewed, enriched, and updated annually, consolidating a proven model of continuous improvement.

MetaDocencia comprises professionals with experience in diverse disciplines and fields. As part of its consulting services for individuals and organizations, in both Spanish and English, MetaDocencia supported the strengthening of community governance for Latin America Bioimaging (LABI).

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Further reading

  • “The Tyranny of Structurelessness,” by Jo Freeman (Spanish translation by the Argentine Pirate Party: La tiranía de la falta de estructura)
  • The work of Elinor Ostrom in Governing the Commons: An Appreciation, by Win Grant (in English)
  • CommunityRule, “a governance toolkit for great communities”
  • Liberating Structures, simple ways of engaging with others that improve how we build collectively
  • Development of an interactive guide (in Spanish) for producing governance models in communities of practice. The case of MetaDocencia. Student: Romina Pendino