A Collaboration Maturity Model
A CMM for collaborative networks
Over the last year months a group of cluster facilitators and network coaches in Northern Ireland, including myself, have been working under the auspices of the Cluster Facilitators Forum, to try and develop a non-proprietary open model to guide how collaboration can develop between businesses through clusters and networks.
The ambition is partly inspired by the hugely influential CMM framework for software capability originally developed by the Software Engineering Institute at CMU.
Below is a diagram which summarises the current state of the CFF collaborative network maturity model:
Like all models this one needs to be viewed in the light of Einstein's famous quote:
"All models are wrong but some are useful"

The model is intended to help place a network or cluster on the spectrum of collaboration and to assist in identification of priorities and supporting interventions.
Of course it is an over-simplification and should not be taken to imply that real networks develop in such tidy and linear stages!
For further information on the model contact Ian McAuley at the CFF.
Comments
At first glance, this looks good. I have worked on multiple teams most of them virtual and I can recognize most of them in one stage or another. Hence, this seems to make a lot of sense. I'll continue to explore this. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Steve Sherlock | November 25, 2005 2:34 AM
I think you are on the right track. The taxonomy helps me to think beyond cluster models for regional and national economic competiveness Would be interested to develop more insight about regional governance models, ecosystem/network topologies and diagnostic methodologies, interactive design processes, digital support tools and metrics.
Posted by: Egils Milbergs | January 5, 2006 11:13 PM
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