Software development: A paradigm for the future

A new paradigm for software development that treats software development as an experimental activity is presented. It provides built-in mechanisms for learning how to develop software better and reusing previous experience in the forms of knowledge, processes, and products. It uses models and measures to aid in the tasks of characterization, evaluation and motivation. An organization scheme is proposed for separating the project-specific focus from the organization's learning and reuse focuses of software development. The implications of this approach for corporations, research and education are discussed and some research activities currently underway at the University of Maryland that support this approach are presented

Sharpening the Cutting Edge: Corporate Action for a Strong, Low-Carbon Economy

Outlines lessons learned from early efforts to create a low-carbon economy, current and emerging best practices, and next steps, including climate change metrics, greenhouse gas reporting, effective climate policy, and long-term investment choices

Lasting Change from Organizational Effectiveness

This Lasting Change from Organizational Effectiveness (OE) report for 2014 includes analysis of 20 postgrant interviews conducted one to two years after the close of Packard Foundation OE grants. For purposes of this report, "lasting change" is defined as the degree to which the specific capacity built with the OE grant increases one to two years after the close of the grant period. To better understand "lasting change", grantees were also asked to describe any lasting grant impact on program services, applications of lessons learned, challenges sustaining grant results, the degree to which the organization currently focuses on broader capacity building and helpfulness of OE grant making

Driving Strategy for Social Impact

Authors Anne Sherman and Paul Connolly offer frameworks and advice to help guide nonprofits and funders through a strategy process. An effective strategy provides leaders with criteria for making important decisions and increasing the overall quality of their work

A Focus on Corporate Philanthropy: How Intel Integrates Social Impact Into its Philanthropic Programs and Core Business Strategies

Society's expectations of business are fundamentally changing. Now more than ever, the public demands corporations take on increased responsibility for their social and environmental impacts. And many people would like to see corporations provide leadership to address key social challenges. In response, some companies, including Intel, are exploring new and innovative ways of integrating social leadership into core business strategies and operations. For Intel, such initiatives include narrowing the digital divide; improving performance in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education; and equipping teachers with critical skills they need to support twenty-first century learning. Intel established the Intel Foundation in 1988 to improve the educational opportunities and quality of life for communities worldwide. Over the years, the Intel Foundation has helped fuel innovation in classrooms, empowered women and underserved youth, and enabled Intel employees to serve the needs of their communities. By developing programs and providing funding for national and localized grants, the Intel Foundation, in collaboration with Intel, strives to advance math and science education while helping to build a workforce that represents the diversity around the world. The role of corporate foundations has undergone a fundamental shift in recent years -- the traditional view of a corporate foundation being a separate entity from the business and acting "strictly as a charity" has evolved into the new view of a corporate foundation as an organization integrated within the larger context of business goals to create "shared value" (encompassing both business and social value). This article discusses how Intel and the Intel Foundation align social and business goals in their approach to their mission and programs, and how they measure and evaluate the impact of such initiatives. The article also details the evolution of the foundation and how it has worked in relation to the business, the development of the foundation's measurement and evaluation processes, and some lessons learned in the process. The article makes the case that corporate foundations and corporate giving efforts must adapt continually to changing circumstances

Building Networks of Practice

{Excerpt} Extensive media coverage of applications such as FaceBook, MySpace, and LinkedIn suggests that networks are a new phenomenon. They are not: the first network was born the day people decided to create organizational structures to serve common interests—that is, at the dawn of mankind. However, the last 10–20 years have witnessed rapid intensification and evolution of networking activities, driven of course by information and communication technologies as well as globalization. These make it possible for individuals to exchange data, information, and knowledge; work collaboratively; and share their views much more quickly and widely than ever before. Thus, less and less of an organization’s knowledge resides within its formal boundaries or communities of practice. Knowledge cannot be separated from the networks that create, use, and transform it. In parallel, networks now play significant roles in how individuals, groups, organizations, and related systems operate. They will be even more important tomorrow. Since we can no longer assume that closely knit groups are the building blocks of human activity—or treat these as discrete units of analysis—we need to recognize and interface with less-bounded organizations, from non-local communities to links among websites. We should make certain that knowledge harvested in the external environment is integrated with what exists within, especially in dynamic fields where innovation stems from inter-organizational knowledge sharing and learning. Therefore, the structure and composition of nodes and ties, and how these affect norms and determine usefulness, must become key concerns. This makes the study of networks of practice a prime interest for both researchers and practitioners

Trusted CI Experiences in Cybersecurity and Service to Open Science

This article describes experiences and lessons learned from the Trusted CI project, funded by the US National Science Foundation to serve the community as the NSF Cybersecurity Center of Excellence. Trusted CI is an effort to address cybersecurity for the open science community through a single organization that provides leadership, training, consulting, and knowledge to that community. The article describes the experiences and lessons learned of Trusted CI regarding both cybersecurity for open science and managing the process of providing centralized services to a broad and diverse community.Comment: 8 pages, PEARC '19: Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing, July 28-August 1, 2019, Chicago, IL, US

Paths Forward for the Global Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Sector

The report summarizes key challenges and recommendations discussed at an event entitled "Paths Forward for the Global Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Sector" hosted by the Global Water Futures Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The series of discussions focused on ways to catalyze and strengthen efforts to address international WASH problems. The sessions aimed to develop a set of actionable recommendations to improve the outcomes of global WASH programs and to increase the capacity of the U.S.-based public and private sectors to engage in program activities related to global WASH challenges. Each session examined a key challenge facing the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector. Roundtables focused on the following themes: "Building the Momentum for WASH Awareness," "Growing the Resource Base for WASH Efforts," "Making Our WASH Investments Count," and "Breaking the WASH Silo.

Personalised service? Changing the role of the government librarian

Investigates the feasibility of personalised information service in a government department. A qualitative methodology explored stakeholder opinions on the remit, marketing, resourcing and measurement of the service. A questionnaire and interviews gathered experiences of personalised provision across the government sector. Potential users were similarly surveyed to discuss how the service could meet their needs. Data were analysed using coding techniques to identify emerging theory. Lessons learned from government librarians centred on clarifying requirements, balancing workloads and selective marketing. The user survey showed low usage and awareness of existing specialist services, but high levels of need and interest in services repackaged as a tailored offering. Fieldwork confirmed findings from the literature on the scope for adding value through information management advice, information skills training and substantive research assistance and the need to understand business processes and develop effective partnerships. Concluding recommendations focus on service definition, strategic marketing, resource utilisation and performance measurement