TY - JOUR T1 - Open Sourcing Social Change: Inside the Constellation Model JF - Open Source Business Resource Y1 - 2008 A1 - Tonya Surman A1 - Mark Surman AB - The constellation model was developed by and for the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and the Environment. The model offers an innovative approach to organizing collaborative efforts in the social mission sector and shares various elements of the open source model. It emphasizes self-organizing and concrete action within a network of partner organizations working on a common issue. Constellations are self-organizing action teams that operate within the broader strategic vision of a partnership. These constellations are outwardly focused, placing their attention on creating value for those in the external environment rather than on the partnership itself. While serious effort is invested into core partnership governance and management, most of the energy is devoted to the decision making, resources and collaborative effort required to create social value. The constellations drive and define the partnership. The constellation model emerged from a deep understanding of the power of networks and peer production. Leadership rotates fluidly amongst partners, with each partner having the freedom to head up a constellation and to participate in constellations that carry out activities that are of more peripheral interest. The Internet provided the platform, the partner network enabled the expertise to align itself, and the goal of reducing chemical exposure in children kept the energy flowing. Building on seven years of experience, this article provides an overview of the constellation model, discusses the results from the CPCHE, and identifies similarities and differences between the constellation and open source models. PB - Talent First Network CY - Ottawa UR - http://timreview.ca/article/183 IS - September 2008 U1 - Centre for Social Innovation Tonya Surman is the founding Executive Director of the Centre for Social Innovation. She was the co-creator of the constellation model for CPCHE as its founding partnership director. Her work at the Centre is focused on catalyzing collaboration and entrepreneurship for social innovation. Previously she has run a social enterprise offering e-mail to activists and an edgy online news hub for Canadian progressives. U2 - Mozilla Foundation Mark Surman is in the business of connecting things: people, ideas, everything. A community technology activist for almost 20 years, Mark has just become the Executive Director of the Mozilla Foundation. Previously he was an open philanthropy fellow at the Shuttleworth Foundation in Cape Town. He serves as senior partnership advisor to telecentre.org, a $27 million program that invests in grassroots computing networks around the world. When he has time, Mark likes to write and convene conversations about all things 'open' in his hometown of Toronto. ER -