Lessons from one year on Code for America’s National Advisory Council

Please ask me things! Really. @elburnett

What’s the biggest challenge facing your Brigade in 2019? And how can the NAC help? Submit your response here.

Elections are upon us! Have you voted in the National Advisory Council Elections yet? You should. Here’s a list of the candidates (including me) and the ballot.

Can I earn your vote? Read more about what I’ve learned from a year on the NAC, and what I hope to continue to do with one more At-Large term.

As a civic tech geek with a background in organizing and a brain bent on systems-thinking, the NAC is a wonderful place to dive in and help shape our grassroots community.

The CfA Network is huge, complex, and constantly iterating. How can an organization like Code for America possibly keep up with the needs of a decentralized network like the Brigade program? There’s no one answer to that, but the National Advisory Council is our best tool for listening and incorporating the needs of the community into CfA’s core work.

So. Here are a few takeaways and suggestions about NAC that also apply to just about anyone in the network. If you’re active in a Brigade, I hope to hear from you (here’s another link to the question asked above) and I’d be honored to have your vote for another yearlong term on the NAC.

Ok. On with the lessons, observations, and things you might enjoy reading from one year on the NAC.

1. Run with it

This isn’t to say that there are no rules. But rather: a lot of the needs and desires from the Brigade community need to be created by us and for us. And the things that need to be created are often systems. Like a better way to share projects and resources cause Slack doesn’t always cut it. One of the best things that the NAC helped implement (shoutout to Chris Alfano for a lot of heavy lifting) was getting on Discourse. Haven’t checked it out? You should; there’s a wealth of resources for you and your brigade on that platform.

If a need isn’t being met, it’s likely because a system simply hasn’t been created yet. This is the same general way that my brigade is organized, so I’m used to it. Maybe there’s an elegant way to say “we’re making this up as we go” but you get the point. NAC is great for people with systems-level ideas and strategies and for folks who just want to get the nitty gritty tasks done.

2. CfA‘s Main Mission Isn’t to Support the Brigades. (And that’s ok.)

Let’s get this right out in the open. We are so loosely organized that this would be a foolish objective if it were CfA’s main mission. This is ok. The Brigade program has gone through many iterations and its structure right now is probably the strongest I’ve seen it — and I was actually part of the very first Brigade class (before getting a heavy dose imposter syndrome and disappearing for a few years, but that’s another story. Please do talk to me about imposter syndrome, though.) What’s the point of this? It’s to reinforce this:

Ask for what you need from CfA (even if you don’t know if they can provide it) and provide feedback to a NAC rep. Remember the thing about this being a loosely organized network? Brigades are all unique and with different needs, and thus it’s difficult to assess whether the parent org is always meeting the needs of all groups. There’s no way for staff in SF or your NAC rep to intuit what you need as an organizer 100s of miles away. Some things might take time, and some requests just aren’t feasible. But you might be surprised what can happen by sharing your problems and asking for support. Maybe you’re at the edge of burnout and need some strategies for keeping your brigade (& health) in good shape. Or maybe you just really think you’re bad at the whole fundraising thing and need advice. Reach out to a NAC member — we are happy to point you in the right direction of resources, or to even hop on the phone. There are 100s of us out here doing the same work as you; a little solidarity can go a long way.

One caveat: You might be someone who has no trouble advocating for your needs, speaking your mind, and taking up space in a community. And if this is the case, perhaps keep in mind the above reference to taking up space. Perhaps think about the fine balance you aim to achieve between talking and listening. CfA staff and network are here for everyone. Not just you. Staff is not here to serve you. NAC is not here to solely represent you.

One of the best things I’ve gotten from being on the NAC is a much better sense of what CfA is working on and where my local work might overlap with CfA’s other initiatives. Want to chat with folks on the Clear My Record team and see what it might take to bring it to your state? You can do that. What about talking with the GetCalFresh team about what they learned on the project? You can also do that. Our network and connections are much bigger than you might think. And by you I mean any Brigade member, not just a NAC member.

3. Let’s Talk about the Awkward Elephant

There’s an inherent tension in doing volunteer work that’s supported by staff members of an org. Let’s talk about it! Let’s name it. A lot of folks who organize Brigades do so because we want to get paid. That’s real. I’m not the only one picking up on it, right? There’s something about giving a lot of your (free) time to a cause which might make you feel a certain type of way when interacting with folks who are doing related work and activities but getting paid to do so. It’s real. That’s a thing! But that tension can be lessened by some greater interaction with staff aside from just saying hi at a conference or two.

So let me share what I’ve learned from the Brigade side by diving into the tension and attempting to disarm it: CfA staff work their freaking asses off.

All of those problems with our decentralized network? Staff is thinking about them. A lot. All of the aspects of raising money to support Brigades and other CfA programs? Staff works on that, too. Staff also plans and travels for our Brigade Congress event. Which takes place on the weekend, by the way. We don’t always see that from the Brigade perspective. We don’t see how often they work and how much of their work benefits our programs.

Staff doesn’t always see our perspective either. In fact, staff might be a little intimidated by a group of volunteers who sometimes have more zeal and raw passion for CfA’s work than staff does. How does one reconcile that?

So might I humbly suggest, if you’re a brigade member: Go check out the directory, find someone who looks amazing and cool who you’d like to know more about (there are a lot of em) and send them a Slack message. Genuinely: do you want to talk to criminal justice experts because your brigade is working on a criminal justice project? Reach out! Learn a few things, share a few things. Maybe you’ll have a new friend to hang with at Summit. As with any human interaction, you are not entitled to anyone’s time. Even if you’re a volunteer and they are paid staff. But I’m guessing that if you have an overlap in interests, whether that’s in skills or subject area, you can set up a good conversation.

And might I suggest, for staff? Dig in to what overlap might exist between your CfA work and brigade work. It’s not just the network team that needs to be a conduit. If you’re working on a program, chances are you have an excellent wealth of resources at your fingertips in the brigade network: folks who might even have something to add to your project. Reach out to a NAC member and see where you might be able to help, and where NAC might best fit in.

Looking Ahead

I’ve learned a ton from listening and talking to as many people as I can this year. And I’d like to continue to learn more about how Brigades operate and help institutionalize our knowledge. I believe my perspective coming from a small brigade in a relatively rural place is needed on the NAC. Our groups are all special snowflakes and representation of those quirky, fledgling groups is needed. We need better and more standardized resources for Brigade management. This group has come a long way since its first iteration way back in 2012/2013. It’s time to meet the needs of the moment. Here are my top priorities for 2019/2020 and the NAC:

1. Active listening. Talking to organizers at Summit and Brigade Congress have informed a lot of what I advocate for on the NAC. But not everyone can attend those events. In fact, I’ve heard a lot about the need for more regional meetups! What else should we know? The more sharing the better. Here’s one way for you to submit feedback.
2. Replication & improvement of brigade organizing materials. I got my start in politics as an organizer. I’m excited to see what’s in store for the Network in 2019, and especially a focus on getting our Brigade groups better organized. What’s this look like? Updated toolkits & outreach materials, like one-pagers on partnering with a Brigade, sponsoring a Brigade, and all sorts of volunteer management and outreach materials. What would be helpful to you?
3. Cultivate our commons! I’d like to work with others to better curate our community like the garden that it is. This means more thoughtful moderation of common discussion places (Slack) and encouragement of inclusive participation.
4. What else??? DM me on Slack (em_maine), or send me an email at elburnett@gmail.com

I hope to earn your vote.