The network is the priority and is where the action ‘happens’.  As the network has grown however, it has been necessary to develop an organisation – the Network Support Team – to support the network and to allow SPEAK to remain a network with all this entails. This document studies the differences between organisation and network, and the paradox of having to develop an organisation to allow SPEAK to remain and develop as a network.

The word network places emphasis on the relationships between groups which is the most important aspect of SPEAK. The organisational side is downplayed, not because there is no need for organisational capacity to support the network, but because SPEAK is a network and the network support team is an organisation that exists solely to serve the network.

But the real issue is what is the relationship between the two and how do the two inter-relate? Some people get confused by what we say and how we use our language, because we are quite hardcore about saying that SPEAK is primarily a network, not an organisation. Organisational capacity is needed to support the network, but this should not be the focus. The use of language is important in this, and a network is more likely to form on the basis of other people feeling that they can get involved. The word network has an impact in the way that things are seen.

 Organisation - you become a supporter or a volunteer of an organisation, and you are there to support their work. E.g. the work of Tearfund or Christian Aid is primarily carried out by professional staff, either in the UK or thorugh partners in the field. Individual donors, campaigners or volunteers support this work as directed by the organisation.

Sometimes the word 'volunteer' will  get used on occasions e.g. for Volumize or on the website. Volunteer can imply 'volunteering for', serving someone else's vision, as opposed to being an equal part in defining what that group is. We need to be careful in our language, and look to using language that creates space when that is appropriate.