Distributed
Labs can be local, thematic, partner-led, or hosted by hubs while contributing to one shared learning field.
CCE Labs
Network & governance
Coherence without unnecessary centralisation.
Governed
Public-interest work needs explicit roles, decision rights, provenance, accountability, and escalation paths.
Federated learning
Methods and evidence should move through the network without flattening local context.
Why governance matters
Collaboration programmes can become vague quickly. Without governance, a network may lose coherence, accountability, and trust. With too much centralisation, it may lose autonomy, local relevance, and creativity.
CCE Labs needs a middle path: enough governance to make the programme trustworthy, and enough distribution to let many contexts learn and contribute.
Governance responsibilities
The programme should make these responsibilities explicit:
- who can start or host a Lab;
- what minimum documentation a Lab must keep;
- how participants give consent and understand expectations;
- how methods are named, versioned, and retired;
- how evidence is reviewed before publication;
- how conflicts or harms are escalated;
- how partners and funders are represented honestly;
- how the foundation decides what it endorses.
Network learning
The network exists so learning can travel. A method tested in one Lab may help another Lab, but only if its context is clear. CCE Labs should avoid both extremes: locking methods into a rigid manual, or leaving every group to reinvent the work alone.
Role of Cocreate Earth Foundation
The foundation can steward the shared frame: public-interest purpose, publication discipline, governance standards, and partnership readiness. It should not need to own every Lab directly.
The stronger the governance layer, the easier it becomes for distributed Labs to act with autonomy while still contributing to a coherent programme.